Blog
Manifesto Pledges Update
We're just under half way through the academic year, and I'm just over half way through my term in office, so I thought is was about time I did a round up of my progress on my manifesto pledges and other issues over the last 6 months:
24-hour library:
The library will be open 24 hours a day for Summer Term weeks 0 to 10, and then from September it will be open "24/7/362" - 24 hours a day all year round, with the exception of Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. I am delighted that I have achieved this, because there were no plans in place when I took office (they had only agreed in principal to open 24 hours at some point). I am particularly pleased that it will be open 24 hours during breaks and over the summer, as this will really benefit those on professional qualification courses (medical and education) and masters students, who do not share the regular undergraduate term dates.
Faster feedback:
Following my work on the student representation review, I have achieved a university policy which gives Course Reps the ability to go to the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Teaching and Learning if departments do not resolve issues affecting multiple students internally. Whilst this may seem unconnected to feedback, it arose directly out of the fact that if a department refused to turn feedback round within the university's 6-week deadline, then there was nothing Course Reps could do to represent their students. This essentially means than if feedback is not returned within 6-weeks (5 departments failed last year), their Course Reps can go outside of the department to have the matter resolved.
I have been pressing the issue in meetings at every opportunity and it seems to be paying off - there have been notably fewer instances of feedback being returned later than 6 weeks than this time last year. I am also working with individual departments to reduce turn-around time, for example, continuing the the work I did as Politics Course Rep last year to help the department turn feedback around in 3-4 weeks rather than 6. Assessment and feedback is going to be a core focus of mine for the rest of my term in office.
Better Quality Teaching:
I have lobbied hard at every level for better quality teaching, including reducing student-staff ratios and better training for post-graduates who teach. This has resulted in a very large portion of the additional £2m spending for next year going on exactly that - new staff for the departments with the worst student-staff ratios and better training for post-graduates who teach.
Other Issues:
I have worked hard to get the most out of our NUS affiliation fee, getting YUSU involved with the NUS Student Skills Award Pilot, Widening Participation Champions programme, and the NUS & QAA Developing Quality Engagement project, each of which are getting us specialised NUS assistance and expertise on issues which we and the university are currently focusing on; especially employability, widening participation and student engagement. Please see my previous blog post for details (http://www.yusu.org/blog/entry/756)
I am also building on the work I did last term with Course Reps, following this year's elections, which were the most successful we've ever run. Again, there's more details in my previous post (http://www.yusu.org/blog/entry/733).
Finally, we are also have and QAA (Quality Assurance Agency) institutional review, which will be taking up a lot of my time this term. A like bit like OFSTED, but for universities, the review is taking place from 13 to 17 February, and we have provided our own Student Written Submission, assessing the provision of education at York, and have been involved with the review through every stage.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this rather extensive post, and please come along to Academic Assembly, Monday 30th January, 6:30 to 8 in L/036.
