O studenta surdo-muta din Iasi ne da o lectie de viata impresionanta: „Poti face orice si poti ajunge orice daca iti propui si muncesti”
Elisabeta Stoica este fata care a reusit sa-si materializeze visurile in ciuda deficientei pe care aceasta o are • Tanara studenta de la Universitatea „George Enescu” face arta fara a putea vorbi sau auzi • Vrea sa devina un exemplu pentru toti surdo-mutii, acesta este motivul pentru care nu vrea sa paraseasca Iasul
Elisabeta Stoica, tanara in varsta de 22 de ani, s-a nascut surdo-muta, insa acest handicap nu a reusit sa o doboare ci, din contra, a ambitionat-o sa-si demonstreze ca poate ajunge sa faca toate activitatile pe care un om normal le face, daca nu la fel de bine, poate chiar mai bine. Elisabeta este studenta in anul trei la Universitatea de Arte „George Enescu„, la specializarea design vestimentar, iar visul ei de a-si deschide un atelier in care sa creeze hainele pe care si le doreste a aparut inca de cand era mica.
„De cand eram copil, am fost atrasa de moda. Coseam rochii pentru papusi, dar nu ma gandeam atunci ca voi reusi vreodata sa fac o afacere din asa ceva. Dar de cand am intrat la facultate, mi-am dat seama ca am mult potential si am inceput sa cred cu adevarat in talentul meu si am inceput sa investesc in visul meu. Este o poveste destul de complicata, am trecut prin foarte multe ca sa ajung acum aici si inca mai am de trecut prin mai multe”, spune Elisabeta.
Cum a reusit sa faca fata la facultate, fiind diferita de ceilalti
Studenta nu a avut interpret, asa cum ar fi trebuit, pentru ca a incercat sa se integreze in colectiv, sa nu fie privita de ceilalti cu alti ochi si, cel mai important, sa nu rada de ea.
„La facultate mi-a fost si inca imi este foarte greu. M-am simtit mereu singura si asta nu mi-a placut. Eu nu-i intelegeam pe profesori mereu si nu pricepeam ce vor sa-mi spuna. Faceam ce intelegeam eu si mereu erau nemultumiti si asta ma descuraja. Mi-as fi dorit sa pot face mai mult, sa pot intelege mai mult. Dar sunt autodidacta si asta ma ajuta. Cand ajung acasa, in fiecare zi, recitesc cursurile, ma uit de multe ori pe desene ca sa le pot intelege singura, pentru ca nu vreau sa am lipsuri. Daca nu am eu rabdare cu mine, nimeni nu o sa aiba. Am avut norocul sa cunosc o profesoara de la scoala de arte, de la ea am invatat cu adevarat ce inseamna moda, m-a invatat sa pictez, sa desenez, exact asa cum trebuie”, adauga tanara.
Sustinerea celor apropiati si curajul ei au facut-o sa-si depaseasca limitele
Cu toate ca oamenii din jurul ei erau reticenti in ceea ce priveste realizarile Elisabetei, familia i-a fost mereu aproape, incurajand-o si sustinand-o. Astfel, Elisabeta a accesat fondurile europene, iar cu ajutorul programului Start-Up Nation a primit suma necesara pentru a-si infiinta societatea si pentru a-si achizitiona cateva masini profesionale de cusut.
„Am fost sprijinita foarte mult de familie, mai ales de mama mea. Ea a fost cea care mi-a dat incredere in mine sa ma inscriu la facultate, sa nu renunt, chiar daca ma simt complexata din cauza problemelor mele. Dar acesta a fost si motivul pentru care am vrut sa fac arta, pentru ca era cel mai accesibil pentru mine, pentru ca se pune accentul pe desen si creatie, iar oamenii se inteleg prin ceea ce fac, nu este neaparat nevoie de cuvinte. Eu mi-am cumparat masinile de cusut performante, dar acum lucrez impreuna cu alte cateva persoane surdo-mute la modele de haine, la croiuri si ne informam foarte mult despre ce se poarta si cum am putea personaliza toate hainele in stilul nostru. Vrem sa fie ceva diferit, pentru ca noi suntem diferiti, chiar daca uneori ne vine greu sa acceptam asta. M-am gandit ca, pentru inceput, dupa ce ne organizam putin in ceea ce priveste stilul vestimentar pe care vrem sa-l promovam, sa ne facem o pagina online si sa ne vindem acolo creatiile”, spune studenta.
Desi a intampinat multe obstacole pe drumul catre succes, nu a renuntat
Elisabeta a fost de multe ori descurajata de atitudinea oamenilor din jurul ei, in special de cea a colegilor de facultate. Chiar daca a avut uneori tendinta sa renunte la planurile pe care le avea de indeplinit, de fiecare data regasea puterea sa continue. „M-am gandit de multe ori sa renunt, dar m-am uitat in jurul meu si mi-am spus ca asta nu este o optiune. Oamenii ca mine nu au curaj sa iasa in lume, le este frica de faptul ca vor fi judecati. Eu continui si pentru ei, sa vada ca se poate. De aceea le explic tuturor cunostintelor mele care nu au curaj, sa invete cat mai mult, sa se intereseze cat mai mult despre lumea in care traim toti, surzi, muti, fara nicio deficienta, pentru ca lumea nu se invarte numai in jurul nostru si trebuie sa ne adaptam. Persoanele cu deficiente de auz ar trebui sa caute si compania celor care aud, chiar daca sunt reticenti si nu ii inteleg. De la auzitori pot invata multe despre viata reala, sa nu ramana inchisi in comunitatea lor, sa aiba incredere si mult curaj. Poti face orice si poti ajunge orice daca iti propui si muncesti. Trebuie sa indrazneasca mai mult, sa nu se limiteze doar la terminarea liceului, pentru ca, orice curs sau scoala ii va ajuta”, adauga Elisabeta.
Faptul ca nu sunt destui logopezi reprezinta o problema pentru persoanele mute din Iasi
Numarul mic de logopezi constituie o problema pentru toti cei care au deficiente de comunicare, iar in scoli sau licee prea putini logopezi se ocupa de astfel de probleme. „Eu sunt si surda, si muta, dar unii sunt doar muti. Iar acestia ar trebui sa mearga o perioada lunga la logoped pentru a reusi sa invete sa pronunte cuvintele, sa le articuleze, sa lucreze la sonoritatea lor, pentru ca nu este imposibil. Am prieteni care s-au nascut muti si cu ajutorul logopezilor au invatat sa pronunte unele cuvinte, dupa mult exercitiu. De aceea, daca as fi auzit, mi-ar fi placut foarte mult sa pot ajuta copiii de gradinita sa-si dezvolte limbajul. Asta i-ar ajuta sa sa cunoasca si sa se descurce mai bine in lumea celor care aud”, adauga fata.
Desi strainatatea ar fi o alegere buna, Elisabeta vrea sa profeseze in tara
Cu toate ca in strainatate oamenii cu astfel de deficiente sunt mai bine integrati si nu sunt priviti atat de diferiti ca la noi, unii dintre ei prefera sa ramana aici pentru a educa societatea in asa fel incat toti oamenii cu handicap sa fie inclusi printre normali.
„Acum ma pregatesc pentru licenta, iar in toamna vreau sa obtin o bursa Erasmus. Vreau sa vad cum e strainatatea, cum sumt oamenii si vreau sa ma inspir din ceea ce voi cunoaste acolo. Dupa care, vreau sa ma intorc la Iasi sa ma inscriu la master si sa continui cu atelierul de creatie vestimentara. Eu am fost tratata ca un om care aude si cerintele au fost la fel. Si ma bucur, pentru ca asa am ajuns sa fac ceva, sa am curaj si sa cresc”, incheie Elisabeta.
Publicație : Bună Ziua Iași
Dosarele istoriei in studioul BZI LIVE! Editie spectaculoasa despre un subiect de maxima actualitate pentru toti romanii! Loviturile de stat
Vineri, 8 martie 2019, incepand cu ora 15.00 si doar in lumina reflectoarelor Studioului BZI LIVE demareaza sirul unor editii SPECIALE, de COLECTIE care pot fi intitulate sugestiv – DOSARELE ISTORIEI. Acestea le propun privitorilor fideli productiilor BZI LIVE, un serial – documentar ce vor avea in prim-plan detalii riguros prezentate, sincere si constructive ce tin de momente sensibile din Istoria noastra. Astfel, cu prilejul celei de-a CCLX-a editii (260 in cifre arabe – n.r.) pe zona culturala, educationala, istorica si academica, invitatul special care va deschide asemenea productii este istoricul si cercetatorul stiintific Corneliu Ciucanu din cadrul Centrului de Istorie si Civilizatie Europeana Iasi din cadrul Academiei Romane. Domnia sa va dialoga, argumentat si echilibrat pe un subiect de MAXIMA ACTUALITATE anume problematica „Loviturilor de Stat” din trecutul nostru modern ca natiune, plecand de la mijlocul secolului al XIX-lea si pana la mijlocul secolului al XX-lea. Pentru a-i familiariza pe privitorii productiilor BZI LIVE cu provocatoare dezbatere istorica propusa, de precizat ca in categoria „Loviturilor de Stat” confirmate de specialisti se pot mentiona urmatoarele evenimente: „12 februarie 1866: detronarea domnitorului Aexandru Ioan Cuza, 8 august 1870: lovitura nereusita a colonelului Candiano Popescu care, intocmind documente false, a declarat detronarea domnitorului Carol I si demararea, la Ploiesti, a unui proces revolutionar, care sa instaureze Republica, 8 iunie 1930: Carol II. In prim-plan este Printul Carol, tatal Regelui minor Mihai I, care aterizeaza in tara la 6 iunie 1930 ca simpla persoana particulara, iar, dupa doua zile, isi detroneaza fiul si se proclama Rege. Pe de 10 februarie 1938: tot Regele Carol al II-lea, dupa modelul Italiei si al Germaniei din epoca, a incercat instituirea unei dictaturi proprii. La 10 februarie 1938, a desfiintat partidele politice, asigurandu-si puterea suprema in stat. Urmeaza, pe 6 septembrie 1940: Maresalul Ion Antonescu. Atunci, in spatiul public era acuzat Regele Carol al II-lea pentru cedarea unor importante teritorii: Basarabia, Nordul Bucovinei, Nordul Ardealului, Cadrilaterul. Carol al II-lea a fost nevoit sa abdice in favoarea fiului sau Mihai I, care prelua pentru a doua oara Tronul, strict formal, fara prerogative, pe care Maresalul Ion Antonescu le-a preluat, odata cu rangul de „conducator”. Urmeaza 23 august 1944 cand Regele Mihai I isi reintra in drepturile legitime, deposedandu-l pe Maresaul Ion Antonescu de prerogative. Majestarea Sa inlocuieste intreg Guvernul, conducerea Armatei, a serviciilor de siguranta a Statului. Loviturile merg, apoi, la 6 martie 1945 si totul e legat de I.A. Vysinschi. Acesta este trimisul lui Iosif Stalin. Vysinschi, care l-a obligat pe Regele Mihai I sa schimbe Guvernul, in pofida Constitutiei, a condus la ajungerea la conducerea Romaniei a unui Guvern prosovietic, condus de dr. Petru Groza. Consecinta: predarea TOTALA a Romaniei catre Uniunea Republicilor Societice Socialiste (URSS). In final, pe 30 decembrie 1947: Petru Groza si Gheorghe Gheorghiu Dej actioneaza, in afara Constitutiei si in afara oricaror legi, si fac ca Regele Mihai I sa semneze un act de abdicare, dupa care proclama Republica. Avand in vedere toate acestea, cu siguranta mii de romani vor urmari aceasta editie BZI LIVE si vor constata ca, mai mult ca oricand, cele care vor fi evocate din perspectiva istorica, sunt mai actuale ca niciodata in societatea noastra contemporana.
Cine este istoricul si cercetatorul Corneliu Ciucanu
Absolvent al Facultatii de Istorie din Iasi – Universitatea Alexandru Ioan Cuza (UAIC), promotia 1996, istoricul si cercetatorul Corneliu Ciucanu a elaborat lucrarea de licenta cu tema: „Alegerile generale din 1937”. Ca parcurs profesional, acesta devine asistent de cercetare la Centrul de Istorie si Civilizatie Europeana (1995-1997), fiind avansat apoi cercetator stiintific (2000-2003). Din 2009 a devenit Doctor în Istorie la Facultatea de Istorie si Stiinte Politice a Universitatii Ovidius din Constanta, cu teza „Din istoria Dreptei românesti << 1918-1941 >>”. Domenii sale de interes sunt: Istoria contemporana a României, miscarile politice de Dreapta, politica si cultura în România interbelica, regimurile autoritare/totalitare, rezistenta armata anticomunista. Ca student, a fost preocupat si de arheologie, participând la sapaturile de la Histria si Stefanesti – Botosani. În perioada 1994 – 1996 a fost vicepresedinte al Ligii Studentilor din UAIC si presedinte al Cercului de Studii „Gh. Bratianu”. Între 1996 – 1998 a detinut functia de presedinte al Ligii Studentilor (LSUI) din Universitatea Alexandru Ioan Cuza din Iasi iar, în perioada 1998 – 2000, vicepresedinte al Senatului Ligii Studentilor din România.
Publicație : Bună Ziua Iași
Progress of female leadership stalls in world’s top universities
Analysis of THE World University Rankings data shows no progress in number of women leading highest-ranked institutions
The number of the world’s top universities that are led by women has remained stagnant in the past 12 months, following a decline the previous year, according to an analysis of Times Higher Education World University Rankings data.
Just 34 – or 17 per cent – of the top 200 universities in the latest 2019 ranking have a female leader, the same number as last year. In 2017, 36 (18 per cent) of the universities ranked in the top 200 of the global table were led by a woman.
South Africa is a new entry to the list, after Mamokgethi Phakeng became vice-chancellor of the University of Cape Town in July. The institution is the only African university in the top 200 of the ranking.
Sweden is second in the list of countries with the highest proportion of female leaders; of the five Swedish institutions that make the world top 200, three are led by women.
Meanwhile one of Spain’s two representatives – the Autonomous University of Barcelona – and four of the Netherlands’ 12-strong cohort have a female leader.
Switzerland, France, the UK and Australia are the only other countries that outperform the global average on the share of universities headed by women.
The US is still home to the highest number of female presidents (nine) in the analysis – although this figure has dropped by two in the past year – largely because of its high number of institutions in THE’s top 200. It accounts for just over a quarter (26 per cent) of female leaders at the top of the table, down from 32 per cent last year.
Meanwhile, seven of the 34 female leaders (21 per cent) are still based in the UK, including Louise Richardson, vice-chancellor of the world’s highest-ranked institution, the University of Oxford.
Of the 25 countries that feature in the top 200, 14 have no female university leaders in that group.
Top 10 universities led by women
| THE World University Rank 2019 | University | Country | University leader |
| 1 | University of Oxford | United Kingdom | Louise Richardson |
| 9 | Imperial College London | United Kingdom | Alice Gast |
| =12 | University of Pennsylvania | United States | Amy Gutmann |
| 15 | University of California, Berkeley | United States | Carol Christ |
| 19 | Cornell University | United States | Martha E. Pollack |
| 26 | London School of Economics and Political Science | United Kingdom | Minouche Shafik |
| 28 | University of Washington | United States | Ana Mari Cauce |
| 43 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | United States | Rebecca Blank |
| =44 | McGill University | Canada | Suzanne Fortier |
| 53 | Brown University | United States | Christina Paxson |
Note: The analysis was based on the university leader in post on 18 February 2019.
Publicație : The Times
‘Up to half’ of European papers to be open access under Plan S
Clarivate warns cost of article processing charges set to fall on funders
European countries signed up to Plan S can expect to have about half their total research output published in open access format, according to new analysis that offers a snapshot of the scheme’s potential global impact.
The Plan S Footprint: Implications for the Scholarly Publishing Landscape, published by research data analysts Clarivate, examines the extent to which existing publications comply with the guidelines for Plan S, under which participating funders will require all the research that they had supported to be made freely available at the point of publication from next January.
Plan S has so far won the support of 14 European national funders, the European Commission and three charitable funders, including the Wellcome Trust and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
While the papers funded by Plan S backers account for only about 6.4 per cent of total annual academic output, researchers found their impact to be much wider, with compliant papers racking up more citations on average, across all fields.
In molecular biology and genetics, for example, 2017 papers authored by one or more researchers supported by Plan S signatories received an average of 7.7 citations, compared with the total subject average of 4.7.
Papers that were funded by Plan S signatories were “well cited, published in high impact journals, and, often in journals from major publishing houses,” the paper concludes, adding that this would would “influence the publishing landscape”.
Breaking down the figures by country, researchers deduced that “some European countries would publish more than 40 per cent of their output as open access”, reaching 50 per cent where the main national funder – for instance the research councils that form UK Research and Innovation – is a Plan S supporter.
The report’s findings reflect positively on the scope of Plan S, challenging critics’ perceptions that the initiative will not manage to obtain a global reach. But the findings also point to potential challenges ahead for researchers, journals and publishers attempting to comply with the scheme.
“Hybrid” journals that offer a mix of subscription-only and open access papers will not be compliant, for example, and Plan S funders have set a three-year timeframe for this model to be phased out.
The paper estimates that about 90,000 papers funded by Plan S supporters which are currently published in hybrid or subscription journals would need to be “rehoused” if the titles did not flip to full open access.
“The relocation of content to open access titles would represent a 29 per cent overall movement in the volume of well-cited papers in the existing compliant venues,” the researchers add, which “could be disruptive in some subjects, and suitable compliant venues are not always available”.
Furthermore, researchers estimate the cost of such a movement at around €150 million (£128 million). ”Meeting these costs will fall on research funders” through article processing charges, they say. “It is not evident whether marginal resources are available to support all affected authors.”
Meanwhile, Springer Nature has said that articles published in selected journals since November 2017 will be made available for download on authors’ ResearchGate profiles – a move that the publisher said would “remove barriers” to access and support the sharing of articles off-campus.
With 623 of its 2,923 titles available through full open access, Springer Nature faces increasing pressure to adapt its policies as the deadline for Plan S implementation approaches. A spokeswoman for the publisher said that the timing was “purely coincidental”.
Publicație : The Times
International Women’s Day: will the drive for gender equity get past institutional resistance?
On International Women’s Day, Jocalyn Clark and Imogen Coe ask why universities have been so slow to adopt meaningful change to improve gender representation
A vast body of evidence shows that utilising all human capital – a country’s most valuable resource – by removing barriers to women’s participation would lead to advances and improvements for all members of society.
But it remains a fact that less than a third of the world’s researchers and fewer than 10 per cent of institutional leaders are women. More and more academic scholarship is calling attention to the stark inequities that this gender bias generates.
Whether a business case for effectiveness, a human rights argument, or a moral imperative, the fight for gender equity to unleash the talent, potential and participation of women in societies has never been stronger.
However, higher education institutions are noticeably slow to act. Publicly funded institutions, many of which have produced evidence in favour of gender equity, are typically antiquated, hierarchical structures that are derived from medieval models of higher learning. They are thus structurally resistant (and also resilient) to change – whether internally or externally driven.
Worse, the too slow rate of integration of gender equity by institutions reflects a failure in the responsibility of higher education to deliver on the expectations of the public funding that supports them.
Why does this resistance continue? It seems there continues to be baggage that implies structural change creating fairness and representation results in loss. Too often, we hear that excellence and equity are mutually exclusive.
This defies evidence showing the meritocracy to be a myth, and logic showing mediocrity to be a consequence of the status quo.
There is still resistance within institutions, from all members, as to the depth and breadth of scholarship in support of the value to all of gender equity. Gender stereotypes abound, reinforced in the media and by marketing, which limit the potential of both boys and girls, disenfranchising young people.
And within professional faculty, too few male leaders are expected to know and act on the evidence for gender equality. For women who do, they are branded activists not leaders. The fear of rocking the boat, having difficult conversations, or a perception of special pleading further dissuades action.
But gender inequality is not an expression of biology or behaviour. In fact, it’s wholly unrelated to ability and instead a function of systemic factors including bias, organisational constraints and organisational culture.
And it can’t be a result of the frequently cited ‘pipeline problem’ when disadvantages for women, like the gender pay gap, are shown to be unexplained by seniority, career breaks, and part-time work; and when discrimination exists against women at every stage of professional life. It is unconducive institutional environments that push women out of the pipeline.
Common excuses from institutions that the necessary structural change is too difficult are equally unacceptable. Many evidence-based approaches to organisational change have been described and actioned in other sectors. These include legislation, allyship, leadership by scientific societies, professional development of core competencies in equity principles and inclusive leadership.
And it is organisational change – rather than individual-level interventions like mentoring, confidence-building, and networking designed to ‘fix’ women – that will create durable and sustainable improvements in gender equality.
We acknowledge that progress has been made by institutions of higher education in the development of charters and guiding principles towards gender equality, collective shared goals, and commitments to equity, diversity and inclusion. These include initiatives like Athena Swan in the UK, SEA Change in the US, and other equity, diversity, and inclusion pledges.
Such charters and principles can set out expectations and provide a framework for accountability. But they now make the gulf between the good words and real action even more obvious.
Universities have made massive contributions from research knowledge generation to the advancement of public health, medicine, science, and policy.
Findings generated by publicly funded institutions have improved the quality of life for many: from antibiotics to vaccines to the sanitation revolution. Based on scientific evidence, we recommend individuals get vaccinated. We do not continue to use posies and poultices simply because, “we have always done it this way”, “we don’t want to offend anyone by changing the way we do things”, or “we would prefer to trust opinion over data”.
The same is true when it comes to gender equity. Based on the best available evidence, now is the time to change what we are doing.
Institutions, which are made up of people – flawed, complex human beings – need to treat gender equity integration as an innovation challenge. The time for discussing whether equality should be pursued is over and we must now turn to experimentation and innovation, testing different strategies.
This means being open to failure and trying a variety of strategies to create gender inclusive workplace cultures that shift norms, value diversity and make people and the organisation accountable.
Publicație : The Times
University drop out rates are worse among disadvantaged students, official data shows
University drop out rates are worse among disadvantaged students compared to their wealthier peers, official data shows.
Damian Hinds, the education secretary, has warned that universities must step up their efforts to tackle the “damaging” drop out rates, adding that the regulator will intervene if they fail to do so.
In 2016/17, 8.8 per cent of the most disadvantaged students failed to complete their degrees, up from 8.6 per cent the previous year, according to figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa).
Meanwhile, the proportion of all students dropping out of university during the same two year period declined from 6.4 per cent to 6.3 per cent.
London Metropolitan University had the highest drop out rate of all, with almost one in five students (18.6 per cent) failing to complete their degree. It was followed by Bolton University (15.4 per cent) and then Bedfordshire University (15.2 per cent).
Cambridge and Oxford universities had the lowest drop out rates, with one per cent and 1.2 per cent respectively.
Universities are under increasing pressure to admit more students from poor backgrounds.
Initiatives include bursaries, extra tutoring and support, and giving lower offers to those coming from state schools But students from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to drop out of university than their wealthier peers for a variety of possible reasons.
They are less likely to have family or friends who went to university meaning they may not know what to expect, and they may struggle academically if they have gone to a school that do not usually send pupils on to higher education.
Mr Hinds said that while universities have made “huge progress” in admitting more from students from disadvantaged backgrounds, this is undermined by the increased drop out rates.
“Universities need to look at these statistics and take action to reduce drop-out rates,” he said.
“If they don’t, we have given the Office for Students power to take action. I expect them to do that and challenge institutions to look at what support they can offer – particularly to disadvantaged and underrepresented groups – to turn these figures around.”
He said that universities with the highest drop-out rates that their figures give the impression that they are more interested in getting “bums on seats” than offering support for students throughout their degree.
Chris Millward, director for fair access and participation at the Office for Students, said: „We know that students from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to complete their studies than their more advantaged peers.
„Where universities are not making enough progress in this area, we will expect them to turn the situation around to ensure that higher education’s life changing benefits can be realised.”
Publicație : The Telegraph
Poorer students now even more likely to drop out of university than richer peers
Institutions need to prioritise all-round support for students rather than ‘bums on seats’, experts say
Students from disadvantaged backgrounds are even more likely to give up their university courses within 12 months than their more advantaged peers, official statistics suggest.
The gap in drop-out rates between rich and poor students under 21 in UK universities has widened in the space of a year, figures released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) show.
In some universities, more than a fifth of young students from the most disadvantaged social backgrounds dropped out in their first year, the statistics for 2016-17 show.
Donald Parish Jr, right, confronts Electrical and Computer Engineering senior Dewayne Perry over a controversial bake sale on The University of Texas campus in Austin, Texas. The Young Conservatives of Texas chapter at the University of Texas-Austin sparked the protest with an affirmative action bake sale. The club encouraged students to buy a cookie and talk about the disastrous policy that is affirmative action
AP
The new data reveals 8.8 per cent of disadvantaged students in 2017 did not appear as second year students in the autumn, compared to 6 per cent of students from more advantaged backgrounds.
The gap has widened by 0.3 percentage points since 2016 where 8.6 per cent of poorer students dropped out of university in their first year compared to 6.1 per cent of their better-off peers.
The University of Bolton saw the highest proportion of disadvantaged students drop out in their first year, with 21.3 per cent quitting.
A total of 13.3 per cent students from affluent backgrounds dropped out.
Nationally, 6.3 per cent of full-time students under the age of 21 taking their first degree did not continue their studies after their first year, down 0.1 percentage points on last year.
For all students, London Metropolitan University had the highest drop-out rate at 18.6 per cent.
The figures come as the government launched a new task force to help universities support students with the challenges of starting higher education – including mental health problems.
Mr Hinds has called on universities to do more to cut “damaging” drop-out rates.
He said: “We have made huge progress in ensuring universities are open to all, with record rates of disadvantaged and underrepresented groups in higher education, but every step we make on access is undermined if a larger number of students then drop out of their courses. No student starts university thinking they are going to drop out and, whilst in individual circumstances that may be the right thing, it is important that all students feel supported to do their best – both academically and in a pastoral sense.”
Rachel Hewitt, director of policy and advocacy at think tank Higher Education Policy Institute, said the widening gap “could be down to some universities recruiting students at a rate which leaves them not able to offer them the levels of support required for all students”.
She added: “More students from diverse backgrounds starting at university should be welcome, but they are likely to need higher levels of support during their studies, and universities must ensure they are equipped to provide this level of support as part of their work in widening participation.”
The Office for Students (OfS), the higher education regulator, has the power to challenge institutions that do not offer support needed to help all students complete and succeed in their studies.
Chris Millward, director for fair access and participation at the OfS, said: “Despite the expansion of higher education in England, our continuation rates remain high relative to other countries. We should not, though, let a positive national picture mask the situation at some universities and other higher education providers where non-continuation rates are higher than students deserve.”
A Universities UK spokesperson said: “Universities are committed to widening access to higher education and ensuring students from all backgrounds can succeed and progress. This includes supporting students to achieve meaningful positive outcomes beyond just getting into university. It is welcome to see this commitment being reflected in the fact non-continuation rates of young full-time degree entrants has fallen slightly. However we know this is still an issue and institutions must continue to focus on this as part of their access and participation targets.”
Publicație : The Independent
Être une fille en école d’ingénieurs ou de jeux vidéo: «Il ne faut pas se laisser faire»
Comment les jeunes filles parviennent à se faire une place dans des écoles où les garçons sont largement majoritaires? Si elles sont de plus en plus nombreuses dans les écoles d’ingénieurs (27 % en 2017 contre 20 % en 1991), les filles se concentrent dans les écoles d’agronomie (63 % à AgroParisTech). Dans les sciences dures (math, physique, info), les femmes peinent à faire leur place: 8% en sciences à l’ENS Ulm (chiffres 2013), 17 % à l’École polytechnique, 19% à CentraleSupélec Paris (selon L’Etudiant). Et dans les écoles de développeurs et de jeux vidéo, elles ne sont qu’une poignée par promotion, entre 5 et 10 % en moyenne. Comment vivent-elles la situation?
Quand j’ai annoncé à ma conseillère d’orientation que je voulais travailler dans l’informatique, elle a essayé de m’en dissuader en disant que c’était un milieu trop masculin», se souvient Dipty Chander, qui termine sa
«Quand je suis arrivée à l’Epitech pour la «piscine», j’ai d’abord pensé que les autres filles étaient dans d’autres groupes»Dipty, étudiante à Epitech
cinquième année à Epitech . Elle fait partie de la dizaine de filles de sa promotion, sur 500 étudiants au total. Pour Margaux*, qui vient de terminer sa quatrième année à l’École polytechnique, les filles qui intègrent l’école ont déjà un profil «particulier»: elles ont choisi de faire une classe préparatoire scientifique, puis l’École polytechnique. Autrement dit, des filières dans lesquelles les filles sont très minoritaires. «Dans les filières scientifiques, on a tendance à orienter davantage les filles vers la biologie, et les garçons vers l’informatique par exemple», confirme Sarah*, entrée à l’Ecole 42 après avoir passé la période de test de la «piscine» (phase de sélection, ndlr).
Un humour «politiquement incorrect»
Le jour de la rentrée, la faible proportion de femmes dans l’école peut être un choc. «Quand je suis arrivée à l’Epitech pour la «piscine», j’ai d’abord pensé que les autres filles étaient dans d’autres groupes. Très vite, je me suis rendu compte qu’il n’y en avait en fait que très peu», raconte Dipty. Les étudiantes doivent ensuite s’intégrer dans une promotion où elles sont minoritaires. Cela passe par la participation à des conversations dans lesquelles elles ne sont pas toujours les bienvenues.
«Sur Discord (une messagerie instantanée, ndlr), on a une grande conversation de groupe sur laquelle on partage beaucoup de «memes» (images virales à caractère humoristique, ndlr). C’est souvent ‘politiquement incorrect’, avec des blagues parfois lourdes sur les femmes», raconte Sarah. Idem pour Lauriana, en troisième année en filière jeux vidéo à Lisaa, qui passe essentiellement ses journées avec un groupe de quatre garçons. «Souvent, je me fais interrompre, du coup je ne dis pas grand-chose. Je ne veux pas les embêter et j’ai peur de parler dans le vide», relate-t-elle. Un problème auquel n’a pas été confrontée Margaux à l’Ecole Polytechnique, où elle a constaté «une vraie écoute de tout le monde». «Je n’aime pas trop les blagues vaseuses, je l’ai vite fait comprendre. Ils n’en faisaient pas en ma présence», affirme-t-elle.
«Taper du poing sur la table»
Comment faire ses preuves dans un environnement traditionnellement considéré comme «masculin» Contrairement à Margaux, qui a plusieurs fois pris la tête de projets de groupe, Sarah a remarqué une forme de «paternalisme» chez ses camarades masculins à 42. Elle raconte: «Une fois, j’ai dû relire le travail d’un étudiant
« Je me sens moins obligée de porter une robe ou de me maquiller pour paraître féminine. Le but, c’est presque de mettre les vêtements les plus moches possible »Clara, étudiante à Centrale Supélec
moins expérimenté que moi. Il ne me prenait pas au sérieux, et ne comprenait pas que je puisse lui donner des conseils». «Lors des travaux de groupe, il ne faut pas se laisser faire, et ne pas hésiter à taper du poing sur la table pour se faire entendre», explique Dipty. Sa technique est d’être «très sèche», mais aussi d’expliquer fermement et concrètement quels sont les apports de sa proposition. Ainsi, elle évite d’être trop remise en question.
«Les garçons se contentent de dire ‘on fait ça’, ils ont moins à se justifier», raconte Dipty. Une atmosphère qui laisse donc peu de place à la timidité. L’association présidée par Dipty au sein d’Epitech , E-mma, a d’ailleurs mis en place un système de «marrainage»: des étudiantes plus âgées prennent sous leur aile les filles de première année pour leur donner des conseils.
Pour gagner en légitimité, une autre «stratégie» consiste à travailler davantage, nous confie Sarah. «À 42, il y a une rumeur selon laquelle les femmes seraient admises plus facilement que les garçons. Et donc moins légitimes. Du coup, nous avons une pression supplémentaire pour prouver que notre place est ici», explique-t-elle. C’est aussi le cas de Lauriana, qui est l’une des meilleures de sa classe.
«J’ai été agréablement surprise par des étudiants très bienveillants, qui comprennent l’enjeu de la mixité dans l’école»Sarah, étudiante à l’école 42
Mais être en minorité n’est pas toujours négatif. «J’ai été agréablement surprise par des étudiants très bienveillants, qui comprennent l’enjeu de la mixité dans l’école, et plus largement dans le secteur de la tech», confie Sarah. De son côté, Dipty Chander affirme avoir trouvé beaucoup de soutien auprès de l’équipe pédagogique d’Epitech, et notamment du directeur, qui sanctionne les comportements déplacés des hommes. «On a beaucoup de chance de ce côté-là», reconnaît-elle.
Enfin, il y a également des aspects positifs à cet environnement masculin, comme le souligne Margaux: «On se fait de très bons amis avec qui les conversations sont parfois différentes et complémentaires de celles qu’on peut avoir entre filles, et c’est une richesse». De son côté, Clara*, à CentraleSupélec, se sent aussi plus libre de s’habiller comme elle l’entend. «Je me sens moins obligée de porter une robe ou de me maquiller pour paraître féminine. Le but, c’est presque de mettre les vêtements les plus moches possible», s’amuse-t-elle.
Publicație : Le Figaro
Les secrets d’un entretien de motivation réussi pour intégrer une grande école
Souvent perçu comme un supplice pour les candidats peu expérimentés, l’entretien de motivation pour intégrer une école ou un master est un élément capital. Voici quatre principes pour trouver le bon dosage.
Faites preuve d’humilité
Qu’il soit issu d’un grand lycée parisien ou originaire de province, le candidat devra faire preuve de modestie. Dominique Le Meur, directrice de Made in de Sainte-Marie de Lyon est formelle: «Un étudiant qui a tout vu et tout entendu sera sévèrement jugé par le jury, qui recherche d’abord des individus valorisant leur vraie personnalité sans la tartiner de couches de vernis. Ce qui nous touche avant tout est l’épaisseur humaine.»
Évoquer ses échecs
Plutôt que de vanter vos qualités (réelles, on n’en doute pas), il est plus intelligent de parler de vos échecs: expliquez ce qu’ils vous ont enseigné. Exemple: vous avez échoué au bac une première fois ; montrez en quoi le redoublement vous a permis de revoir vos méthodes de travail et de prendre du recul par rapport à vous-même.
Soyez factuel et concret
Quoi que vous disiez, l’essentiel est d’apporter des éléments de preuve. «Le candidat devra démontrer que sa motivation dépasse les limites d’un simple rêve, qu’elle prend racine dans une vocation affirmée», précise Didier Lançon, directeur des études à l’EPF, une école d’ingénieurs. Exemple: vous vous passionnez pour l’aéronautique: parlez de vos cours de pilotage (s’ils existent) ou, au moins, expliquez que vous êtes abonné à des revues spécialisées.
Attention au mensonge.
N’hésitez pas à parler de vos activités extrascolaires. Elles montrent votre capacité d’engagement et de votre curiosité. Rassurez-vous, pas besoin d’avoir fait le tour du monde en tandem à 20 ans pour impressionner le jury! Celui-ci a bien conscience que vos voyages et vos loisirs dépendent souvent de votre milieu social. Et il ne vous en tiendra jamais rigueur. Pas la peine de vous inventer une fausse passion dans le but de l’impressionner. Vous risquez surtout de vous trahir en cours d’entretien. Et c’est là que vous perdrez des points.
Évitez les discours formatés
Bannissez le «blabla», les poncifs, les phrases toutes faites et les formules naïves du genre: «Je veux intégrer cette école d’ingénieurs parce que j’aime les sciences», ou: «Je veux faire du marketing parce que je raffole des produits de luxe». On attend du candidat qu’il soit le plus sincère possible, non qu’il dise ce qu’il croit qu’on a envie de l’entendre dire.
Profils atypiques: oui, à condition d’expliquer vos choix!
Peu importe que votre parcours soit atypique ou que vous ayez hésité entre un cursus commercial et une carrière artistique, pourvu que vous puissiez l’expliquer. Le jury est ouvert à tous les “profils“. Ce qu’il cherche, ce sont d’abord les tempéraments de nature à donner du sens à une vie, les individualités capables d’expliquer avec un minimum de conviction la façon dont leurs choix se sont construits, au-delà des simples options académiques.
Langage enfantin à proscrire
Autre piège à éviter: cette tendance à dire que vous voulez faire une école pour faire plaisir à papa – maman. Certes, on n’attend pas de vous d’avoir en tête un projet de carrière parfaitement défini. Mais on vous demande quand même un minimum de réflexion personnelle.
Être à l’aise dans sa tenue
Si le jury guette une lueur dans vos yeux, un pétillement de votre regard, indices de votre capacité à vous motiver, il n’en est pas moins sensible à votre apparence physique: tenue, coiffure, maquillage, rien ne doit être laissé au hasard. La règle d’or: se sentir à l’aise dans ses vêtements. Si le costard-cravate est souvent de rigueur, on préférera parfois un candidat habillé de façon plus décontractée. Sans aller jusqu’au jean-basket, on souffre d’assister à une lutte contre un col trop serré tout le long de l’entretien.
Etre mesuré
Quant à l’attitude générale, encore une fois, il faut faire preuve d’une assurance mesurée. Le jury déteste l’arrogance et rappelons-le, un entretien de motivation n’est pas un entretien d’embauche. Évitez également le registre de la séduction, ainsi que l’affichage de convictions politiques.
Regardez-le dans les yeux
Tenez-vous droit, écoutez attentivement, au besoin reformulez la question, et regardez votre interlocuteur dans les yeux. Pas de chewing-gum ni de mains dans les poches. Enfin, est-il besoin de le préciser: arrivez à l’heure. C’est la moindre des politesses.
Publicație : Le Figaro