www.thecourieronline.co.uk Monday 12 November 2012 Issue 1258 Free
INTERVIEW: CONOR MAYNARD FEATURES P.14-15
THREE’S A CROWD, FOUR’S A PARTY
DOUBLE BLIND DATE SPECIAL P.26-27
Union calls The Courier is cream of the crop referendum on biometric scanning
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News p.2
University could be implementing ‘fingertip swiping’ in to lectures Online votes to decide position of the Students’ Union on the issue
By Ben Travis Editor The Students’ Union is to hold a referendum to gauge student opinion regarding the monitoring of course attendance on campus. The decision to hold it was voted through the Students’ Union Council on 8 November. The University is looking at the possibility of implementing biometric fingertip swiping as a method of attendance monitoring. Other methods are also currently being researched, with the chosen method expected to come into effect from September 2013. The move follows a crack down by the UK Border Agency (UKBA) on international students abusing their student visas by working in the UK rather than studying for their degree. In response to the London Met scandal over the Summer, universities have sought to keep a better record of international student attendance. The referendum will run alongside the Students’ Union Elections commencing on Monday 26 November. Consisting of three questions, the referendum will decide the Students’ Union’s stance on whether the attendance of all students should be monitored, or just international students, and whether students feel fingertip swiping is an appropriate
method to do so. Other methods being looked into by the University include smartcard scans and the sign-in sheets already being used on campus. Outlining their official position on attendance monitoring plans, the University said: “If we chose [a fingertip scan] option the University would also allow for an alternative method – e.g. a smartcard scan and PIN input by the student, although this would be time-consuming.” Whilst it is only international students whose monitoring is required by the UKBA, the University’s stance is that all students’ attendance should be monitored, saying: “Overall there was agreement that if attendance had to be monitored in class then it should apply to all students”. Speaking on the University’s reasoning behind the stance to monitor both sets of students, Students’ Union Welfare Officer Esta Innes said: “It is only a legal requirement for international students to have their attendance monitored, but to segregate one community within the student body […] would be wrong. It’s subjecting one group of students to certain principles and not another. “When doing [student] halls [of residence] runs, during which [the Students’ Union Officer Team] asked people if they felt it would be appropriate continued on page 4
The Courier picked up Student Publication of the Year at the Guardian Student Media Awards last week, ending 18 years of hurt Photo: David Coverdale
Uni balks at ‘living wage’ proposal By George Sandeman News Editor The University has decided not to implement the Living Wage despite calls from politicians on private and public employers to adopt the measures. Prime Minister David Cameron, London Mayor Boris Johnson and Labour Leader Ed Miliband have publicly backed the campaign, organised by the Living Wage Foundation, that seeks to increase the current £6.19 per hour national minimum wage to £8.55 in London and £7.45 outside the capital.
In recent weeks Nick Forbes, Leader of Newcastle City Council, contacted hundreds of companies and organisations in the North East urging them Increase to consider implementing the wages from saying: £6.19 per hour measures, “We understand to £8.55 in the difficult economic climate London and some of the £7.45 outside and challenges this could present for different organisations and firms. But a living wage makes good
business sense too. “Research shows that putting more money into the pockets of the lowest paid means more is spent in local shops giving a welcome boost to our economy. And there are additional benefits such as easier recruitment and retention of staff; better attendance and reduced sickness absence. “It can also lead to better productivity, motivation, loyalty and quality of service to customers.” The city council also said that they would partly pay for the increased cost continued on page 2