RSS Quiz
We will be hosting a welcome event and ‘pub’ quiz for newly enrolled research students on Friday the 1st October at 17:30 in the RSS Common Room (and the Cafe outside there). IRO have kindly agreed to supply us with a glass of wine or two each, as well as juice for all you non-drinkers out there. You are also invited to bring you own drinks if more than a couple of glasses of wine is what you require on a Friday afternoon! If you wish to attend, please email Charlie.fielding@uws.ac.uk by this Friday the 24th September, if you haven’t already, to help us arrange the quiz teams and drinks.
Welcome Event
There will be a second welcome party event, held in the Union on the 8th October, to which you are all invited to mingle with new students, staff and IRO alike. Again, please email Charlie if you intend to attend.
Election
The election will begin by email a week today and be open for one week – keep your eye out for next week’s newsletter as it will contain a link to the webpage where you can vote. There will be only one vote allocated for each email address on the mailing list so without that email you won’t be able to vote!
Mailing List
If anyone knows of any research student who is not on this mailing list, please let me know. If that research student would like to exercise their vote next week but not be a permanent member of the mailing list, this can be arranged – please let me know.
New Student Guide
Hard copies of the new student guide are in the RSS Common Room for anyone who wants one.
Faculty Representatives
Could those students who have been nominated/elected as student Faculty representatives please email me to let me know who you are.
Tuesday 21 September 2010
Wednesday 15 September 2010
RSS Weekly Digest
RSS Common Room
We are still looking for a new volunteer to wash the tea towels from the common room on a regular basis - please email myself or Martin Smith.
Faculty Representatives
Could those students who have been nominated/elected as student Faculty representatives please email me to let me know who you are.
Election
In conjunction with last year's president, Peter Bloomfield, I have drawn up an outline of the roles of both the President and Secretary of the RSS. Please email me if you wish to be nominated for the Presidency, having reviewed this information.
The election will be conducted by email and votes will be counted using the web-based tool, Survey Monkey. If you have any issues with this, please let me know as soon as possible. I intend to open the voting on Monday 27th September and close at midnight on Tuesday the 5th October.
Induction for New Students
The induction for new students is being held on the 1st October. We will be hosting a 'pub' quiz in the Union in the afternoon and early evening, in order to get new students talking to one another. We hope that a number of you will be able to attend so that new students also get a chance to meet existing students - please email Charlie Fielding if you can attend.
Lockers
There are still a large number of lockers available in the RSS Common room for anyone who needs one. Please contact me for keys.
We are still looking for a new volunteer to wash the tea towels from the common room on a regular basis - please email myself or Martin Smith.
Faculty Representatives
Could those students who have been nominated/elected as student Faculty representatives please email me to let me know who you are.
Election
In conjunction with last year's president, Peter Bloomfield, I have drawn up an outline of the roles of both the President and Secretary of the RSS. Please email me if you wish to be nominated for the Presidency, having reviewed this information.
The election will be conducted by email and votes will be counted using the web-based tool, Survey Monkey. If you have any issues with this, please let me know as soon as possible. I intend to open the voting on Monday 27th September and close at midnight on Tuesday the 5th October.
Induction for New Students
The induction for new students is being held on the 1st October. We will be hosting a 'pub' quiz in the Union in the afternoon and early evening, in order to get new students talking to one another. We hope that a number of you will be able to attend so that new students also get a chance to meet existing students - please email Charlie Fielding if you can attend.
Lockers
There are still a large number of lockers available in the RSS Common room for anyone who needs one. Please contact me for keys.
Thursday 9 September 2010
URKTB Meeting 22-09-2010, proposed agenda
1.Stipend
Some students still feel the stipend is too low and would like the University to reconsider its commitment to the 3 year, £6000 pa stipend for the following reasons:
Students are very unlikely to complete their PhD on a 3 year £6000 stipend. This is both because they must work whilst studying in order to fund their living costs and they have no opportunity to save any money to cover their living costs for the average 6 - 12 months it takes to complete a PhD after funding ceases.
Research students in the School of Computing and the School of Business (Marketing Division) have been told that there is no money whatsoever available to them for the foreseeable future, including in the form of teaching pay. That is, research students in the School of Computing have been categorically told that they will not be able to get paid teaching work or any funding from the School for research at all, under any circumstances. Many are worried that this will affect their ability to carry out their studies as they cannot afford to fund their living expenses or any research related expenses from their stipend alone.
The level of the stipend does not permit international ‘mobility’ to allow effective study between universities in different countries – those who are studying across borders cannot afford to live in the UK and/or away from family on the 6k stipend.
The types of students that the stipend appeals to is very narrow as those with families to support are not able to live on this figure.
More students being recruited to the University will mean that the meagre teaching that is already available will be greatly reduced even further.
A number of students would like the IRO to confirm the specific reason(s) why the stipend was reduced to 6k. There appears to be some discrepancy between those reason(s) previously given and the reason given on the IRO response to the survey results.
2.Email
The University’s IT policy seems to stipulate that email/Exchange accounts be revoked when a student finishes their PhD. This is an issue because:
- They may not actually be ‘finished’ and still be in the writing up stage
- Any person who wishes to contact them, e.g. on the back of an earlier publication, cannot do so and is not given a forwarding address
We need to review this policy so that students are not losing access to their contacts in the latter stages of their PhD and, it has been suggested, set up a means of forwarding mail after the account has been closed down once the PhD is actually awarded, or set up a forwarding message on revoked accounts. It would also be helpful to set up a forwarding mechanism on existing accounts, for those students who often work from home or prefer to use other email accounts/managers. There are also issues with some distance and part-time students who are not ‘eligible’ for university email accounts. This must be addressed.
3.Survey
We need a repeat of the survey from 2009, as soon as possible, in order to assess whether the experiences of research students are changing or stable, especially for new students from the Oct 2010 intake.
4.Assessment
Research students need to be provided with some detailed guidance on the new 12 month interview assessment – specifically, an outline of what we will be asked at the interview.
5.Library
There is concern that the library has now withdrawn the capability to order items from ILL online and that it is planning to implement a maximum number of ILL items per head per year. Some PhDs are very literature heavy and the current library facilities are not adequate without substantial ILL access.
6.Research Funding
The 2009 survey conducted by the IRO into the financial situation of UWS research students articulates a number of issues. Of particular relevance, one third of students reported having to subsidise study-related expenses, while another third reported that they had been unable to undertake essential study-related activities due to funding issues. We do not consider this to be acceptable. Therefore, we aim, in conjunction with the IRO and individual Schools, to confirm/ negotiate:
(i) Which level of administration (Supervisor, School, Faculty, IRO, University) is responsible for providing funding for each specific activity (e.g. conferences, research expenses etc.).
There have also been significant issues for some students, especially in the science faculty, with regards to inappropriate, poor quality or unusable equipment. We feel a level of responsibility should fall on the University to provide funding for the completion on a PhD requiring this equipment if departments/schools are not able to afford this.
(ii) The appropriate contact details for information and application of funding for each of these administrative levels and activities.
(iii) Appropriate sums of money designated by each School to fund the number of students it recruits. We are aware that there is a lack of clarity for some students, some supervisors and some schools concerning the responsibility for research costs and what constitutes adequate funding. We strongly believe that none of these costs should fall upon students. We aim to work towards providing clarity, parity and guidance for all concerned. We feel the cost of a minimum standard of one conference per research student per year should be anticipated by each School, to a minimum agreed value.
(iv) Better information should be given to supervisors and prospective supervisors about sources of external funding for research and for research students. We need to confirm what information is given at present and work to improve that given.
7.Working Conditions
The survey also reveals a lack of clear information regarding the amount of time which should be dedicated to research versus the quantity of time ‘allowed’ for external work. Recent investigations have also uncovered dissatisfaction with the inflexibility of working hours for some students. Therefore, we will work to confirm:
(i) The exact nature of the research student’s commitment to the University, including the negotiation, if applicable, of flexible working arrangements.
(ii) The exact nature of the University’s commitment to the research student in the provision of a suitable working space/desk, computer, email address and internet access. This discussion will include how part time and distance-learning students could be best supported and we will lobby for greater parity between different Schools and modes of study. This is increasingly important considering the number of new research students recruited and we feel a universal hot-desking system is unacceptable and inappropriate for most research students.
It is also essential that research students, going forwards, be given at least 2 months notice of changes to their working conditions, for example, the institution of hot-desking arrangements at their workstation or a change of office.
8. Employment Opportunities
Finally, the survey uncovers a tendency for students to work outside the University. In doing so, they take on more hours than is ideal, at relatively low rates of pay, often with no added value to professional development. We feel that the University and individual Schools should be doing everything they can to provide jobs internally to research students.
We aim, therefore, to work in conjunction with Schools and the IRO, to develop an improved system for the advertisement of internal employment among research students, in order to provide sufficient additional income and more relevant experience. This could, perhaps, take the form of a dedicated website for the advertisement of jobs suitable for research students, with standardised forms and procedures (and not be required to reapply annually for ongoing positions). We not consider the current methods, especially of teaching opportunities by word-of-mouth, to be acceptable in promoting fairness amongst students.
Some students still feel the stipend is too low and would like the University to reconsider its commitment to the 3 year, £6000 pa stipend for the following reasons:
Students are very unlikely to complete their PhD on a 3 year £6000 stipend. This is both because they must work whilst studying in order to fund their living costs and they have no opportunity to save any money to cover their living costs for the average 6 - 12 months it takes to complete a PhD after funding ceases.
Research students in the School of Computing and the School of Business (Marketing Division) have been told that there is no money whatsoever available to them for the foreseeable future, including in the form of teaching pay. That is, research students in the School of Computing have been categorically told that they will not be able to get paid teaching work or any funding from the School for research at all, under any circumstances. Many are worried that this will affect their ability to carry out their studies as they cannot afford to fund their living expenses or any research related expenses from their stipend alone.
The level of the stipend does not permit international ‘mobility’ to allow effective study between universities in different countries – those who are studying across borders cannot afford to live in the UK and/or away from family on the 6k stipend.
The types of students that the stipend appeals to is very narrow as those with families to support are not able to live on this figure.
More students being recruited to the University will mean that the meagre teaching that is already available will be greatly reduced even further.
A number of students would like the IRO to confirm the specific reason(s) why the stipend was reduced to 6k. There appears to be some discrepancy between those reason(s) previously given and the reason given on the IRO response to the survey results.
2.Email
The University’s IT policy seems to stipulate that email/Exchange accounts be revoked when a student finishes their PhD. This is an issue because:
- They may not actually be ‘finished’ and still be in the writing up stage
- Any person who wishes to contact them, e.g. on the back of an earlier publication, cannot do so and is not given a forwarding address
We need to review this policy so that students are not losing access to their contacts in the latter stages of their PhD and, it has been suggested, set up a means of forwarding mail after the account has been closed down once the PhD is actually awarded, or set up a forwarding message on revoked accounts. It would also be helpful to set up a forwarding mechanism on existing accounts, for those students who often work from home or prefer to use other email accounts/managers. There are also issues with some distance and part-time students who are not ‘eligible’ for university email accounts. This must be addressed.
3.Survey
We need a repeat of the survey from 2009, as soon as possible, in order to assess whether the experiences of research students are changing or stable, especially for new students from the Oct 2010 intake.
4.Assessment
Research students need to be provided with some detailed guidance on the new 12 month interview assessment – specifically, an outline of what we will be asked at the interview.
5.Library
There is concern that the library has now withdrawn the capability to order items from ILL online and that it is planning to implement a maximum number of ILL items per head per year. Some PhDs are very literature heavy and the current library facilities are not adequate without substantial ILL access.
6.Research Funding
The 2009 survey conducted by the IRO into the financial situation of UWS research students articulates a number of issues. Of particular relevance, one third of students reported having to subsidise study-related expenses, while another third reported that they had been unable to undertake essential study-related activities due to funding issues. We do not consider this to be acceptable. Therefore, we aim, in conjunction with the IRO and individual Schools, to confirm/ negotiate:
(i) Which level of administration (Supervisor, School, Faculty, IRO, University) is responsible for providing funding for each specific activity (e.g. conferences, research expenses etc.).
There have also been significant issues for some students, especially in the science faculty, with regards to inappropriate, poor quality or unusable equipment. We feel a level of responsibility should fall on the University to provide funding for the completion on a PhD requiring this equipment if departments/schools are not able to afford this.
(ii) The appropriate contact details for information and application of funding for each of these administrative levels and activities.
(iii) Appropriate sums of money designated by each School to fund the number of students it recruits. We are aware that there is a lack of clarity for some students, some supervisors and some schools concerning the responsibility for research costs and what constitutes adequate funding. We strongly believe that none of these costs should fall upon students. We aim to work towards providing clarity, parity and guidance for all concerned. We feel the cost of a minimum standard of one conference per research student per year should be anticipated by each School, to a minimum agreed value.
(iv) Better information should be given to supervisors and prospective supervisors about sources of external funding for research and for research students. We need to confirm what information is given at present and work to improve that given.
7.Working Conditions
The survey also reveals a lack of clear information regarding the amount of time which should be dedicated to research versus the quantity of time ‘allowed’ for external work. Recent investigations have also uncovered dissatisfaction with the inflexibility of working hours for some students. Therefore, we will work to confirm:
(i) The exact nature of the research student’s commitment to the University, including the negotiation, if applicable, of flexible working arrangements.
(ii) The exact nature of the University’s commitment to the research student in the provision of a suitable working space/desk, computer, email address and internet access. This discussion will include how part time and distance-learning students could be best supported and we will lobby for greater parity between different Schools and modes of study. This is increasingly important considering the number of new research students recruited and we feel a universal hot-desking system is unacceptable and inappropriate for most research students.
It is also essential that research students, going forwards, be given at least 2 months notice of changes to their working conditions, for example, the institution of hot-desking arrangements at their workstation or a change of office.
8. Employment Opportunities
Finally, the survey uncovers a tendency for students to work outside the University. In doing so, they take on more hours than is ideal, at relatively low rates of pay, often with no added value to professional development. We feel that the University and individual Schools should be doing everything they can to provide jobs internally to research students.
We aim, therefore, to work in conjunction with Schools and the IRO, to develop an improved system for the advertisement of internal employment among research students, in order to provide sufficient additional income and more relevant experience. This could, perhaps, take the form of a dedicated website for the advertisement of jobs suitable for research students, with standardised forms and procedures (and not be required to reapply annually for ongoing positions). We not consider the current methods, especially of teaching opportunities by word-of-mouth, to be acceptable in promoting fairness amongst students.
RSS Weekly Digest
Upcoming URKTB Meeting
Please find attached the items for the agenda we will be putting forward for the upcoming URKTB meeting on the 22nd September. This has also been posted on the RSS blog, the address for which will now be permanently located at the bottom of this weekly newsletter. Please email me with any additions you wish to make or post these on the blog by Monday the 13th September.
Minutes of the last URKTB
The minutes from the last URKTB meeting in April this year have still not been approved by the board. They are therefore still in draft form and cannot be distributed outside members of the board until they are approved at the upcoming meeting on 22-09-2010. The last approved set of minutes from the meeting in February this year are attached.
Inter-Library Loan
The library has recently removed the facility to apply for Inter-Library Loan items online through SFX. If this is a facility you regularly use, we recommend that you contact the library to express an interest in having this facility reinstated.
RSS Meetings
It has been decided that the RSS should hold a regular meeting every 2 months, regardless of the absence/presence of items for an agenda. The next will be held in the first week of November and the date will be notified shortly. Heather Lambie from IRO will be joining us at this meeting, as it was felt by some members at the last RSS Meeting that the role of IRO should be clarified. Heather will, therefore, be present to discuss the exact remit of IRO and answer any questions you may have on the subject.
RSS Common Room
A number of issues were raised at the last RSS meeting regarding the common room. Firstly, could nay students who have borrowed cutlery or crockery from the common room please return it as soon as possible as we are running very low. Secondly, could you please ensure that you do not leave unwashed items in the sink and that you clean up after yourself, particularly in the case of the microwave. Finally, could we please have a new volunteer to wash the tea towels from the common room on a regular basis - please email myself or Martin Smith.
Faculty Representatives
Could those students who have been nominated/elected as student Faculty representatives please email me to let me know who you are.
IRO Funding Initiatives
I'm sure you don't need reminding, but in case you missed the email, IRO have now opened up both the 'hardship' fund and the conference/training fund for this year. For details on how to apply please see IRO. IRO have also released a document providing advice on how to apply for third sector funding for your research.
Election
The election for the position of RSS President will be held on Tuesday the 5th October. We are hoping to run this as a web-based election this year, so that those who cannot be present and those who wish to vote anonymously can do so. Could anyone who either has any issues with this format or anyone who could provide me with any assistance/expertise in organising this please email me as soon as possible. Finally, we have only had ONE nomination for candidacy for this election, so could anyone who wishes to be nominated please let myself or Barry know as soon as possible.
Induction for New Students
The induction for new students is being held on the 1st October. We will be hosting a 'pub' quiz in the Union in the afternoon and early evening, in order to get new students talking to one another. We hope that a number of you will be able to attend so that new students also get a chance to meet existing students - please email Charlie Fielding if you can attend. It is worth noting that we were unable to host this event in the canteen space outside the RSS common room, as was discussed at the RSS meeting, due to the expense of providing alcoholic drinks through catering services instead of the Union bar.
Lockers
There are still a large number of lockers available in the RSS Common room for anyone who needs one. Please contact me for keys.
Please find attached the items for the agenda we will be putting forward for the upcoming URKTB meeting on the 22nd September. This has also been posted on the RSS blog, the address for which will now be permanently located at the bottom of this weekly newsletter. Please email me with any additions you wish to make or post these on the blog by Monday the 13th September.
Minutes of the last URKTB
The minutes from the last URKTB meeting in April this year have still not been approved by the board. They are therefore still in draft form and cannot be distributed outside members of the board until they are approved at the upcoming meeting on 22-09-2010. The last approved set of minutes from the meeting in February this year are attached.
Inter-Library Loan
The library has recently removed the facility to apply for Inter-Library Loan items online through SFX. If this is a facility you regularly use, we recommend that you contact the library to express an interest in having this facility reinstated.
RSS Meetings
It has been decided that the RSS should hold a regular meeting every 2 months, regardless of the absence/presence of items for an agenda. The next will be held in the first week of November and the date will be notified shortly. Heather Lambie from IRO will be joining us at this meeting, as it was felt by some members at the last RSS Meeting that the role of IRO should be clarified. Heather will, therefore, be present to discuss the exact remit of IRO and answer any questions you may have on the subject.
RSS Common Room
A number of issues were raised at the last RSS meeting regarding the common room. Firstly, could nay students who have borrowed cutlery or crockery from the common room please return it as soon as possible as we are running very low. Secondly, could you please ensure that you do not leave unwashed items in the sink and that you clean up after yourself, particularly in the case of the microwave. Finally, could we please have a new volunteer to wash the tea towels from the common room on a regular basis - please email myself or Martin Smith.
Faculty Representatives
Could those students who have been nominated/elected as student Faculty representatives please email me to let me know who you are.
IRO Funding Initiatives
I'm sure you don't need reminding, but in case you missed the email, IRO have now opened up both the 'hardship' fund and the conference/training fund for this year. For details on how to apply please see IRO. IRO have also released a document providing advice on how to apply for third sector funding for your research.
Election
The election for the position of RSS President will be held on Tuesday the 5th October. We are hoping to run this as a web-based election this year, so that those who cannot be present and those who wish to vote anonymously can do so. Could anyone who either has any issues with this format or anyone who could provide me with any assistance/expertise in organising this please email me as soon as possible. Finally, we have only had ONE nomination for candidacy for this election, so could anyone who wishes to be nominated please let myself or Barry know as soon as possible.
Induction for New Students
The induction for new students is being held on the 1st October. We will be hosting a 'pub' quiz in the Union in the afternoon and early evening, in order to get new students talking to one another. We hope that a number of you will be able to attend so that new students also get a chance to meet existing students - please email Charlie Fielding if you can attend. It is worth noting that we were unable to host this event in the canteen space outside the RSS common room, as was discussed at the RSS meeting, due to the expense of providing alcoholic drinks through catering services instead of the Union bar.
Lockers
There are still a large number of lockers available in the RSS Common room for anyone who needs one. Please contact me for keys.
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