Women’s Studies Course Committee
15 February 2007
Minutes
Present: Irene Gedalof, Lucy Bland, Kathy Castle (Chair), Chris Fuller, Debbie Hardy, Rehema Ikusa, Isobel Swan, Samantha Torney, Inkeri von Hase
Apologies: Helen Crowley
There were no Chair’s announcements.
Matters Arising:
1. Problems with the Ladbroke House Undergraduate Centre.
despite passing on students’ complaints from last year’s course committee, it appears that the same problems have recurred, including conflicting information on assessment procedures and course requirements; PAAs not answering phone or e-mail messages, and problems with UG centre staff keeping no records of previous contacts, so that there is no institutional memory of students’ cases; rudeness; and failure to correct mistakes on evision.
Action: IS and DH to email IG with details, IG will then write again to John Broad with full details of specific problems.
2. Library Noise:
KC did write to head of media services about students’ complaints and was told that ‘there is a feeling that things have improved.’ Students confirm that the situation is slightly better on 1st and 2nd floors, although there is no stricter enforcement on the ground and mezzanine levels. No additional guards have been added. CF says that the planned moves of computers in to individual carrels may help reduce noise levels. The point is made that there are no clear indications of the correct procedures for making a complaint about noise.
Action: CF to suggest that signs be put up in the library explaining how students can make complaints about noise. Students are also encouraged to send e-mail complaints to Head of Library Services, Peter Bowbeer and Deputy V-C Bob Aylett.
3. Women’s Studies Closure
IvH reports that 1,300 signatures were collected on the student petition, and another 60 people were willing to sign a second form indicating interest in taking a women’s studies module. However, they never received a reply to their request for a meeting with the VC to hand over the petition and discuss the closure.
Action: Students to try once again to meet Brian Roper, if they still do not get a response, will contact Bob Aylett; Isobel and Debbie to prepare an article for The London Student.
Students’ Reports
Students expressed dissatisfaction with the service at the Undergraduate Registry. There seems to be no increase in counter staff at the expected high-demand times, and staff are often talking to each other rather than dealing with the long queues of students waiting. Staff do not appear to have been fully trained to do their jobs, with a number of students being given the wrong information about whether queries should be dealt with by the UG Registry or the UG Centres with the result that students are being sent back and forth between these two offices (eg re: mitigating circumstances). Documents prepared by the Registry for Council Tax exemption have had conflicting dates recorded, resulting in delays for the students.Action: IG to write to head of Assessments with student’s complaints
Students remarked on the difficulties of getting errors corrected on Evision. It is suggested that it would help if there was some way students could flag up mistakes on-line when they find errors in their records.
Action: IG to make this suggestion to whoever manages E-vision.
There is a suggestion to set up a Women’s Studies blog, for announcements and information, and also so that students can share information about resources, eg. sharing of books, etc.
Action: IG to take advice on how to do this.
No comments:
Post a Comment