A group of York students has won the opportunity to have their very own I-phone application developed after winning The App Challenge final, held at the Ron Cooke Hub on Wednesday, January 18.
YUSU Welfare officer Bob Hughes has warned students to be vigilant after a student loans phishing scam has been revealed.
Her Majesty the Queen will be visiting York on Maundy Thursday, 5th April, as part of the 800th anniversary of York’s Charter for the traditional “Royal Maundy” ceremony.
A flood caused by a heating system “failure” forced the university IT services to shut down many essential systems on Sunday night, causing problems for many students on the eve of their exams and assignment due-dates.
The first motion of the evening was proposed by final year student Max Hardy, and seconded by YUSU Officers Alex Lacy, Rhianna Kinchin and Rory Shanks. As Hardy was absent, Emily Scott spoke on his behalf.
Scott noted that Hardy is a keen skier who has competed in skiing competitions at both a national and international level.
She added that he submitted the motion because he has found it difficult to compete at this level whilst also attempting to complete his degree.
Scott pointed out that other universities, including Durham and Liverpool, provide elite athlete programs for their athletes. On behalf of Hardy, she proposed a similar program at York.
If this motion is passed, YUSU will be mandated to lobby the university to either provide an elite athlete fund, or allocate YUSU a fund of £6,000 so that the union can support elite athletes.
The second motion was submitted by Sports President Alex Lacy. YUSU President Tom Scott seconded the motion alongside Michael Leahy and Jon Stammers.
Lacy proposed a campaign for an academic sports department on the grounds that “despite being a top ten academic university... we regularly finish around the forties in BUCS [British Universities and Colleges Sport]”.
He added that an academic sports department could improve sports facilities, attract more sporty students to the university, and get more students already at the university involved in sport.
Lacy also noted: “It’s a bit of a first for students to say they want an academic department in a university, however I think that this grass roots level of understanding and involvement is what York is all about.”
Lacy then submitted his second motion of the evening, calling for a campaign to bring term dates forward. York University currently has one of the latest starts in the country to an academic year, often starting around the same time as Oxford University despite having longer terms.
Lacy suggested that this is detrimental to students, claiming: “This is a bit rubbish. It’s rubbish for students in employment, for students renting houses, for international students, for students on ERASMUS schemes, for students who play sport and for students who want to go into postgraduate study. In fact, it’s rubbish for most, if not all, the students in York.”
James Smallwood, president of the York University Rugby Club, was one of several people who seconded the motion. Smallwood noted that both the first and second rugby teams had to forfeit what would have been their opening game of the season as it was scheduled for before the beginning of term. Both teams were also punished with a three point penalty.
The final motion of the evening was submitted by Chris Northwood, who proposed a campaign to improve the university 'duck' card. Northwood opened his speech by highlighting a problem he had when working in Oxford as part of his course: “In York, everywhere recognises the duck card; in Oxford, they haven’t the foggiest what it is.”
Northwood noted other problems caused by the current university cards – that the year of issue is often mistaken for an expiry date, and that the lack of a more widely recognised logo (for example, NUS or ISIC) means the card’s validity can often be called into question.
John Nicholls, one of the YUSU Environment and Ethics Officers, expressed his support for the motion. Nicholls said: “I think students at York deserve to have a card of national recognition.”
Voting for the UGM motions begins on Monday week 5 at http://www.yusu.org/vote.
I still think that our term dates are fine and it's the fact that other universities have theirs too early. That and those stupid two-semester university systems. Stop copying America and let us keep our long summer holiday 
Another academically stimulating insight from Jason Rose.
"It’s rubbish for students in employment, for students renting houses, for international students, for students on ERASMUS schemes, for students who play sport and for students who want to go into postgraduate study. In fact, it’s rubbish for most, if not all, the students in York.”
But Jason Rose thinks it's fine, so let us not do anything about it.
I don't think it's as simple as Lacy makes out, those extra two weeks aren't necessarily rubbish for those of us in employment, indeed we get more time to work. Also, this issue of (apparently) accommodation contracts supposedly ending before term does is a completely separate one that deserves a separate motion imo.
Chris, I think Lacy was referring to accomodation contracts for students living off campus... I can't see how YUSU lobbying YRLA, Sinclairs etc would make much difference.
YUSU have had success lobbying other companies with significant interest in the student population (e.g., the ftr), there's no reason that talking to the accommodation companies in York would be bound to fail from the outset.
Re: Motion 3
This is purely about the minor sporting issues and has been supported with other minor (or implausible) points to try and make it seem like an important issue.
Private accommodation dates are set by precedent in every university town. In other towns, the usual starting dates can be earlier (eg. Bristol) or later. Once this precedent is set, it is very hard to change as landlords do not want property sitting empty for a month in the changeover period and students don't want to pay rent for periods during which they are not resident.
It is unfortunate that term ends after the 1st of July this year but changing term dates because of this anomaly would require a major logistical and technical shake-up not just on the part of letting agents and landlords but also the university. It's simply not practical (or even useful) at this time.
It's also a problem if someone doesn't like their course or the University and wants to change after a few weeks - it's too late because eerywhere else is 6 weeks into the first term. I know a couple of people that happened to - one stayed and hated it and the other left and had to take a year out. Stupid!
" "It’s rubbish for students in employment, for students renting houses, for international students, for students on ERASMUS schemes, for students who play sport and for students who want to go into postgraduate study. In fact, it’s rubbish for most, if not all, the students in York.”
But Jason Rose thinks it's fine, so let us not do anything about it."
For goodness sake THINK about what people say. Students renting houses have a problem if they live at home but I for one live over the whole of summer - it makes no difference. Indeed having two extra weeks in work means that I can afford more in term-time but that's already been said. International, ERASMUS and postgraduate (though the latter I don't really understand the point behind) are because of differences, not the date itself. And the sport thing is an absolute joke. There is no way that we should be penalised simply because of term date and the rugby organisation should be brought to its knees over such a stupid system. If the FA can reschedule matches for later in the year then I'm sure some comparatively pathetic competition can manage it.
#7 makes the point about the end of term date but frankly, I'm not too upset - I don't recall anybody that I know having anything important in W10 last year (though granted that they were mostly first years) so it shouldn't be too big an issue... and the university accomodation for the beginning of July is easy to secure anyway so just live there for a few extra days.
There are definitely a fair few problems with having the date that late but my point is that you have to see both sides - the problem is the difference between universities, not that we are especially "late". Fix the system - try and get nationally unified term-dates and lobby for that instead of what is still going to mean that some unis will have a month without sport fixtures (and I assume that is equally disadvantageous to some people).
#8 makes that same point. #2-3 are trivial attacks on me instead of anything worthwhile (get a life) and #4-7 don't argue the opposite.
I support the motion; my point is that people shouldn't see it as fixing the problems because a) it's just lobbying and b) the surrounding issues will still be there.
#8, I didn't realise you could change Universities after a course had already started...
Yep, if it's not too far into the year 
Term dates were discussed in the welfare committee last week; a large number of problems emerged and a unanimous decision was taken to lobby the university, starting with this motion.
This is by no means just about sporting issues; our term dates are creating all sorts of problems to many students, especially to international, ERASMUS and postgraduate students.
Also, the UGM is most certainly not about "cutting down our holidays" but simply about synchronising our start of term.
"The problem is the difference between universities, not that we are especially late"
The problem is that York starts a month later than pretty much every other academic institution in this nation. In other words, it is about us being late.
"Fix the system - try and get nationally unified term-dates and lobby for that instead"
Not only would this be extremely difficult and extremely complicated, it would actually result in exactly the same thing; i.e. us synchronising with everybody else.
Jason Rose #9: "The problem is the difference between universities, not that we are especially "late""
How are these different things? Yes the problem is the difference between universities: we start after most other universities, i.e. late. So the problem is that we start late.
Jason Rose #9: "Students renting houses have a problem if they live at home but I for one live over the whole of summer - it makes no difference."
So it makes no difference TO YOU. It does make a difference to people who want to live somewhere else in the summer, who I would imagine form a significant portion of students.
Surprisingly, you are right about sport though - BUCS (which is what I assume you mean by "some comparatively pathetic competition") really should be able to get their act together and reschedule, or at least not dock points for not attending, games that take place before our term has started.
"The problem is that York starts a month later than pretty much every other academic institution in this nation. In other words, it is about us being late."
This applies to #13 too. October isn't late. We finish our 10 week term before Christmas so we're fine time-wise. If every other institution started then as well then it wouldn't be a problem. And not 'pretty much every' university. We're starting on the 12th October this year. Cambridge starts on the 6th, Oxford start on the 11th, Durham starts on the 7th, ICL starts on the 3rd October, Warwick starts on the 5th. LSE starts on thursday 1st October. St Andrews start on the 28th September but the same term ends on the 22nd January so I think that can be forgiven. Our PEERS in university terms are not close to a month behind. We start lectures on the same day as Oxford, we're only up to a fortnight ahead of the others. The problem is all the academically worse universities that start early for whatever reason.
The issues are really those of differences in timetables. The rent problems AREN'T A PROBLEM. My rent started on the 1st July. If I was living at home that would still annoy me in September. Rent should start in York from either July or October and I know people that moved in the week before term and weren't charged rent prior to that so it can be done. The fact that I lived in my house over the summer does mean that I am nonplussed by it but my housemates did not and I ended up on my own in York for a very long time... but I was working and often travelling elsewhere so it wasn't an issue. The point was, however, that my housemates had to pay rent from 1st July and they had to cope. Having term start earlier makes no difference - you're still paying for 12 months of rent!
I'd like to reiterate again that I support this motion and am simply trying to point out that it will not in and of itself create a solution to the differences between Oxford (who will still start on the date that we start on) and universities at the bottom (who, by the way, I can't find any of starting before the 21st September)...
"If every other institution started then as well then it wouldn't be a problem"
Thank you captain obvious, but unless you can explain why every other university would want to synchronize their term dates with ours (and not the opposite) then I really don't see what's your point here.
The fact of the matter is that we start later than most universities in the UK. Saying that the problem is with all the other universities that start 'too early' is simply unreasonable and it is not in any way a legitimate argument.
"The rent problems AREN'T A PROBLEM"
And this is a self-contradictory groundless assertion based on your own experiences.
"This will not create a solution to the differences between Oxford and universities at the bottom starting before the 21st September"
That's very unfortunate, however YUSU is not supposed to do OUSU's job.
Jason you've ended up trying to defend an undefendable position here.
In truth, our unreasonably late start of term is creating a wide variety of problems to students and the only realistic and practical thing to do is change it.
If you agree with this, let us not waste our time arguing over nothing.
There has been some discussion that we would lose out on our long summer holiday if we started earlier - but this is not necessarily the case - one of the bigger problems is actually that we have a 5week easter - which means we end up finsihing very late compared to almost every other university - not least because we have 3 full terms rather than just an 'exam' term after easter. if easter were shorter, or we only had exams when we got back - we'd get most of june for a holiday too - like most unis do. This is perhaps a bigger problem then us starting later in the autumn - I know a number of people who have missed out on work placements or internships because we finish too late!
A major point has been missed here. The graduate job market.
Application closing dates are getting earlier. Added to this the competition for places due to the 'Credit Crunch'. Our job fairs are also relatively late which do not give an incentive for employers to come and visit York because they have been elsewhere before. We also cannot meet with the careers service or with supervisors. This could become a problem for the University with some league table looking to the success of students in the graduate job market.
The term dates are stupid, but the University I suspect, will be to pompous and stubborn to change them.
3 proper terms works well. Having varied term lengths means modules have to adapt to this. 10 week standard terms is actually a very sensible structure from a teaching point of view.
Jason's right on housing and on the others starting nearer to us.
It makes far more sense to have a long summer. Who has a placement at Christmas?? Employers are more likely to offer a longer contract for summer work than for sporadic work in shorter holidays.
The University hosts conferences over the summer, but not christmas, and far fewer at spring holiday. It makes sense for the university to be used in this way to it's full potential too.
York's term dates are sensible, for both staff and students.
The sport issue should be taken up with the organising committee. The FA reschedule matches due to european commitments or cup games, im sure a uni body could do the same.
Changing the start date would almost inevitably mean we'd have to lose the three 10 week terms, which then completely changes the degree structure we have here. It's an unworkable change, and will NOT happen. Pointless motion.
"Thank you captain obvious, but unless you can explain why every other university would want to synchronize their term dates with ours (and not the opposite) then I really don't see what's your point here"
George, you didn't even make a single point in your entire post.
The point is not that other universities, who are the majority, should change to us. The point is that out of those I chose (i.e. all universities level with us or above us on the league tables) not a single one starts on the same date as another. 1st, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 11th, 12th... the problem is university cohesion.
Likewise I really don't want to cut short my easter revision period and since I have exams in weeks 1-2 of summer term I feel that would be unreasonably harsh. In final year it may be an issue in which case things should be done about that - but again, it's the difference between universities that are to blame.
The university should be made aware of the problems, other major universities should get on board as well (I assume Oxford shares the problems if it shares the start date) and through this method get UCU or some other national organisation to work out a synchronised calendar. I had these problems at school too with different areas having different holidays and it was a flipping nuisance back then. Why don't people see problems that are there for decades in a row?!
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