Did you HEAR about the new grading plan?

Currently students who graduate are awarded a first, second of third class degree. Recently though there has been concern from employers that this does not provide enough information about the achievements of a graduate nor allows them to distinguish between job applicants. In 2004 Bob Burgess, the VC of Leciester, led a review into the classification system and found that the current system had outlived its usefulness. In 2007 Burgess advocated a Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR). This will provide more detailed information then the final year transcript, showing individual modules and assessments. The HEAR is not designed to replace the current classification system but enhance it.

This year 18 universities will trial this new grading system for degrees. Last year Guild Council passed a motion supporting the Higher Education Achievement Report and the results of the pilot will be watched with interest.

Web CT

Last night at Guild Council I was asked a question regarding the performance of WebCT in the first few months of term. The University has recognised there some students are having problems logging-on and using the system. This is partly die to the fact that there has been at 30% increase in start of term log-ons by both students and staff. Some of the hardware is also reaching the end of its life-cycle.

The University are taking these issues very seriously and the performance of WebCT has already been discussed at the Learning and Teaching Committee. It has been decided to switch to Blackboard Managed Hostings which will have increased campacity and be more effective.

Feel free to email me any questions at t.marley@guild.bham.ac.uk

Finding your way to the library

Found this on Youtube...

Learning spaces

Last week I attended the opening of the Green Room in the Orchard Leaning Resources Centre. The OLRC is the main library on the Selly Oak campus. The Green Room is located on the ground floor. One half is a social space which facilities group work. The other half of the room has new IT facilities including whiteboards.

The University is currently investing £9 million over a three year period into upgrading learning spaces. What lecture theatres/seminar rooms/labs etc do you think need upgrading??

(please leave comments)

Do you know who your Student Rep is?

Student Reps exist to make sure the University knows what the real issues facing students in different departments are. Whether it is the length of time it takes for students to receive feedback on their assessment, the quality of teaching facilities or hidden course costs, Student Reps exist to make your voice heard. There are elected Student Reps in every subject area, both undergraduate and postgraduate, and they work to make the learning experience for other students better.

Student Reps canvass all students within their school to listen to their views and find any issues affecting students. They then attend Student-Staff Committee meetings to present these problems and work with staff to resolve them. In the last academic year Student Reps achieved significant changes across the University. As well as general improvements to modules, timetabling, assessment and lecture facilities, Student Reps have worked to ensure better IT provision for several subjects and new provision of counselling services to students on satellite sites.

Keep an eye on the Guild of Students website as the names of your Student Reps will be going up soon. Alternatively check out the Student Rep noticeboard in your school for the latest news.

Guild Council papers online

The papers for Guild Council, which will be held on the on the 23rd October from 6pm in the Guild Council Chambers, are now online. Check them out here.

Birmingham Uni: 75th in the world

The latest world rankings have been released in the Times Higher Education magazine and the University of Birmingham has come 75th. Yes, students at Birmingham are studying at the 75th best institution in the world!