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.
Complaints included electrical faults, such as lighting not working, heating faults as some radiators didn’t function at the start of term and showers had no hot water, security faults due to front door and bike shed locks not working with key cards, window and door locks being in an inadequate condition, and concerns over black mould in showers.
In the most serious complaint, a student was trapped in his room during a fire drill due to his faulty door, which the university had failed to fix despite being notified.
Residents of Fairfax House, which belongs to Vanbrugh College, compiled a complaints report and created a petition, requesting a set reimbursement figure for each of the residents. The petition gained over 100 signatures, including some beyond the 85 residents of Fairfax House.
Vish Nithiy, one of the main leaders of the petition, revealed there were over 450 faults listed on the complaints log and many more that went unreported.
He said: “There were a large number of faults reported over the course of the year, both in student rooms and communal areas.
“There was enormous support from the residents, Vanbrugh JCRC members and a few higher university officials related to accommodation.
“We are as of today still waiting on a decision from the compensation claim panel and expecting a reply anytime soon.”
YUSU Welfare Officer, Bob Hughes, is on the panel of three that is looking at the pending compensation claim.
I will continue to push for students in Fairfax, and elsewhere in and around campus, to get the best deal out of their accommodation
Hughes said: “I am fighting for the Fairfax students to get compensation, as I feel that the students faced a number of issues that could, and should, have been addressed much more effectively, and which impacted negatively on their time at university.
“A decision should be made within the next few weeks, and I sincerely hope that the other two members of the panel agree with me in accepting the claim,” he added.
“Regardless of how the claim goes, I will continue to push for students in Fairfax, and elsewhere in and around campus, to get the best deal out of their accommodation, so that this can be avoided for future students.
“I would like to reassure all students, especially those in Fairfax, that a lot of work is being done across the university to update some of the older accommodation blocks, and if they feel that their accommodation isn't up to scratch, or that complaints haven't been listened to, they can contact me on welfare@yusu.org, and I can see what I can do to raise these issues with the University and fight for the best deal for students.”
In response to this issue, the University of York said: “We have received a communication from residents of Fairfax House in which they raise a number of issues about their accommodation.
Most of these issues have already been resolved, and the University is working with the students involved and YUSU to resolve residents’ claim for compensation.”
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