News
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Debate: How Important Is The Outcome Of The US Presidential Election?
The Election IS NOT Important
Given the unprecedented media fixation on a campaign that has now lasted over two years, you could be forgiven for thinking that this is the most consequential US election in a generation. There are a number of reasons why you would be wrong.
Americans like to think of their President as the most powerful man in the world, but everywhere you look there are other sources of power that threaten this special status:
OPEC; The Murdoch press; China; The Kremlin and its swarm of oligarchs. In the context of a global decline in Western power, whoever holds the Presidency is becoming an increasing irrelevance.The financial crisis has already cast a long shadow over the term of the President-elect. Fighting the fires lit by a prolonged global recession and a national budget deficit topping $1 trillion may turn out to be more pressing priorities for the new President than tackling climate change or restoring the world’s faith in America - a commodity so grievously damaged by eight years of Bush.
At home, America’s leader is hamstrung by a decades-long politics of stagnation and partisanship in Washington, whilst abroad he is mired in two nasty foreign wars of indeterminate length, and chained to a War on Terror which is doomed to failure in its current form. No one has yet explained how it is possible to fight a successful battle against an common noun.In a world marked by the emergence of new economic and military powers, it remains to be seen how Obama will cope with a sustained challenge to US global hegemony, and how much change he will truly be able to carry out.
Tim McFarlan
The Election IS Important
American elections come but once every four years: few elections in the world generate or demand such attention, such focus and such passion. While some may watch with scornful eyes at the sniping, the money and the circus that follows the race for the White House few elections have come at such a defining moment for America.?
Barack Obama’s movement for change is uniting a divided nation; this election has set forward not only America’s future but also the world’s future. The President-elect, when taking over in January, will inherit a nation in two seemingly never ending wars, a world economic crisis and a health system that leaves 47 million people in the world’s richest country unprotected. ?While the American President may have little in the way of tangible power, this influence is great.
The world hurts after eight long years of George W. Bush, in more ways than war. The American system provides an unprecedented ability to close one chapter and open another. This president has the power to unite the world, and his nation, behind a new common purpose and deliver the world leadership so lacking at a time of violence and financial crisis. The change may not be easy; it may not come instantly, but this election dawns a new era for world politics.
Jamie McMahon, ?Chair of Nottingham Labour students 08/09
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Notts Named ‘Entrepreneurial University Of The Year
The University of Nottingham has been named the ‘Entrepreneurial University of the Year’ at the Times Higher Education Awards 2008. Nottingham was among 34 universities to be nominated for the award, but seized the title for its breadth and depth of entrepreneurial activity. Judges praised the University for its commitment to “nurturing the most enterprising and globally-minded graduates in British higher education”.
The hotly-contested award demonstrates growing levels of entrepreneurialism throughout the higher education sector and the increased significance that is being placed upon graduate enterprising. Professor Drake, Director of Nottingham University Business School, said: “Winning the accolade of ‘Entrepreneurial University of the Year’ is a tremendous achievement and reflects the entrepreneurial attitude which typifies the University of Nottingham”.
Emma Shipley
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UK Universities Set To Benefit From Financial Crisis
Experts have suggested that the current economic climate could prove beneficial to universities as more people choose to undertake Master’s degrees. Evidence from previous recessions suggests that institutions tend to benefit from financial crises and downturns in employment, as people opt to return to education.
Jonathan Slack, Chief Executive of the Association of Business Schools, has suggested these situations present the ideal opportunity for individuals to improve themselves and their CVs whilst removing themselves from the increased competition in the job market during these periods. There is particular demand for business courses, already the most popular subject at degree level, taken in some form by one in seven students.
Janette Rutterford, Professor of Financial Management at the Open University Business School, confirms this tendency for people to improve their chances for future employment: “You typically see increases in the numbers doing Masters of Business Administration, Law and Accounting courses as people look for courses that offer tangible qualifications with professional credibility.”
These assertions have been used by many to counter claims that higher education is no longer a worthwhile investment. Prof Rick Trainor, President of Vice-Chancellor’s group Universities UK, has stated: “We know that as the UK economy continues to shift towards knowledge-based activities it is likely that a greater proportion of the workforce will need higher-level skills. He also projects that individuals are likely to need to “re-skill” at several points in their career to maintain their position in the workforce.
Sophia Hemsley
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Hidden Costs To Staff Pay Rises
In a statement posted on the portal last month, University Vice-Chancellor Professor David Greenaway outlined the details of a new pay deal for Nottingham’s nearly 7,000 staff.
All academic and non-academic employees of the University are in line for rises of up to 20% over 2006-2009 when all factors are taken into account. Nationally, workers in higher education up and down the country have enjoyed some of the best deals across the public and private sectors during this period.
The announcement was not wholly positive, however, as Professor Greenaway stressed that the package “does place a considerable strain on budgets across this and other institutions. When combined with other financial pressures…there will inevitably be an impact on future national pay and pension negotiations”.
Suggestions that next year’s offer will not be nearly so generous were reinforced by a University spokesperson who stated that “further high settlements will not be sustainable given the current rise”.
More alarming implications include possible job cuts and a government raid on final salary pension schemes. However, the University remains confident of avoiding the former, and was firm in denying that the government would change its current position on pension arrangements for teachers and lecturers, the high standard of which remains one of the major perks of the profession.
The University was also non-committal on the prospect of a rise in tuition fees as a result of the deal and other increases in costs. The current cap of £3,145 is being reviewed next year and although students are voicing concerns over a possible fee increase, Nottingham cannot act until it is lifted.
Tim McFarlan
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Grants Cut After Government Blunder
The government is being forced to consider cutting student grants after a gross miscalculation of the bill for higher education.
The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills is understood to be short of more than £100m as a result of last year’s pledge to raise the number of students eligible for government money. The move, which would only affect those studying in England, risks serious criticism from students and universities.
The announcement to boost the number of graduates by widening the availability of grants came only eight days after Gordon Brown became prime minister in July 2007, but a senior Whitehall source said that the plan was not properly costed. Sources have also blamed the “rushed” creation of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills - whose annual budget is £17m - for its financial shortage.
The expansion of grants was introduced in September, meaning that students from families with incomes of up to £25,000 were eligible for the maximum grant – a rise from the previous threshold of £17, 500. Universities now face a freeze on student numbers as part of a short-term plan to reign in government spending. The number of students starting university this year in England rose by 10.5%, with the biggest rises among students from poorer socio-economic backgrounds. Ministers were caught out by the steep rise in applications, which put intense pressure on government funds.
A department spokesman said: “The government is fully committed to the expansion of higher education and can ensure finance should not be a barrier to those that want to do a degree.”
Susannah Sconce
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Students Help Police Fight Crime
Students from the University of Nottingham have been working in collaboration with police to spread crime-prevention information to those living off campus.
In a special one-day event, ambassadors were working with local police knocking on doors to spread the message around Lenton. Melanie Futer, the Manager of Off-Campus Student Affairs, said: “Most burglars are opportunists, and a third of burglaries occurring in the Lenton area are through insecurities left by residents — such as open doors and windows. We’re hoping that by offering some simple advice, we can help more students to take responsibility for their possessions and make sure they don’t give burglars any chances”.
In addition, students are also being offered a free sign-up to Computrace, software that is installed onto laptops which, if subsequently stolen, enables the police to trace the computer. Although burglary in Nottinghamshire has decreased by 43 per cent since 2003, the high incidences of theft involving students’ property reveals there is still a need for initiatives such as this.
Sophia Hemsley
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Council Assets Frozen In Iceland
The global financial crisis is having a serious impact on development and regeneration projects in Nottingham.
Students could soon be feeling the effects of the global financial crisis if Nottingham City Council is not able to recover the £42 million it invested in Icelandic banks prior to their collapse. While other local authorities such as Nottingham County Council decided against putting public money in the banks, Nottingham City Council continued with their investments and is now attempting to recover the funds. In a statement released on their website, the City Council maintains that at the time the Icelandic banks had “an F1 rating - that’s one below the highest possible credit rating” and that the situation “is not having any detrimental effect on Council services”.
A lack of credit is meaning that plans to regenerate parts of the town are being put on hold until the economy recovers. The latest and biggest development is the collapse is the Trent Basin project near Sneinton, which would have revitalised the area with housing, restaurants and 2,000 units of housing worth £350 million. The developer, ISIS (not the nightclub), has backed out of the joint project with the city council, East Midlands and British Waterways, citing the deteriorating property market as a reason for not going ahead.
With financial experts now admitting that we have entered a recession (a period defined by two quarters of negative economic growth), it is clear that cities the world over are feeling the pinch. It appears that Nottingham is no exception.
Justine Moat
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Top Marks For The Square
Nottingham’s Old Market Square has won an award for architecture, 18 months after its £7 million renovation.
The Square, which was designed by architect Gustafson Porter, was given the first ever RIBA CABE Public Space Award at a ceremony in Liverpool, fighting off competition from the Royal Festival Hall and the Royal Observatory.
The award comes after the transformation of Market Square, completed in 2007, which included the creation of water features and seating terraces.
Sarah Gaventa, director of CABE Space (sponsors of the prize) and one of the judging panel, said: “With a history going back 800 years this large space retains its own distinctiveness and sense of place”, and described the Square as a “worthy first winner”.
Hannah Gibbons
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A Grim Protest At Careers Fair
The University of Nottingham’s annual AISEC Careers Fair was this year interrupted by unlikely candidates: grim reapers. Students worked together to orchestrate a counter-recruitment programme, aiming to highlight what they describe as the “unethical” practices of some corporations present on campus.
The students held a stall next to the Territorial Army where “alternative information about companies, personal discussion and careers guides could be disseminated”, one student recalls.
According to one student activist, “A Qinetiq representative admitted that he felt the student protesters were doing a good thing, and was ultimately somewhat envious of the passion they clearly had for this issue”.
Students dressed in grim reaper costumes then toured the careers fair for an hour and allegedly were initially threatened with calls to the police by University security.
BAE systems was a prime target for student protest.
Camille Herreman
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JCR Shake-Up Set To Benefit Students
The new semester has heralded the inception of a new system of operation for JCRs across campus as they become more fully affiliated with the Students’ Union.
The move, which was decided upon last year, sees the abolition of individual JCR constitutions and their integration into a centralised SU-led system. Along with the standardisation of committee member training, JCRs will be held more accountable for their spending.
Richard Lockington, a current hall President, comments, “There is still some flexibility there. JCRs can [still] do their job effectively; this just means they are being kept in line.”
One facet of the change is that only hall residents may now stand in JCR committee elections, prompting some concern that the committees will be hamstrung by the inexperience of their members and will potentially increase bureaucracy.
The timing and format of JCR elections have also been standardised as a result of the changes. Nightingale has been the only hall to be negatively affected as, having only elected its incumbent president at the end of the 2007/08 academic year, first years are unable to run for this position.
Despite concerns, the changes are also expected to improve communication between JCR Committees and the SU and bring the accountability that many people felt the system needed.
Dave Jackson