Calling all students! Sign up to the Addiction NI 10K Run on March 11 2012 today.

We are looking not only for individuals to enter but also teams, so this would be a great way for you to get to know your class mates better! If you would like to enter the race under your course/team name such as UU Marketing, UU physiotherapy or UU Football then contact fundraising@addictionni.com and we can register the group for you.

 Group entries are £10 per person which is a saving of £4, this is a great way to support a local charity and make a real difference to thousands of individuals and their families, and keep fit! Any students (and lecturers) in your class that aren’t taking part can sponsor you instead! :P

 For more information go to http://addictionni.com/info/fundraising/ or contact fundraising@addictionni.com

Marketing Society
Pub Quiz in the Jordanstown SU Bar
Monday 13th Feb

- Start 7pm Finish 11pm

- Free Pizza

- £5 per individual Ticket, or £20 for a team of 5

- For more info contact Shannon-C4@email.ulster.ac.uk

NUS-USI President meets Minister of Employment and Learning

Today Adrianne Peltz, President of NUS-USI met with Dr Stephen Farry, Minister for Employment and Learning to discuss the future of the Department and its proposed dissolution.  The key issues that were discussed included the impending EMA consultation and the consequences for students in receipt of this vital fund; the future of teacher training in Northern Ireland; Higher Education Strategy and Youth Unemployment.

NUS-USI voiced concerns over the delay in the EMA consultation process and highlighted the potential impact the cutting of EMA will have on current and future students.  The Minister has assured that NUS-USI will be a key stakeholder during the EMA review.

The controversial matter of teacher training places in Northern Ireland has raised many questions within the Department and the Student Movement and the Minister has proposed an independent review into the financial viability of teacher training providers in Northern Ireland. NUS-USI will be ensuring that concerns over equality in teacher training are addressed with an outcome that is favourable for all students in this field.

Adrianne expressed disappointment at the continued postponement of the Higher Education Strategy Steering group and vocalised disillusion at the apparent lack of urgency in the development of this crutial under-pinning driver for higher education in Northern Ireland.  The steps toward de-coupling the widening participation strategy from a mere chapter within the HE Strategy to a fully resourced strategy is welcome news to the Student Movement.  With Northern Ireland's continued track record of widening access to non-traditional students, this is a clear signal that the Department is willing to invest resources in removing barriers to higher education.

In a bold move, after extensive lobbying from NUS-USI, the Minister has agreed to tackle burgeoning youth unemployment in Northern Ireland.  Plans are afoot to implement a youth employment scheme in collaboration with the Student Movement and will be examining standards in internships and work placements, the promotion of work placements with local businesses and the development of work-based skills for all learners.

The Minister echoed NUS-USI's fears in relation to the break-up of the Department and, with a consultation due to go out in the coming weeks, NUS-USI will be ensuring that both Further and Higher Education will be represented in an appropriate way in the new department and assured us that the learner experience will not be compromised.







 

 Click here to read journal

http://issuu.com/visualbelfast/docs/visual_belfast_creative_directory

NUS-USI RESPONDS AS UNIVERSITY APPLICATIONS HIT 30 YEAR LOW

Responding to figures released today by UCAS which have seen the biggest fall in university applications in the last 30 years by a staggering 8.9% for students entering the 2012/13 academic year. In Northern Ireland applications are down by 4.4% overall, contrasted to years of steady increase in university participation. Northern Ireland domiciled students applying to England has fallen by 13.8% with Scotland and Wales decreasing by 15%.

Adrianne Peltz, the President of NUS-USI has said;

“These figures reveal a shocking truth that students are simply not prepared to pay the exorbitant £9000 tuition fees charged by universities outside of Northern Ireland. The decline is something that NUS-USI had predicted from the outset, and a problem that is going to have severe repercussions socially. At a time when the economic future has never been so uncertain for our youth, and unemployment rates are escalating, many young people who are in employment are choosing to stay in their job and shun university”

“The most worrying trend presented is the decline in applicants over the age of 21, where we’ve seen a significant drop of 13.5% in applicants. Factors such as wealth, deprivation and poor information and guidance must not create a situation where potential talent is allowed to collapse. We need to be ensuring that those who need to re-skill and up-skill later in their education career are not barred from the system. This government needs to do all it can to support widening participation in the over 21 population.”

“The massive leap in the number of International Students applicants by 40% is a welcome improvement and something we hope to see continuing. This is testament to Northern Irelands’ attractiveness as an education destination with a world class Higher Education system, which is a proven economic driver and must be capitalised on.”
 

Student Competition Chance to Win £250
Closing Date March 16th 2012

Would you like to win £250? Start the summer with a little cash in your pocket? Have something to add to your CV? If so why not enter this University Student Competition.

The University continually tries to enhance the student learning experience and in this year’s Student Competition we would like to find out more about your experiences of assessment and feedback. This is particularly important as we strive to improve the ways we and you engage with feedback to support your learning.

Entries can be written accounts or blogs, story boards or video/ sound recordings. You can also enter as an individual or in a group.

The theme for this year’s competition is:

“Learning from feedback”

Using the Feedback Leaflet produced by the Students’ Union http://uusu.org/files/focus-on-feedback-2011.online.pdf, choose one of the following options for your entry and produce:

1. Advice for making the most of assessment and feedback for new students just starting at University

or

2. Advice for new staff on how to prepare students to do assignments and to give them feedback

Apart from rewarding you for the quality of your entry, your guidance will provide us with a source of good information to inform our educational practice.

The competition is open to all undergraduates and taught postgraduates.

Submission Categories
(one prize of £250 available for each category and a maximum of two runner up prizes of £100 drawn from either category):

1. One individual entry (written or multi-media)
2. One group entry (written or multi-media)

Full competition details and rules are available at: http://www.ulster.ac.uk/centrehep/student_comp.html with the closing date being Friday March 16th 2012.

You cannot win if you do not try.
Good Luck from the Centre for Higher Education Practice.
 

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