Review of the year 2008/09
October 2008
Union clashes with University over bar
Senior university officials threatened to terminate the Union bar in Langwith if YUSU officials did not withdraw an application for a 24-hour drinking licence.
Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Students Jane Grenville delivered an ultimatum to the Students Union to either cancel the application for 24-hour drinking or the University would withdraw support for the bar.
The Union refused to concede the demands of Grenville’s ultimatum and the University was forced to submit a last-minute objection on welfare grounds at the council office before the 5pm deadline.
At the centre of the dispute was the outcome of a conversation that took place in July between Grenville and YUSU Services & Finance Officer Matt Burton. Grenville claimed that Burton was told that neither she nor the University would support a 24-hour drinking licence. Burton claimed that Grenville was unable to give a definitive answer during the July conversation and accused Grenville of not conveying her position until the “eleventh hour”.
November 2008
University arms investment increases
The university was strongly condemned for substantially increasing its investment in arms companies despite continuous pressure from divestment groups.
Following a £350,000 increase over two years the University’s complete investment was found to be worth almost £1,000,000.
The University investment had been criticised by national and student campaigners, who had been calling for divestment since 2005.
The University was shown to be the sixth-largest investor in the arms trade, with £997,342 invested in BAE Systems, the worlds third largest defence company. This had increased by over £300,000 since 2007, when the University only held £644,371.
The investment was defended by the University, who argued that the “The University of York Pension Scheme [where the money was invested] had a legal obligation to maximise returns on it’s investments.”
People and Planet Chair Robyn Heather described the investment as “despicable and unethical”, claiming that “nationally, we are a disgrace.”
December 2008
GSA forced to remove President
The GSA was forced to remove newly elected President Luke Martin from office after a series of embarrassing procedural “oversights” during the elections.
The organisation was left with no other option but to declare R.O.N. the winner of their December elections after it was revealed that Martin, the fourth President since August, was found to have contravened election regulations regarding the use of electronic campaigning.
After election rules were illegally changed without an EGM, Returning Officer Matt Beacham was obliged to ban the use of any form of electronic media, a rule which Martin was subsequently found to have broken.
After declaring R.O.N. the election winner the GSA was forced to declare Dan Carr, who was originally elected but resigned before taking the post, as Acting President.
The election was the second this academic year, after Edge Bar reached capacity, meaning some students couldn’t vote, in the October election.
Carr has now been re-elected as President.
January 2009
Courtyard venue opens on campus
Following eight months of work the first student union venue at York, the Courtyard, was opened on campus in January this year.
Despite controversy over a 24 hour drinking license, and complaints that work was disrupting nearby lectures, the Courtyard was opened with a guest-listed celebratory party early this year.
The bar, which cost YUSU an estimated £500,000, is the first of its kind at York, the refurbished venue replacing Langwith’s own college bar.
The Courtyard is open night and day, seven days a week, with extended opening hours on Saturday. The bar offers a range of events, varying from comedy nights to pre-nights with clubs in town.
Pro-Vice Chancellor for Students Jane Grenville commented that “the Students’ Union has lobbied for forty years to have a central student venue on Campus, and the opening of the Courtyard represents a major step towards this dream.”
The bar has since been accused of being “detrimental” to the future of college events.
January 2009
York honoured for research excellence
Statistics revealed that the University of York is one of the top institutions for academic research in the UK.
The Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), which takes place every seven years, assesses the quality of research conducted by academics at universities across the country. The results of the 2008 review, released in December, awarded several departments at York national honours.
The departments of English Literature, Sociology and Health Services Research were all deemed best in the country, with Biology, Chemistry, Educational Studies, History of Art, Music, Nursing, Psychology, Social Policy and Social Work within the top 10 for their subject rankings nationally.
Across the board York did especially well, placing it within the top 10 of some of the most prestigious league tables in the country. Despite recently dropping in The Times league table, York remains comfortably in the top 10 in both the Independent and the Guardian league tables.
York’s success moved it to top of the 1994 Group in RAE results.
February 2009
Library agrees to 24-hour opening
The JB Morell library has agreed to start drawing up plans for a 24-hour operating schedule, after a library survey revealed that students were frustrated with the current opening hours.
New opening hours were introduced immediately, with the library now opening at 8am Monday to Friday and not shutting until midnight on weekends, as well as weekdays. There are also plans to extend opening hours during holidays when second- and third-year students most need to revise for exams.
Former YUSU Policy and Campaigns Officer Tom Langrish, who was involved in leading the campaign, described the current opening hours as “shocking”.
The new proposals were introduced after YUSU council actioned Academic and Welfare Officer Charlie Leyland and President Tom Scott to lobby the library for 24-hour opening times.
Leyland admitted that “we need to improve security so that the library is not misused, especially by members of the public” before library opening hours can be significantly extended.
March 2009
Claudia Lawrence reported missing
Claudia Lawrence, a chef in the Roger Kirk Centre, was last seen as she left work on the evening of March 18.
Claudia’s normally “prolific” texting went silent at 8.30pm and suspicions were raised after she failed to show up for work the following morning, March 19.
Despite following numerous leads police have had limited success in the investigation, which has now been reclassified as a suspected murder case.
Police are currently searching for two Asian men who were seen looking through the windows and allegedly trying to open the door of Claudia’s house five days before she disappeared.
Police are also following a number of sightings on Melrosegate, part of Claudia’s normal route to work. A sighting of a man and woman, the woman wearing a jacket similar to one owned by Claudia, near Melrosegate Bridge at 5.35 on March 19 is considered very significant by police.
Claudia does not appear on Melrosegate CCTV on the morning of March 19.
March 2009
Ngwena elected YUSU President
Tim Ngwena was elected as the 47th YUSU President in an election which saw 48 candidates competing for 23 available positions.
Ngwena was elected President-elect despite strong competition from Former YUSU Campaigns Officer Tom Langrish, Charles Bushby and Grant Bradley. Ngwena was victorious despite exit polls showing a narrow lead for Langrish.
Other successor candidates for sabbatical positions included Lewis Bretts, Democracy and Services Officer-elect and former Training Officer Rhianna Kinchin, Student Activities Officer-elect. Kinchin narrowly beat incumbent officer Rory Shanks.
The position of Academic and Welfare Officer has this year been split into two positions dealing with academic issues and welfare issues separately. Incumbent officer Charlie Leyland will continue in the post of Academic Officer, with Former LGBT Officer Ben Humphrys taking the Welfare position.
Halifax Sports Rep and York Sport Ordinary Member Emily Scott was elected as the York Sport President.
March 2009
University pass ethical investment policy
The university has begun the implementation of an ethical investment policy following years of student pressure.
The policy mandates the University to ‘not knowingly invest in any companies whose activities include practices which directly pose a risk of serious harm to individuals or groups’.
The University investment in the arms trade, which was first revealed in a Nouse investigation in 2005, has been strongly criticised since 2006 when then-York People and Planet Chair Ric Lander criticised the University.
The University has since been discovered to have connections to the US Military, who donated $2.5 million to the Computer Science department, and also the the Sudanese government through oil firm Petrochina.
A fortnight of heavy campaigning preceded the passing of the motion, with divestment campaigners collecting thousands of signatures, which were presented to University Council by YUSU President Tom Scott.
May 2009
York win third consecutive Roses
For the third successive year, the University of York were winners of the Carter-James Trophy after annihilating Lancaster in the annual Roses sports tournament.
The final score of 194.5-79.5 goes down in the record books as one of the most comprehensive in the competition’s 45-year history, the victory having been secured on Saturday afternoon.
Built upon clean sweeps in the racquet sports on Friday, York’s sports teams put their opponents to the sword in almost every one of our Saturday events, meaning the women’s indoor football team had the honour of wrapping up a 23rd Roses win for York.
York Sport President Alex Lacy, along with the York Sport committee, was presented with the trophy in a glittering ceremony, staged in Central Hall for the first time with the Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors of both universities in attendance.
“I’m absolutely blown away,” said YUSU President Tom Scott, who presented the closing ceremony. “This has been fantastic, to have seen Alex up there lifting the trophy. Everything over the whole weekend has gone well,” he added.
June 2009
B Henry’s to stay open next year
B Henry’s, the Alcuin College Bar that has been facing closure all academic year, will definitely be staying open for the beginning of the next academic year.
The decision to keep the bar open, which the University made near the end of this term, has been made to ensure that evening students, rather than undergraduates living in Alcuin, have somewhere to buy a drink and food before and after their lessons.
The future of B Henry’s has been in question since a Commercial Services review in November found the bar to be no longer financially viable.
An EGM in November saw the ‘Plan B’ campaign organised to protest the proposed closure of the bar. This campaign had the full support of YUSU.
Alcuin JCRC Chair Ollie Hutchings argues that “whilst the plan is great news it is primarily for the evening students and not normal University students. It’s not what the JCR was fighting for.”
The bar is now open until 9pm.
June 2009
York falls out of Top 10 Universities
The University of York fell to 11th place in this year’s The Times Good University Guide.
The University fell two places from ninth last year, after York’s total score out of 1000 decreased by 25 points, from 736 to 711. This drop means the University now falls below both Exeter and Bristol, Exeter rising four places.
University Press Officer David Garner stated that “Naturally we would always prefer to be in the Top 10, but the interpretation of data is something over which we have no control. We are ranked Top 10 in other newspaper league tables.”
Graduate Prospects were the weakest point in York’s performance, scoring only 69.4 out of 100 with Bristol and Durham scoring 82 and 78 respectively. York also performed particularly badly in Services and Facility Spending.
YUSU Academic and Welfare Officer Charlie Leyland said that she was “disappointed to see the institution has dropped out of the Top 10.”
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