S.O.S –Supporting Other Students: the role of student library ambassadors at Southampton Solent University

Since March 2008, the library at Southampton Solent has been employing a team of students to act as ‘library ambassadors’. They provide alternative support to our users, particularly during periods when library staff are not on duty, such as during extended opening hours on bank holidays and late evenings. Ambassadors provide peer support covering library facilities and resources,as well as more technical issues (ICT, photocopying,binding). Overall they help to ensure that a high-quality learning environment is accessible throughout our full opening hour

On solving Ordinary Differential Equations using Gaussian Processes

We describe a set of Gaussian Process based approaches that can be used to solve non-linear Ordinary Differential Equations. We suggest an explicit probabilistic solver and two implicit methods, one analogous to Picard iteration and the other to gradient matching. All methods have greater accuracy than previously suggested Gaussian Process approaches. We also suggest a general approach that can yield error estimates from any standard ODE solver

Breaking the consensus: The politicisation of Maori affairs

This article takes issue with the claim made by Tremewan (2005a) that the New Zealand social sciences have been uncritical of neotraditionalist and culturalist trends in social policy. It points out that at least since the 1980s there has existed a significant body of social science literature critical of these trends. The article also takes issue with Tremewan’s attribution of increased political dissent in the area of Maori affairs to the culturalist ideological currents dominating social policy. The article provides an alternative explanation for this increase in political dissent by focusing upon the material conditions of existence and the opportunism of power-seeking politicians

Breaking New Ground: Pension Fund Bargaining at Eastern

[Excerpt] Traditionally, unions have exercised their economic power through the strike and the boycott to gain collective bargaining agreements and through the day-to-day enforcement of contract provisions. But the rapidly growing mobility of capital and the increased rate of introducing new technologies have increasingly neutralized the effectiveness of labor\u27s fundamental tools. Thus, it is crucial that unions begin to develop new tools to enhance the economic power of workers. This means that labor must redefine its role with respect to the economy and to the process of allocating resources in the society. Increasingly, unions are demanding plant closing protections, a voice in the introduction of new technologies, restrictions on subcontracting, commitments for reinvestment in existing facilities, and job security for current workers

Is There an Invisible Boundary Between the Races at UIUC (specifically FAR)?

This project aims to answer the following questions: 1) What is the role of perceptions of race in creating social space? 2) What interactions take place between the racial groups? 3) Are these interactions, or lack thereof, due to a subjective sense of community and students??? preconceived ideas of ethnicity? The author conducted seven interviews and did participant observation among students during meals and social programs. Results indicate that students form groups and occupy specific social spaces on the basis of race and ethnicity. Organized activities tend to exoticize other cultures and confirm certain stereotypes. In addition, this project also explores the causes and consequences of voyeurism, and the role of education in addressing problems of racial segregation and racism.unpublishe

Whose Job Is It, Anyway? Capital Strategies for Labor

[Excerpt] When corporate mergers and takeovers create massively debt-ridden new entities, with the resulting pressures to sell off assets, reduce costs (especially wages) and close marginal operations, it is the company\u27s workers and their communities who suffer. And, when corporate managers accept, and even encourage, huge levels of waste, or ignore obvious opportunities because they aren\u27t profitable enough, workers and their communities end up paying for the resulting inefficiencies and lost potential. I believe that a hallmark of the new economic era we seem to be entering will be that workers and unions will be forced to actively concern themselves with all aspects of an employer\u27s business — with the intricate details of corporate structure, finance, and operations. In the process, they will have to evolve a comprehensive approach to the process of production and distribution, to investment and financial issues, as well as to corporate organization and control. In short, they will need to begin learning how to organize economic resources themselves and evolve what have been called capital strategies