Welcome to issue 2 of Student News in Brief, a round-up of news from the University. Thanks for your feedback so far, please keep any more comments on content and format coming.

Applications up
Home undergraduate applications are up 19% on last year compared to a national average increase of 7.8%. International undergraduate applications are up 88%.

Alumni funding
More than £150,000 donated by alumni, staff and friends of the University has been awarded to projects which enhance student life. The money was raised from donations to the Annual Fund. 22 projects, ranging from scholarships to sports coaching courses, will benefit. Many projects also help the local community. See the Support the University website.

More satisfied
Another student satisfaction survey has rated Exeter among the best student cities in the country. A survey of 38,000 students by accommodationforstudents.com saw 10 universities achieve the top score of 62%: only two (Exeter and Brighton) were in the south of the UK. This result adds to Exeter’s 7th place in the Times Higher Education student satisfaction survey and 4th in the National Student Survey.

National Student Survey
Remember that final year opinion is now being sought on The National Student Survey website.

Exeter Award
How close to completing are you? Make sure you have enough time to book your sign-off appointment with a Careers Adviser. The Exeter Leaders Award has now launched, see the Exeter Award website.

Mock interviews
Bust through recession gloom in the job market by booking a slot with an experienced recruiter to practise your interview techniques. Mock interviews run from 23 February - 6 March. For info and to book see the Employability website.

Support against bullying
A group of students has been trained to provide support for any other students who are experiencing bullying and want to talk in confidence or get advice. They are Ifeoma Nwokolo icn201@exeter.ac.uk; Faheem Bhatti fb215@exeter.ac.uk; Sara Bazoobandi sb343@exeter.ac.uk; Morgane Colleau mc301@exeter.ac.uk and Marcia Ashong ma312@exeter.ac.uk. See the Equality and Diversity website.

Rents rise
Increases in food, pay and utilities bills mean rents for student accommodation in Exeter will rise next year – by 9.9% for catered halls and 8.5% for self-catered. Residence accounts are ring-fenced meaning that costs can’t be subsidised from funds used for teaching and research.

St Luke's Library
The planned £1 million refurbishment of St Luke's Campus Library will be going ahead this summer. Works will run between June and mid-September. While we intend to maintain library services throughout this period, some disruption and delayed access to print collections is inevitable - core collections may be temporarily moved to an alternative location on the campus.

Internet downtime
On Thurs 19 Feb from 9.30pm, internet access for the entire University will be unavailable for a period of 3 hours, including ResNet in halls. This is necessary maintenance work as part of a project to upgrade the campus network.
Contact IT Help Desk on Phone: 01392 263934 helpdesk@exeter.ac.uk.

Security-Mark your stuff
Exeter’s new team of Community Wardens can visit student properties to security-mark expensive goods and register them on-line. To book a visit from the Community Warden in your area please contact Rory Cunningham on 01392 263721 or email r.j.cunningham@exeter.ac.uk. Community Wardens provide a range of advice, support and guidance to students living off-campus in Exeter.

New Immigration Rules.
The University will soon be registering for a new points-based scheme by the UK Border Agency which makes changes to the visa applications for International students. Info can be found on the International Students website and will be updated regularly.

Election fever
The Guild has a record 34 students standing in its sabbatical elections. Voting opens on 20th February for a week. See the Guild website. In Cornwall, nominations for FXU elections are open until midday, Fri 20 Feb. Voting runs from 2 to 6 March. For info call into the FXU offices.

Big Ask
The Guild will be asking students what they want a students’ union to offer in its ‘Big Ask’, which takes place in early March. Students who take part will have the chance to win £500. The Big Ask website goes live in week 7.

Mumps warning
Mumps cases are on the rise in Devon and Cornwall. Symptoms may include fever, headaches, aches and pains and swollen glands along the jaw line. The Health Protection Agency has warned that people born between 1980 and 1990 are at the greatest risk, and recommend MMR vaccination, which is free and has no age limit. See the Health Protection Agency website or MMR The facts website.

Email scams
The IT Help Desk blocks all emails to and from scammers’ addresses as soon as they are aware of any dodgy activity, so please forward any suspicious mail to helpdesk@exeter.ac.uk.

Mature students online
Exeter Mature Student Association has a new website and can also be found on the Facebook website.

Football fundraising
The Exeter Stop Aids Society is organising a student v staff football tournament to raise money for an orphanage in Tanzania. Last term the society raised £1,200. Contact: mjh213@exeter.ac.uk.

Pure gold advice
Olympic silver medallist sailor Joe Glanfield and Gold medallist swimmer Adam Whitehead recently helped train 18 of our sports scholars to become ‘sports ambassadors’ and to go out into local schools.

Thank you for reading. Please send news and events for future editions and any feedback to Abigail Dixon: Abigail.Dixon@exeter.ac.uk.

Widen Your Options Week
Runs until Friday
Meet, network and gather information from a range of employers. See the Employability website.

19 Feb, 1-1.45pm
Art History lecture
Art of the Sixties
Location: Queens LT1
See PDF of Winter Art History Lectures flyer.

19 Feb
International Student Volunteers talks.
Information on ISV’s summer programmes worldwide.
Talks on the hour from 9 to 5.
See the International Student Volunteers website.

20 Feb
Goldie / Far too Loud
Location: The Lemon Grove
Visit the Guild website for more details.

21 February
Fairtrade Café Crawl
meet at 10am at The Plant, Cathedral Green.

23 Feb
Reel Big Fish
Location: The Lemon Grove
Visit the Guild website for more details.

26 February, 7pm
Fairtrade Celebration, Global Centre, Exeter Community Centre, St David’s Hill, Exeter. Open to everyone. Tel: 01392 438811.

27 Feb
Nerina Pallot
Location: Exeter Phoenix
Visit the Guild website for more details.

27 Feb
Some Things That Have Made Me Laugh
Shaping the Future lecture
Paul Jackson, Director of Entertainment and Comedy at ITV
Location: Lecture Theatre, Xfi (videolink to the Cornwall Campus, lecture 4 Peter Lanyon building)
Contact: c.a.pierce@exeter.ac.uk

27 Feb – 3 March
Folk Festival: Great Hall.
Kate Rusby, Demon Barber Roadshow, and many other bands, ceilidhs, workshops.
Energetic and friendly atmosphere.
Weekend ticket available from £13
Visit the Inter-Varsity Folk Dance Festival (IVFDF) website for more details.

28 February, 10am – 4pm
Fairtrade Market,
Corner of South St and High St, Exeter

3 March, 6-8pm
Fairtrade Producers’ Talk, Long Lounge, Devonshire House.
Meet two Fairtrade producers whilst enjoying some of the finest produce available in the Long Lounge.
Contact: Pete Hodges at fato@guild.ex.ac.uk.

5 March, 12pm-3pm
Life After Exeter networking event for finalists
JCR, Devonshire House. Alumni will offer career related advice; make contacts around the world; and find out about the Graduate Business Partnership scheme.
Organised by Development and Alumni Relations Office. See the Employability website.
Contact: a.petrons@ex.ac.uk

5 March, 7pm
Screening of shortlisted film entries for Paddon Award.
Location: M&D Room, Devonshire House

6 March, 3-3.30pm
‘Go Bananas for Fairtrade’ with George Alagiah.
Location: Devonshire House.
Come and hear George Alagiah, Patron of the Fairtrade Foundation.
Further info contact Pete Hodges at fato@guild.ex.ac.uk.

6 March
Zane Lowe, DJ set
Location: The Lemon Grove
Visit the Guild website for more details.

6 March
Fairtrade Long Lounge Live!
Location: Devonshire House

19 March, 1pm
TCL lecture – Dr James Whittaker – A tester’s take on the future of software.
Location: Harrison Building
Contact: Clare.batten@tcl.eu.com 0845 8696070

FLUX 2009
Do you want to represent the University at the National Final of FLUX 2009?
All you need is a team of 6 to play the business game and be free 9-5.30pm on Weds 4 March and again 6-8 April if you win and get chosen to represent the University. For more details, go to the Employability website.