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Things to know this week - 1 July 2024: Summer update

Posted on 1 July 2024

Welcome to your undergraduate student summer news summary.

UoY community update

Responding to the conflict in Israel and Gaza
Following on from the Vice-Chancellor's email to all students and staff, we've updated our web page about our response to the conflict to include more recent detail about the actions we're taking.

1. Fraud alert: fake scams targeting international students

We’ve been made aware of sophisticated scams currently targeting international students in the UK, including at York.

  • A caller claiming to be from the student’s embassy informs them that they are a suspect in a crime in their home country, that their UK visa is at risk and they need to ‘pay bail’ in order to remain in the UK.
  • A caller claiming to be from UKVI advises that the student's BRP has been cancelled and arrangements have been made for them to leave the UK. Some students are asked to press a key to be put through to a different department.

The scams are extremely convincing. If you think that you or one of your friends has been targeted by scammers, please contact the Student Hub as soon as possible and protect yourself by finding out the tell-tale signs of a scam.

2. Summer wellbeing: enter our photography competition

Connecting with nature has many benefits, including reducing anxiety, getting better sleep and improving concentration. To encourage you to get out and about, we are holding a summer photography competition. You could win a signed copy of the award-winning nature memoir 'The Flow' by Amy Jane Beer, plus a £25 Amazon voucher. We’ll also use the best photos (fully credited) in student support areas to provide a welcoming atmosphere for students seeking help.

3. We need you! Help guide our work on student wellbeing

Researchers in Health Sciences are aiming to develop a strategy that will make it easier for students to access relevant support for their wellbeing. They are looking for workshop participants to give their feedback on ideas from their research. Each participant will receive a £25 shopping voucher for each workshop they attend. Find out how you can take part in our wellbeing research.

4. Student Support Plans (SSP) project update

Huge thanks to everyone who has sent in comments and ideas to the Student Support Plan (SSP) Project Team so far -  we’re making sure they’re all included in our project plan. Please continue to send questions, ideas or feedback about SSPs and keep track of the Student Support Plan project.

5. Update on University finances

UK funding for higher education continues to be very challenging and, like many other universities, we continue to face increasing costs. This week we have updated staff on the University's latest financial forecast, and next steps. Find out more information on what this means for staff and students.

Offers, competitions and paid opportunities

Log on to Handshake, our careers platform, for jobs and opportunities.

Student news

Things to know this week is produced and distributed by the University's Internal Communications Team. Please email any feedback to university-internal-comms@york.ac.uk.