22-02-11 Rector Election Results

The Rt. Hon Charles Kennedy MP was today re-elected as Rector of the University of Glasgow, winning 2601 votes from a total of 3166 votes cast. Writer and Comedian, A. L. Kennedy came second in the contest, with a total of 565 votes.

Probably the only Lib Dem to be elected to a position of power by a student body in the near future, we’d like to congratulate Charles on becoming the first person since Benjamin Disraeli in the 1870s to be voted Rector for two consecutive terms.

We at the Students’ Representative Council look forward to working with him over the next three years to ensure the voice of the students at this University continue to be heard loudly and clearly at the University Court, which Charles will continue to chair. These are important times, not only in the world of internal student politics, but also within the wider discussion about the place of education in Britain that has yet to be settled. We are confident that Charles will continue to deliver a clear opposition to student fees and the skewed ideologies and maths which backed their introduction in Westminister, and not be afraid to take a stand to defend students whilst his colleagues around him twirl u-turns aplenty.

Congratulations are also extended to A.L. Kennedy who won an impressive number of votes and provided stiff opposition in this election. We wish her all the best for the future and sincerely hope that her knowledge and support will continue to aid the student movement at Glasgow University for a long time to come. We hope this isn’t the last we see of you.

Thank you to everyone who voted. Without your input, support and enthusiasm student politics cannot truly be the vibrant, challenging and truly representative platform it must be in order for us to present real challenge to those who think they can make decisions affecting thousands of lives, without protest or opposition. We’d like to take this opportunity to urge you, and as many people as you can muster, to vote in the upcoming SRC elections which take place next Wednesday and Thursday. These decide who represents you to a University which is currently trying to axe some courses and merge others. There has never been a more important time than now to take 30 seconds to register your vote with a simple click. Check out the candidates manifestos and we’ll be in touch soon to remind you how crucial it is you vote on 2nd and 3rd March.

16|02 Open Letter to All Students Following Meeting of Court to Discuss Cuts

This Wednesday saw over 2,000 of our students and staff out on the streets as part of a brilliant demonstration opposing proposed cuts to the University’s staff and teaching provisions. It was absolutely brilliant to see such a positive demonstration of how much staff and students care about their education and the educations of those around them.

The resulting press coverage, which saw the protest on the front page of three national newspapers and on the evening news of both BBC Scotland and STV only further emphasised to both University management and to the Scottish Government, how strong the feeling at this University is in opposition to these cuts and how key Higher Education is.

The happy and positive mood demonstrated that a mass movement to oppose these cuts can be built here at the University of Glasgow on a platform of good-natured and inclusive activism which inspires people to come together and demonstrate their unity.

There was no mistaking what was happening outside for all the members of Court who were sitting to discuss the cuts proposals. If the sounds of the police helicopter didn’t distract them, the whistles, drums, shouts and speeches of the enthusiastic staff and students in the quadrangles outside certainly let them know how important the decisions they were taking are.

You will of course have received the email from the Principal and Court Convener yesterday afternoon outlining what was proposed by senior management and that court voted in favour to open the consultation on these proposals.

At a meeting of the Students’ Representative Council following this last night, Council reinforced its commitment to students and emphasised that the consultation about to be undertaken by the University must be utterly transparent and wholly fair.

Whilst we have issues with it as it currently stands, we also don’t have any shrift for students who say there isn’t any point in being involved in this consultation. We are of the view that the most productive thing by far is to get involved in as great a capacity as possible in this consultation, and submit information so heavily to it that the voices of real students cannot be ignored. We are looking forward to hearing what the exact framework for the consultation will be- especially as students don’t have access to internal staff ‘myglasgow’ system the University yesterday referenced in its email – we trust that was a typo (we make them often enough).

14|01 Find a Solution 2011 Open for Entries

Each year, enthusiastic students are selected to help leading voluntary organisations to Find a Solution to a problem which they are currently facing in their workplace. It’s a great opportunity to gain some practical experience, help the community and receive a bursary of £1500.

The work is carried out over the summer months for approximately 8-10 weeks, at times agreed between the students and the organisation. It is open to all undergraduate and postgraduate students, no matter what you are studying.

For 2011, successful applicants will have the opportunity to work with the following three organisations:

- Bridging the Gap

- Friends of the Earth

- New Rhythms for Glasgow

All will be presenting their project at an informal presentation on Thursday 24th February at 5.30pm, in Turnbull Hall, Southpark Avenue and answering any questions you may have – You don’t need to RSVP, just turn up!

More information is available over at the Find a Solution page under the ‘Volunteering’ section.

11|02 Provisional List of Candidates For SRC Spring Elections 2011

The following nominations have been accepted but forms have to be verified for the SRC Spring Elections 2011, which take place the 2nd and 3rd March. Nominations are now closed. Once the list is verified we’ll let you know, for now these remain provisional nominations whilst paperwork is checked over.

http://glasgowstudent.net/files/spring_2011_candidate_list.pdf

10|02 Got a fantastic teacher? Tell us about it – Prizes for Excellent Teachers 2011

At the SRC we’ve been told by numerous students that they don’t feel great teachers often get the recognition they deserve. We’re always on the look out for anything that can help make the world a little bit brighter and thought what a brilliant idea it would be to let students nominate excellent teachers and recognise the fantastic individuals who go out of their way to enable and support students year after year. So, ladies and gentlemen, with that, the SRC are proud to present the inaugural Prizes for Excellent Teachers (P.E.Ts).
From now until the 27nd of February you can nominate your favourite lecturers, tutors, administrators and technicians across eight different categories. All you need to do is find two other people who also think the person you want to nominate has taught them well and nominate them either using our slick online form or if you fancy an old-style paper form to fill out you can pick one up on level three in the Fraser Building. The nominations are already flooding in, and we’ll be holding an awards ceremony for the teachers and those that nominated them on the 22nd of March to celebrate the inspiring individuals who make up our University.

Visit the PETs page for more information on this years categories and awards

31|01 Nominations for ALL positions on Student Representative Council OPEN NOW till Feb 11th

The Students’ Repesentative Council’s spring elections 2011 are upon us and with them, your chance to stand for election.

All the posts on council are open for election, from the four full-time sabbatical positions to college convenors and school representatives. Nominations are open now and close on February 11th.

Full information about the positions available and nominations procedures can be accessed here.
There are hundreds of reasons for getting involved and standing for a post. Aside from being able to influence University policies and make a difference to the experience of fellow students, it’s a fun, vibrant place to spend your time, meet new people and learn how a small political organisation works

24|01 Changes to Disclosure Process

From the 7th February, the Disclosure Process will be changing and you will no longer be able to receive an enhanced Disclosure. You will have to become a member of the PVG (Protection of Vulnerable Groups) Scheme. This should mean in the future you will not need to fill out multiple applications to be Disclosed, you will join the PVG and in the future you will be ‘checked’ for each new project. Hopefully this should be quicker and easier.

However, if you require an enhanced Disclosure from the SRC, for example to take part in a project such as SVA or SKIP, please come in and collect your Disclosure form from the General Office or SVSS Coordinator and make sure you return it to them by the 7th Febraury to ensure you have your Disclosure Certificate to start your project.

If you have any queries, please contact SVSS Coordinator Fiona Buckland at volunteer@src.gla.ac.uk.

21|01 Burns Language Cafe

The Language Cafe, offers students the chance to improve their English and meet people from other cultures.

If you’re an International Student looking for help with your English, a Language Student looking for extra practice or just a native speaker wanting to learn more about other cultures, they’re here to help.

This month they’re going all Scottish to celebrate the birthday of Rabbie Burns, with a special Burns themed Language Cafe on the 26th of January at 1430-1630 in the Williams Room,John McIntyre Building.

Come along and enjoy haggis, neeps and tatties, a wee dram of whisky, traditional scottish music and some Burns poetry. Yaldie!

12|01 Media* Week 2011 // 17 – 21 Jan

Media Week is a rare opportunity to hear what some of the key figures from across Glasgow’s vibrant and youthful Media Industry have to say and to quiz them about just how ‘glitzy’ working in the Media actually is. All of the events are free to attend and open to everyone. The talks and workshops mostly take place in the Williams Room, just up the front stairs in the John McIntyre Building. We’re proud of what we think is a fantastic programme of unique and interesting events organised for the week. Have a browse of the event listings and hopefully we’ll see you soon.

We’ve talks from a host of people including Boom Monk Ben (Mixed Bizness), Kirsty Bell (Yomego Social Media), Charles Kennedy (Liberal Democrats), Rosie Davies (The Arches), Sam Murray & Shaun Murphy (Vitamins), Tommy Ga-Ken Wan (Photographer) and Amy Whiten (Recoat Gallery), as well as a poster workshop from Spacewood (We Can Never Stop), a writing workshop from editors of GUM Magazine, Emily Tilbury and Steve Laing Technical Managers of Subcity Radio are running a Technical DJ Workshop, and the BBC have offered us a tour of their facilities at Pacific Quay.

A full programme of the events of media week is detailed in this handy booklet we produced and can be found from our facebook, where each event is listed individually. There’s a couple of pages of them, so have a flick through, see what takes your fancy and head over to the John McIntyre building.

06|01 SRC & Services Re-Open for Business for 2011

It’s 2011 and the SRC are open for the new semester here in the John MacIntyre Building. The heating is on, (most of) the exams are now over, and study begins towards exams and long summer ahead. The next few months are going to be even busier than the last few.

We’ve got Media Week 2011 coming up on the 17th-21st January, which will offer 5 days filled with talks and workshops from a host of Glasgow’s most talented creative entrepreneurial types. Currently on board we’ve got the BBC and The Arches amongst others, full listings will be available really soon.

Alongside that, nominations are open for a new Rector, as Charles Kennedy’s term serving the students comes to an end, with an election in March. The terms of those elected to the Students’ Representative Council, so soon begun, will soon be up for nomination as well, with elections for both Rector and SRC Council members happening in early March.

We’re also soon launching our Prizes for Excellent Teacher awards (PETs), which will allow students to nominate teachers who they feel deserve recognition for their fantastic teaching abilities.

Straight after that, it’s the SRC’s 125th birthday in March, for which we’ll be hosting an exhibition of the organisation’s glittering past, and inviting some familiar faces back to the University for a bit of a get together.

And behind all of that lurks the important question of what will happen in Scotland to the way Universities are funded now that the English Parliament has voted in an increase to tuition fees to £9,000 a year. Holyrood elections are this May, and in the run up to those we’ll be lobbying MSPs to remind them education is a right, not a privilege, and warning them against the route the English have embarked on, where the burden of payment for higher education is shifted away from the state and towards the individual.

Phew. So when we say the next few months will be busy, it isn’t an exaggeration. As ever, a host of unforeseen challenges will spring up amidst all of this to keep us on our toes, so, heres to a busy, productive and successful 2011, we hope to see you in the John MacIntyre building soon (where we’ve the cheapest photocopying in the West End dontcha’ know).