Views

Views is your new monthly newsletter. Here you can find out information about clubs, events, trips, workshops & much more at Epping Forest College. This is your newsletter and we want you to have your say. If you want to advertise or promote anything send us an email to asamad@efc.ac.uk / bsmith@efc.ac.uk or come and see us in the base office on the street.

A very warm welcome to the first issue of The Views. This is a monthly publication that will keep you informed of upcoming events and news about the College life. Like many of you I am new to the College. I started at the beginning of this academic year and have already been fortunate to meet with so many of you in your classrooms or around the College. The main focus for us is to ensure you are supported fully in your chosen subject to maximise your opportunity for success and progression. To this end you have an army of academic and support staff to work with you to achieve this.

I will be very interested in your views about our College as I plan its transformation for future. You can use snapchat, instagram, Twitter or facebook to let me know what you think and how you are enjoying your time at the College. Or share your opinions about what you would like or dislike about your experience by emailing future@efc.ac.uk. I am pleased to see that so many of you use the Fab/Drab boards around the College to share your opinions.

Epping Forest College is your college and we are proud that you have chosen to continue your studies with us. I wish you every success throughout this academic year and hope to hear from you soon.

Vote for your Student Union. Campaigning is taking place throughout this week and winners of the 2016 Student Union will be announced Monday 17th October. keep an eye out for the posters displayed around the college and on the screens. We will be having a campaigning event on the street on the 10th of October at 12:30.

Click the link below to cast your vote https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe7qNDgds7z-w5w_Z3rhKKpqF_4HR_xnqTPPtJkuXUW19E0kw/viewform

“This is about what you want! Unlike other presidential candidates who simply want to impose their will on you; I would like to carry out your wishes. I want to work for you and go above and beyond for you. I’m the only candidate that has spent, and will continue to spend, time in all of our departments listening to, and understanding, what is important to you and I’m the only candidate who can truly say that I am motivated by a genuine desire to help you have the best experience at Epping Forest College. Come and talk to me and I’ll explain more about how I’ll be the change that fights for you!”

Your Fabs and Drabs will be listed on Views every issue so keep an eye out for the responses and make sure you continue to voice your concerns and appraisal.

STUDENTS

DRABS

Enrolment

- Enrolment took too long to get through (x4)

The enrolment format was different this year to last year. Your feedback is very much appreciated and this will be taken into consideration for future enrolment periods.

Air conditioning/Temperature of rooms

- No air con, rooms are too hot (x12)

- Put the heating on, us girls are freezing (x1)

Forty fans were ordered and distributed to classrooms without air conditioning to try and alleviate the issues with the temperature. If your classroom has no air conditioning and has not been supplied with a fan, please contact us directly and we will request one to be supplied.

Wi-Fi

- Wi-Fi is down (x3)

The new Wi-Fi network is called Eduroam. This can be located in the network settings on your laptops, mobiles etc. The username is your email address and password is your network password (same login you use to log on to the college PC’s).

Seating

- Need chairs on 2nd floor (x3)

- More seating areas (x8)

- Nowhere to sit at lunch

- Waiting with heavy equipment and nowhere to sit before lesson (x2)

- Could you please put seats so we don’t have to sit on the floor and then get shouted at?

The seating was removed from Level 2 due to noise levels interrupting classes that are held near that area. There is seating available in The Street, Refectory and outside. All areas can be used in your breaks and at lunchtime.

Uniform

- That we have to wear uniform (x5)

We decided to introduce uniforms to certain departments to prepare students for work. Areas such Access to Nursing, Business, Health and Social Care, Beauty and Travel & Tourism are industries that are very uniform based. When in a work placement in these industries you would be expected to wear a uniform. We feel that this not only represents students in a professional manner it also represents the college in a professional manner. Dress for success.

Timetables

- Only in College for a maximum of three days

If you would like to increase your hours spent in College, there are many educational activities that you can take part in. Speak with us to find out more information.

- Inaccurate timetables (x2)

Please contact us directly with information of your course and your timetable concerns and we will follow this up with your course leader.

- Change our 5-hour break in Secretarial (X5)

This issue has been raised with the Secretarial Curriculum Manager and will be followed up.

- My timetable is not good. I come in on my day off for Maths at 1:30 – 3 when nobody else does. Big problem. (Business)

Please contact us directly with information of your course and your timetable concerns and we will follow this up with your course leader.

- Late nights (9pm finish)

Some students, such as Hair & Beauty students are required to work late in the Inspire salon. This is to provide a service to customers and gain experience of working in a full time salon.

- Work experience hours aren’t clear enough and they clash with week before exams. We need to focus and study at this time.

Please contact us directly with information of your course and your timetable concerns and we will follow this up with your course leader.

ILT/Printers/Laptops etc.

- Brand new mac’s in 215 – crash and freeze, lose work and corrupt our files.

- I can’t seem to get through a single lesson without something going wrong with a copier/projector/mac/pc/laptop

- Laptops are slow

- Taken over 3 weeks to add print credit to systems!

- No paper in the printer

- Online diary

All of the above issues have been reported to the ILT Helpdesk and will be followed up.

Access

- Not allowed to be on the 4th floor if not in a lesson

- Let our badges open the door to the salons, it looks bad us waiting outside

- Sort out doors and waiting outside (X3)

- Not being able to get into the salons with our ID badges anymore

Access to areas such as Construction, Motor Vehicle and Hair and Beauty has been restricted to minimise the risk of health and safety issues.

Class sizes

- No splitting the classes

- Classes are too big

If you can be more specific with these issues, we can contact the correct staff members to follow up.

Staff

- Security guards are rude

- Security staff using own mobile phones

- Members of staff answer their phones whilst in their office, empty their voicemails and put their phone on divert

Please contact us directly with more specific information i.e. staff member names and departments.

Facilities

- Lockers have been vandalised already

Please contact us with the location of these lockers and we will pass this information to Estates to follow up.

- Have not got a new locker when I paid £20 for an old one

Please let us know which department this is and we will follow this up with the Curriculum Manager.

- No activities around college during our breaks

There are many educational activities around college during break times. Please contact us directly to find out more information.

- Water is not cold

Chilled water can be purchased from the Refectory and the pods at Reception and The Street.

- No soap in soap dispensers

Once again ACER will be holding a competition for college design students to design an electronic Christmas card for ACER to use. There will be a prize of £100 for the winning design.

Can you please let Christine (christine.stewart@acer.ac.uk ) know as soon as possible if your College would be interested in taking part and who she should contact in order that she can let them have the guidelines for the design.

The competition will open on Monday 17 October and will close at 5pm on Friday 11 November.

If you have any friends in Secondary School, or Siblings looking to attend college next September then bring them along this coming Saturday to our first 2016/17 Open Day, 10am until midday.