Latest News
Miplan
NC Learners : Have you completed your PDP in Miplan yet? Are you aware non-completion may result in you failing to complete your course?
Facilities and additional help will be available in Hubs week commencing 7 May.
Diamond Jubilee Holiday
An additional bank holiday was proposed this year to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the college will be closed for two additional days holiday on the following dates:
Monday 4th June 2012
Tuesday 5th June 2012
Car Sharing Scheme
We have recently set up a new car-sharing scheme, specifically for Staff and Students at James Watt College. This is designed to help
- Reduce your daily car travel costs
- Reduce CO2 emissions
- Reduce single occupancy journeys between campuses e.g. Finnart Campus to North Ayrshire Campus or even Finnart Campus to Waterfront Campus.
The scheme is secure. Only those you allow, will see your details and you don't have to share everyday.
It is totally free to use and enables you to find others going your way, so you can share the journey. You can take turns driving, offer someone a lift (in exchange for a contribution to the fuel costs) or look for someone to give you a lift. You don't have to do it every day. It is completely flexible, once you've found others going your way, you decide between yourselves how often it suits you to share. You must have a James Watt College email address to be able to use the system e.g. @jameswatt.ac.uk or @live.jameswatt.ac.uk.
To sign up and find a car-share companion or two, just go to www.JWCJourneyShare.com.
Happy Car Sharing!
Car Share Poster 1 | Poster 2
Money Week - Beware Fraud
As part of Money Week, Strathclyde Police has released some useful advice on how to help prevent fraud.
The dangers of fraud include Internet Auction Fraud, Identity Theft, Phishing, Credit Card Fraud, and Boiler Room Fraud. All are explained along with the warning signs to look out for.
Recognise these dangers and help prevent fraud
Top 10 Tips for Fraud Prevention
Help For Heroes
A charity event for Help For Heroes will be held at our Finnart Campus to raise funds.
From 19th to the 26th April 2012 stalls will be in the main concourse where fundraising includes sale of wristbands for £2 each.
Help For Heroes Poster
Many of you will now be doing a Personal Development Plan as part of miplan. Please watch this presentation to help you upload your Personal Development Plan onto miplan.
View presentation
Festival of Learning allows James Watt College students to boost their studies with additional short courses.
Boost your learning with extra credit courses or relevant short courses and, best of all, these are all covered by ILA £200 funding.
Download the course and information booklet and get into the festival spirit.
Festival of Learning Booklet
Ask at the Hub for more information and advice.
Message from Campus Officer
A number of complaints have been made recently regarding cars parked in disabled parking bays on Newton Street and Finnart Street. The penalty for this is a £30 parking fine. If you do no display a blue disabled badge then you risk being issued with a ticket. Please be considerate and do not park in disabled bays unless you are authorised. Thanks
Student athletes can apply now for a national sports scholarship
Students and school leavers preparing to start their studies can apply now for a Winning Students sports scholarship.
Winning Students - Scotland's national sports scholarships - currently support more than 100 promising student athletes in colleges and universities across Scotland. Recipients include European Ladies Curling champions Vicki Adams and Anna Sloan and Scottish and British All Styles Karate champion Calum Robb.
Scholarships provide up to £5,500 of funding support coupled with academic flexibility to help student athletes achieve their sporting and academic goals.
Applications are sought for current or prospective students competing in individual sports such as athletics or in small combination sports like doubles tennis.
Athletes competing in badminton, golf, hockey, judo, orienteering, squash, swimming, triathlon and women's football should not apply as these are core sports of the programme and applications are submitted directly by the sport's national governing body.
To be considered for a 2012-13 Winning Students Individual Scholarship, athletes should have attained the following, or demonstrated the potential to achieve:
- Top 25 at the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games or World Championships
- Top 15 at the European Championships or Commonwealth Games
- Top 5 at the World University Games or World University Championships
Scholars must also meet the general selection criteria, outlined at:
www.winningstudents-scotland.ac.uk/selection
The nomination process closes on 31 March 2012, and nomination forms can be submitted by the athlete or by the governing body of sport; the college or university on behalf of the athlete, but must carry a signature from all three parties to be considered.
Anyone not yet at college or university should provide proof of application (college) or a UCAS number (university).
Completed forms should be submitted by post to:
Jason Atkins
Winning Students Co-ordinator
University of Stirling
Gannochy Sports centre
Stirling, FK9 4LA
Representatives of the Winning Students Advisory Board will consider the nominated athletes and conditional offers will be made in May 2012.
Diabetes UK
Diabetes UK is the leading UK charity that cares for, connects with and campaigns on behalf of all people affected by and at risk of diabetes.
Unless we change the current trend – 8% of the population will have some form of diabetes by 2015. Diabetes UK is striving to address this and improve the lives of people with diabetes, and to work towards a future without the condition.
Could you help us by taking part in one of the events below?
Edinburgh Marathon (27 May 2012) – Run the Hairy Haggis Relay with friends, or run the full / half marathon! Click here to sign up now or for more info
Glasgow Women’s 10K ( 13 May 2012) or Glasgow Men’s 10k (17 June 2012) Click here to sign up now or for more info
Loch Ness Marathon (30 Sept 2012) - Run the 5K, 10K or full marathon! Click here to sign up now or for more info
Or if you fancy a different kind of challenge altogether...
Arran Bike N’ Hike (16 June 2012) - challenge yourself, friends, family and colleagues! Click here to sign up today or for more info
Student Matters Newsletter
This special newsletter for our learners features a Strike Plan Update, with background to the industrial action and answers to the most frequently asked questions.
Click to open Student Matters
Just Eat @ Food Hall (FSC)
Each day in the food hall we will be running a promotion open to all staff, students and public.
Just Eat Latest Deals
Change of Mobile Number
If any student has not advised MIS of their mobile number or has changed their mobile number since the start of term and has not notified MIS, they should do so now by emailing their full name and mobile number along with their course to QualityMIS@jameswatt.ac.uk
Announcement of College Merger
The Board of Management of James Watt College recently announced that it will be part of an exciting merger with Reid Kerr College and Clydebank College. Together we will create a new college to serve learners across the west of Scotland which will widen local access, deliver more streamlined learner choices, support business, improve life chances and invest in the local economy.
We have a bold and ambitious vision which will deliver the Government's regionalisation and reform agenda and encourage a more focused coming together of schools, businesses, universities and employers all working to ensure that we offer the best possible skills and learning opportunities for all our communities..... Opportunities which will lead to new jobs and skills for the Scottish economy.
We already have an established partnership in Ayrshire, which we value and which will be a strong component of this vision. The Board of Management remains fully committed to partnership working in Ayrshire and firmly believes that the new college will strengthen and enhance collaboration with Ayr and Kilmarnock Colleges to the benefit of the Ayrshire region and in particular to learners in North Ayrshire.
Equally, both James Watt College and Clydebank College have a strong presence in Argyll and enjoy a positive relationship with Argyll College. The new college will continue to grow the partnership in Argyll.
We see both of these partnerships, plus articulation and partnership opportunities with the Glasgow Colleges, adding value to the new college which we envisage will be greater than the sum of its parts.
The Board of Management is excited by the opportunities the merger will present to the learners, staff and communities currently served by James Watt College. The Board is also aware that there are sensitivities and concerns around job security and funding which will require consultation and careful discussion as we move forward.
We are confident that the quality of all our partnerships is such that we will work steadily and co-operatively to achieve a new, innovative and sustainable college for the west of Scotland. We very much look forward to 2012 being the beginning of an exciting and challenging phase in the 104 year history of James Watt College.
Commenting on the announcement of merger plans by James Watt, Reid Kerr and Clydebank Colleges Robert Foster, President of the Students' Association for the James Watt College North Ayrshire Campus said:
“The announcement of a merger will have a significant impact on students across the three campuses. A decision to merge will be beneficial to students at our campuses, but only if their input into the process is at the forefront. I would be less concerned about this merger proposal if it wasn't against the backdrop of a massive 20% cut to college funding. While I welcome the £15m in funding promised by the Scottish Government to help fund mergers, in the short-term they are often costly and this sum is a drop in the ocean compared to what it may cost across the sector. The Scottish Government and the principals of the three colleges will need to work with students to make sure that local access is protected during merge process. Students already face enough hardship without having to travel further for a course that was formerly a short distance away. This new college must also result in a well-funded and properly supported students' association to ensure student issues remain at the core of education decisions in the future. I welcome the inclusion of North Ayrshire Campus into the merger proposal as I believe our Students will have a greater ”voice” on the future development of this new college structure and It would be detrimental to the quality of the education they receive by splitting our college in two.”
Nik Eley, President of the Students’ Association for the James Watt College Inverclyde Campus commented:
“I feel that following the agenda proposed by the Scottish Government, the new merger between James Watt, Reid Kerr and Clydebank Colleges will help create a strong partnership within the west coast of Scotland working to develop a more efficient and effective experience for the student learner. It also allows the opportunity for the Student Associations of the colleges to develop a closer working relationship to ensure that the voice of the students is involved throughout the process and in to the future. It must be emphasised though that the students are put at the forefront of all decisions made during this process, and that a consolidated understanding of the economic difficulties which predominately dictate the choices a current or perspective student may take in deciding their path of education are taken fully into account, highlighting the newly proposed 5.9% increase in rail fairs. Students already face enough hardship without having to travel further for a course that was formerly a short distance away. Retaining local access is essential.”
Our Future Our Fight – Take action to protect colleges
www.ourfutureourfight.org
James Watt College Students Association, along with NUS Scotland, have launched
the Our Future Our Fight campaign to protect colleges across Scotland against the
devastating impact of the proposed cuts by the Scottish Government.
Take a minute to visit www.ourfutureourfight.org and sign up to the petition, which
lobbies MSPs to protect places, quality, student support and local access from the
cuts.
Whenever anyone signs up to the website an email is automatically sent to your MSPs
and they may get back to you with a response. We want to send 1000s of emails to
the MSPs and make them commit to protecting student places, education quality, student
support and local access.
Background
The Scottish Government is responsible for assigning how much of a budget education
in Scotland receives, a proportion of which goes to college education. In the last
draft budget, a proposed cut of over 20% has been announced; that’s £74 million
cut from Scottish education
A 20% cut could mean:
- Fewer teaching staff
- Fewer college places
- Local campuses and buildings being closed
We want to ensure this doesn’t happen; we want to protect education in Scotland
and protect what we value about our college.
What else can you do?
- Sign the online petition and pass the details on to friends, classmates and family.
- Post the www.ourfutureourfight.org link on your Facebook or Twitter profile, and
change your profile picture to the logo at the top. Get involved, sign up and protect
your education.
- Get in touch with Robert Foster rfoster@jameswatt.ac.uk
to find out how you can be part of the campaign on campus.
Get involved, sign up and protect your education.
BBB....Be a Befriender Buddy!
Who? Any James Watt student
What? Buddy up with students who just want someone to talk to
When? Lunch and breaktimes
How?Contact Shona McNicol or Frances Dempster smcnicol@jameswatt.ac.uk / fdempster@jameswatt.ac.uk