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 additional money was given to Fairfax House, along with promises from the university to make the standards of accommodation better, after the 2010-2011 residents submitted a petition and complaints report, listing over 450 faults, and were awarded compensation of £50 each.
However current residents have complained that the additional money has all been spent on new carpets, rather than on fixing the things complained about.
Previous complaints included lighting not working, radiators not functioning, showers with no hot water, locks not working with key cards and being in an inadequate condition, and black mould in showers.
Concerns have also been raised over the size of kitchens, with up to 20 people sharing a kitchen only 10ft by 10ft, and bathrooms having no wash basins.
Sue Johnston, Head of Campus Services, revealed in an interview with URY that a major refurbishment of Fairfax House is planned for 2013.
She added that the current Fairfax accommodation is “at the same level” as other accommodation on offer at the university and so it isn’t unreasonable to ask students to live there.
Current residents admit that some of the “temporary problems” have been fixed and that Fairfax House has “a good community vibe”, but added that there are more long term issues which need to be addressed by the university.
YUSU Welfare Officer Bob Hughes has been attending consultation groups between students and the university’s Campus Services this term, looking at the improvements needed at Fairfax House.
Hughes said: “The Fairfax consultation went very well, and members of the JCRC, Campus Services, Fairfax residents and myself all had a chance to hear what everyone had to say, whether about the reporting procedure, the length of time for appliances to be fixed, the catered breakfast provided or the campus hoppers having been extended to Fairfax.
“Some changes have been made aesthetically to Fairfax, such as there being new carpets, and there are plans to try and improve the bathrooms and kitchens, but I am working with Campus Services and Commercial Services to ensure that the issues brought up about these are followed up, and that current and future Fairfax residents get the best deal they can with accommodation.”
Hughes acknowledged however that there are still problems at Fairfax House which need to be addressed by the university.
He said: “The students more generally seem happier this year, and some of the improvements that have been made, such as extending the campus hopper to Fairfax have made the students feel more attached to main campus than before, but I think there are still issues that come with the older accommodation that we need to make sure are followed up and improved, such as the size of rooms, the quality of appliances and ventilation, all of which were brought up regularly this year throughout the compensation claim.
“I think these consultation sessions will help with this, and should be held at least termly with every college, particularly the older blocks, and Campus Services have been enthusiastic about doing the same.
"I would also encourage students to report any issues with their accommodation as soon as possible to their porters so that these issues can be chased up, and for students to make either myself or the college welfare team aware if they haven't been resolved in a timely manner.”
For interviews with current and former residents about Fairfax House accommodation, listen to URY’s podcast. (With thanks to URY)
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