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Thursday 7th March 2019 | No. 816
Visual Arts looks at combatting racism in the art industry
We hear from Durham alumni for International Women’s Day
Anger over pay cap for Modern Languages academics
Naomi Clarke Deputy News Editor Staff in the Modern Languages department have expressed their anger over how their pay is capped by the University. Grade 6 Staff in the Modern Language and Cultures department (MLAC) and The Centre for Foreign Language Study (CFLS)
have their pay capped at £32,236, which is £7,170 below a secondary school classroom teacher’s upper wage in England. Top Grade 6 University staff thus earn the equivalent to a mid-level experienced classroom teacher. MLAC and CFLS Grade 6 academics are called ‘Assistant Teaching Fellows’. They told Palatinate that despite the job title, they had
never ‘assisted’ during their time in Durham. Their job involves coordinating credit-bearing modules, developing the curriculum and setting examinations. These staff are all mostly fulltime and permanent. Grade 6 is used elsewhere within Durham University to classify laboratory technicians and assistants. A CFLS teacher explained to Palatinate that when they arrived
five years ago, the distinction between a Grade 6 and 7 in job description was clearer. It distinguished a Grade 6 would deliver lessons and feedback and Grade 7 would set examination and develop material. This distinction has become blurred as the requirements for Grade 6 have now come to encompass these extra roles without a revaluation of the role or
Durham freshers declaring mental illness up 94%
Poor food hygiene at popular Durham restaurants
The figures soar above the national average of 74% over 4 years Jack Taylor News Editor The number of Durham freshers declaring mental illnesses has risen by 94% over the past four years. Figures obtained by The Times show a national 74% rise between 2014-15 and 2017-18 in students stating they had conditions such as depression or anxiety prior to starting their course. 7,345 students declared they were coming to university with mental health illnesses in 201415, up to 12,773 in 2017-18. Declaring a mental illness prior to arriving at university can help put structures in place before the student moves to Durham. This has the potential to minimise the difficulty of obtaining support in a new city. Pro-Vice Chancellor (Colleges and Student Experience), Owen Adams, said: “The wellbeing and mental health of our students and staff are hugely important to us and we invest significantly in their pastoral care. In 2018/19, we will finalise an over arching institution-wide strategy for supporting student mental health – which will systematically organise the extensive support systems already in place at different levels across the
University. “Prospective students who have completed a UCAS application form with reference to mental illness are contacted by our Mental Health Advisors in the period before their arrival in Durham. We send information on internal and external support services, and the Mental Health advisors offer guidance on the transfer of care to local NHS services, if required.” The University recently approved two additional Mental Health Advisor posts. These are trained nurses with NHS experience, who can offer consultations and support to students with mental health issues. The new post-holders will be in place before the start of the 2019/20 academic year. The news comes after a report by Palatinate in 2017 which found that the University had reduced its number of full-time equivalent counsellors from 6.2 to 5.4, leaving it short of the recommended counsellor-student ratio. According to the British Association for Counselling and Therapy (BACP), a university should have a minimum provision of one counsellor per 3,000 students.
pay scale in a “take it or leave it approach”. Durham University champions a ‘philosophy to encourage language learning as widely as possible’ and pride their ‘world class teaching’, but the staff have stated the University is failing to acknowledge this increase in responsibility. The CFLS teacher told Palatinate they were “disappointed with... Continued on page 7
Alex Leggatt & Anna Tatham News Team
▲ The first side of scaffolding was removed last week (Mark Norton)
Popular Durham food outlets Urban Oven, Subway and Mr. Shawarma have Food Hygiene Ratings below 3 out of 5, indicating “some improvement is necessary” with regards to their standards of food hygiene. Mr. Shawarma, a kebab takeaway on North Road, was given rating of 0, indicating “urgent improvement is required,” in September 2018. The ratings, which range from 5 (the highest rating) to 0 (the lowest rating), are described by the Food Standards Agency as “a snapshot of the standards of food hygiene found at the time of inspection.” The inspection includes an appraisal of three elements: how hygienically the food is handled, the physical condition of the business, and the methods by which food is kept safe. Food hygiene inspections are carried out according to the Environment, Health and Consumer Protection (EHCP) enforcement policy. Urban Oven, a pizza delivery located on Claypath, was given a rating of 1 indicating “major improvement is necessary” on 15 August 2018... Continued on page 4