UCLan Students’ Union (SU) has seen an increase in sales of the NUS Extra card this year after the majority of businesses stopped accepting UCLan corporate cards for student discount.

Around 650 more NUS Extra cards have been sold by the Students’ Union this year than the last, according to UCLan SU’s marketing team.

Shops and restaurants around Preston refuse the UCLan corporate card due to there being no expiry date printed, leaving them unaware as to whether they are giving a discount to students who are no longer in full-time education.

Popular Preston high street stores that offer student discount, including New Look and Miss Selfridge, stated they wouldn’t take the UCLan card but would take other university or college cards with an expiry date along with the NUS Extra card.

A Learning and Information Services (LIS) spokesperson agreed that it was unfair for students to have to pay for a discount card when other students at universities don’t, but the UCLan card does have a date associated with it.

She said: “There is a date to the card but it’s in the system. The discount card for students is the one the union provides.

“If we printed the date on the card and the student then left university, we would have to keep re-printing cards every time there was any kind of change the keep the system up to date. This way, the card expires on the system once the student leaves or graduates university.”

But the acceptance of other university or college cards with an expiry date on has angered many students who are paying for the NUS Extra card for the discount’s which are aimed specifically for them.

Jo Dunnagan, Assistant Marketing Manager at UCLan SU, said: “When we signed the contract to sell the NUS card in the union for £11, we were promised the discount would be exclusive and therefore worth the money.”

“The NUS now have student’s contacting them complaining that they’ve had to buy the NUS card for discount, whereas other students at some universities cards have an expiry date on, so are accepted in most stores.”

This has resulted in many demanding that NUS contact the businesses they are in collaboration with to remind them to honour the contract they signed and keep the discounts exclusive.

SU staff are now currently working with local businesses around Preston in an attempt to spread the NUS Extra discount more locally for students at UCLan, giving them more value for their money when buying the card.

“The Students’ Union is also trying to give more for the students paying more. We have created discounts around the university, including in Source bar and in the Atrium,” Mrs Dunnagan added.

“We never want to say not to take a UCLan card around Preston, but we want the NUS card to give students something extra.

“We want to try and get that bit extra for the students who purchase the NUS card, to make it worth more.”

We bring you live updates from the Students’ Union’s Student Council meeting, the first since the recent by-election.

Student Council meeting

UCLan’s Students’ Union (SU) has decided to support the second Student Demonstration against cuts and tuition fees.

Students at last year's national demonstration. Photo by Matt Dinnery (Flickr)

The decision to attend, subject to a thorough security assessment, was made by the Student Council.

The Demonstration will take place in London on  Wednesday 9 November, a day before the anniversary of the first student demonstration last year.

UCLan will support what the demonstration stands for, but concerns were raised during the meeting for the safety of the students and whether or not they should attend.

Fears were raised after the first Student Demonstration last year turned violent at Millbank Tower (Conservative’s HQ) in London.David Stubbings, the SU’s Media Officer remarked that there weren’t any set plans on how the demonstration would take place.

He said: “It’s seven weeks away; it’s not clear whether or not it’s going to be a march. I have reservations. Unless there are actual facts, then I do have reservations about going.”

Becca Vafeas, Education Officer at the SU agreed that although she wasn’t concerned about taking students to the demonstration, she believed it should be a smaller group of students than last year.

Despite the concerns of the Council, it was a unanimous decision for UCLan to support what the Demonstration did stand for.

Jason Smith, Chair of the Student Council pressed that the students should be able to be involved: “We need to deal with this. If we don’t have a voice, if we don’t get involved, we are taking our own democratic rights away.”

The second demonstration has been organised by ex-education officer from University College London (UCL), Michael Chessum, head of the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts, and wants all Universities to support and attend the event.

Students’ Union President, Reni Eddo-Lodge said: “An ex-education officer from University College London (UCL) shouldn’t be deciding whether or not we attend.

“But I do trust UCLan students not to get into trouble.”

The risk assessment will take place as soon as possible to ensure that students that want to attend will know whether or not it will be safe enough for them to do so.

The approach of students’ unions by police last week, asking for information on ‘vulnerable’ Muslim students, has been condemned by the National Union of Students and UCLan’s Islamic Society.

Police implementing the newly re-focused Prevent strategy – which aims to prevent terrorism as well as the supporting of it – approached universities and colleges across the country to ask that they are informed of Muslim students who appear isolated or depressed.

Students who access extremist websites or hold political grudges, are estranged from their families or have “poor access to mainstream religious instruction” could also be at risk of radicalisation, according to paperwork handed to staff.

But National Union of Students (NUS) Vice President (Welfare), Pete Mercer, vowed to continue challenging the Government and police nationally on their approach to preventing the radicalisation in universities and colleges.

Mercer said: “It is unacceptable that police would see it as appropriate to approach students’ unions for details of students who have not knowingly committed any criminal act.”

The NUS are advising their staff and officers they are under no obligation to provide police with any details – without first being presented with a warrant.

And, despite nobody from UCLan having yet been approached by officers, Islamic Society President, Mohammed Patel, said the move would stigmatise Muslim students.

“Every single Islamic Society in the country, without a doubt, will condemn any form of extremism,” he said. “However, what we will not support is the invasion of privacy and effectively allow the staff to ‘spy’ on its students,” he said.

“Undoubtedly, Muslims and non-Muslims alike need to be vigilant in these times towards any suspicious activity. However, to spy on students is outrageous and to stereotype a whole community is irrational, especially when Islamaphobia proliferates daily.”

And rather than spending money on schemes such as Prevent, which launched in 2007 ahead of its review earlier this year, Patel believes money should instead be provided for more inter-faith work to promote a better understanding of faiths and to dispel common misconceptions.

He said: “A person with a lack of understanding (of the Muslim faith) may wonder why a student is going into the Multifaith Centre five times a day.

“Due to a lack of knowledge, they might not know the student is fulfilling their obligatory acts of worship.”

Part of CONTEST, the UK’s counter-terrorism strategy, Prevent was previously criticised by Home Secretary, Theresa May, who said it had resulted in “complacency” around universities.

Over the next four years, Prevent aims to counter the ideological challenge of terrorism and the threat of those who promote it.

They also aim to prevent people from being radicalised and to work with a wide range of sectors – including education, criminal justice, charities and the Internet – where, according to the government, there are risks of radicalisation.

Welcome!

UCLan Students' Union President, Reni Eddo-Lodge

 

First of all, I’d like to say hello to both returners and freshers. It’s an absolute honour to be your student union president for the year ahead. If we’ve not met yet, come and find me on the first floor of the students union, and while you’re at it, come at see the rest of the Student Affairs Committee!

Is it time to hold another national demo?

Some of the more beady eyed amongst you will notice that there’s been a concerted effort from other student unions across the country to hold another national demonstration.

Those of you who were students at UCLan last year will probably know that, with direction from the National Union of Students, UCLan Students’ Union took three coach-loads of students to the streets of Westminster to protest against higher fees.

Over the past year we’ve seen the abolition of the Education Maintenance Allowance, the scrapping of the government’s Aim Higher scheme, and the tripling of tuition fees- not to mention the recent announcement that 794,000 young people are not in education, employment or training. Many universities have already made their fee decision, including our own, but the creeping privatisation of higher education as a whole is a prospect that worries many.

There a pros and cons of holding another national demo. Many will argue that it’s important to keep up the momentum. Others will say that the battle has already been lost. There are debates to be had locally, and the changes to higher education could potentially cause changes to the university that we know and love.

But ultimately, these are my opinions, and as president I’m reluctant to make a decision without consulting the people I represent first.

So, what do you think? Do you love the idea of another national demo, or think it’s pointless? There will be an open meeting next week (Tuesday 27^th September, 5pm, Atrium) for some discussion and debate, but in the mean time you’re welcome to email me with your thoughts at supresident@uclan.ac.uk.

Last year's national student demonstration. Photo by semisara (Flickr).

A UCLan student is up against Gandalf in a national award organised by the Lesbian and Gay Foundation.

Sam Whalley, left, receiving her NUS LGBT Student of the Year award.

Neuropsychology student Sam Whalley, who is the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) rep on the Students’ Union’s council, has been nominated alongside Sir Ian McKellen for the ‘Homo Hero Awards 2011’.

Sam has also been voted LBT Student of the Year at the National Union of Students’ awards this year.

She said: “I’m completely speechless about being nominated. It is quite amazing to be up against Sir Ian McKellen!

“I’ve done a lot of work this year with UCLan LGBT society and I am the LGBT Student of the Year too which has built me a lot of kudos and helped me meet a lot of people who were the ones who nominated me.

The award aims to recognise the people, groups and organisations who are making a difference to lesbian, gay and bisexual people and their lives.

Winners will be announced during a ceremony on Thursday September 22 at the Mint Hotel, Manchester.

“At UCLan this year I set up Project Proud which is an initiative for both LGBT and straight students to talk about what they are proud about.

“I also helped develop the M and M mentoring LGBT service which I’m really proud of too,” Sam added.

“I think my nomination says a lot about Preston as a community and how far we have come. This nomination isn’t just for me, it’s for the whole community.”

Voting closes at 10am on Wednesday September 7 and you can vote for Sam at https://www.lgf.org.uk/surveys/index.php?sid=72667&lang=en.

UCLan’s Vice-Chancellor Malcolm McVicar has told Pluto that he is against any rise in tuition fees.

Malcolm McVicar at this year's Town Takeover debate

With Lord Browne’s review into Higher Education funding due out next month, there has been increased speculation about the recommendations it will give.

The main topic of speculation is the expected proposal of tuition fees increasing to £7,000 per year.

In a speech to the Vice-Chancellor’s organisation, Universities UK, Universities minister David Willetts has said that he wants students to pay more.

“What would not make sense would be to fail to increase the contribution from graduates, with the result that then we jeopardise the student experience or end up having to make big cuts in student numbers.”

However McVicar has said that while UCLan is yet to express its official position, he is not keen on a rise in fees.

“The University has not yet determined its official position on any change to the fee regime,” he said.

“The board will wait until the Browne Review is published.  Personally, I am opposed to any increase in fees and any reduction in the current level of financial support for students.”

Set up by the previous government, Lord Browne’s review into higher education funding is due to report back to the coalition government next month

And despite expectations that it will recommend a fees, a range of possibilities have been discussed by ministers and universities.

Steve Smith, from Universities UK, has called for tuition fees to vary from institution to institution.

“I think universities should be able to charge differential fees because they’re offering different experiences,” he said.

“I would have thought the Coalition Government would have wanted to factor in its recommendations to the review.

“Fixing it by just upping the cap [on tuition fees] would simply mean that we’d be back here again in three to five years arguing whether we should let it be raised from, say, £5,000 to £7,000.”

Smith also said that while he didn’t expect institutions to close, the possibility of universities merging to help pull through any financial hardships that lay ahead.

“My personal view is there will not be closures. I think mergers, yes, could be on the cards – although they do not necessarily save money. You might do it to form a very strong organisation if two institutions aren’t doing very well.

“I think there is also going to be a lot of regional co-operation, to make sure certain subjects are available regionally. But I’m not one of those people who think that institutions will be going to the wall.”

Richard Lambert, director general of the Confederation of British Industry has said he thinks universities could struggle to pull through if cuts are announced.

However McVicar has ruled out the possibility of merging with another university.

“UCLan is already a large university and I don’t think a merger with another institution would appeal.  We would not consider a merger with another university where significant senior management time would need to be diverted from running our university to “rescuing” the other institution.”

The expected rise in tuition fees has angered students with National Union of Students’ President, Aaron Porter criticising the proposals.

“The financial pressure on young people is mounting, and an increase in fees to £7,000 would, according to universities’ own figures, consign a generation to unsustainable mortgage-style debts in excess of £32,000,” he said.

His words have been echoed by UCU lecturers’ union general secretary Sally Hunt. She said: “Increasing fees or other financial barriers to higher education is not the way to deliver a world-class university system. The uncomfortable truth is that for the vast majority of people in this country higher fees would be a disaster.”

By David Stubbings

News Editor

HannHHImmiifffImmigration minister Damian Green believes that the current numbers of international students is unsustainable.

Immigration minister Damian Green

Research published by the Home Office showed that almost 40,000 international students who arrived in the UK in 2004 still remain in the UK after graduating.

Mr Green is leading a review into student visas in line with plans to introduce an immigration cap.

“The limits we’ve already set among those on work visas are necessary but not sufficient. We need to look at other routes,” he said.

“We can see that 186,000 [international students] came in during 2004 and by 2009 more than 20 per cent of them were still here. Student numbers have risen fast. In the year to June 2010, 300,000 visas were issued to students and their dependents.”

However plans to review the policy on student visas have angered international students. Canadian Kenneth Grierson graduated this summer from UCLan, thinks the plans are unfair and that the government are unfairly targeting students.

“I came to the UK because a degree from here is respected worldwide. My course was geared towards international students, and most went home afterwards. A handful have stayed, but from what I’ve seen, they can afford it.

“They have stayed because living abroad is an exciting experience, and because visas issued by the UK allow for it.

“I worked part-time for the year because I was legally allowed. I won an internship over the summer for the same reason. Everything I have done is completely legitimate under current policy, yet I feel like a villain.

“Forget the fact that I have spent nearly £20,000 to be here and have gone through the exact same application process as English citizens.

“If the UK has a problem with foreign students staying too long, then they should change the policies that govern the visas.”

National Union of Students President, Aaron Porter, contests the claims made by the government.

“To suggest that the levels of those coming to the UK to study is too high is a politically motivated misinterpretation. The Government should be proud that students choose to study in this country creating an education industry worth £12.5 billion a year to the British economy.

“Damian Green has clearly failed to recognise that our home students also benefit from sharing an experience with colleagues and friends from abroad.”

By Hannah Breeze

Deputy News Editor