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Petition Tag - degree
Help us fight SUSI and get our courses/college recognised as eligible for student grants!
Although the issue of degree students not receiving grants has been raised over the last two years, students on the Media Production Management and Animation Degrees are NOT currently awarded grants and this won’t change unless we get your help.
Students on these courses this year are simply being fobbed off by SUSI (tendered to City of Dublin VEC) with some sample reasons for ineligibility including “course not approved – foundation course” and “course not approved – private college” both of which are incorrect. The degrees are accredited by Dublin City University and Dundee University respectively and are administered by BCFE - which is under the auspices of City of Dublin VEC. The City of Dublin VEC states that “we believe that education should be available and accessible to all...” However, without maintenance grants this is not going to be the case for many current and future students of BCFE that a blanket ban on receiving said grant affects.
2. Petition to Receive University Degree without Delay from Memorial University of Newfoundland 
Each year universities such as Memorial University of Newfoundland hold Spring and Fall Convocations. While convocation can be an enjoyable time for students and family to gather during this ceremony it poses an inconvenience for students completing their degrees at the end of the Fall semester (December).
Students who may have met all the academic requirements and paid all outstanding fees still have to wait until Spring Convocation (Approximately 5 months) to receive their parchment.
According to Memorial University Regulations, section 49 of the Memorial University Act:
"The Chancellor shall be the Chairperson of Convocation and all degrees shall be conferred by him or her."
Basically put, you have to wait until the university's Chancellor give you your parchment.
However, students seeking employment and wishing to go overseas often require an original degree as a requirement of their employer or the foreign government.
Some universities agree to give you a "Pre-convocation Diploma" which is basically a parchment much the same as a degree to take the place of your actual degree, pending convocation.
If any university is going to go through the trouble of creating a "Pre-convocation" diploma then why can't they simple give students their degrees in advance of convocation?
If students have met completed the academic requirements for their degree and paid all fees associated with their education they have aright to receive their degree without delay.
As a representative from Memorial University's Registrar's Office stated in a recent email (December 8, 2010 2:50 PM), paraphrasing:
"it is my view that the process of conferring degrees at Memorial is not a regulation but stems from a longstanding practice or custom in place at universities generally"
Not a regulation but a tradition, and one that needs to change!
3. Introduction of teaching program at UniSA Whyalla Campus
There is a need and opportunity for the University of South Australia to offer a teaching degree in Whyalla. This opportunity will address the critical skills shortage in the area of teaching, especially in regional and rural areas of South Australia, ( the Electorate of Grey) Teachers are of the utmost importance to the future of our society, and we believe and are concerned about the educational disadvantage faced by families and students, in Whyalla and surrounding areas.
We have a wonderful campus here, training country students who wish to teach, here in Whyalla will enable us to retain our teachers. It is important that regional students have more options of what, where and how they study. Retention of teachers (and young people) in regional areas is such an important issue.
4. Revise the Felony Murder Rule
What’s Wrong With The Felony Murder Rule- Common Sense:
1. It is fundamentally unfair and in violation of basic principles of individual criminal culpability to hold one felon liable for the unseen and unagreed-to results of another felon’s action.
2. The felony murder rule operates as a matter of law upon proof of the intent to commit a felony to relieve the prosecution of its burden of proving intent to kill, which is a necessary element of murder.
3. The intention to commit a felony does not equal the intention to kill, nor is the intention to commit a felony, by itself, sufficient to establish a charge of murder.
4. The felony murder rule violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee of due process, more specifically, equal protection of the law, because no defense is allowed on the charge of first-degree murder, only the underlying felony.
5. The purpose of creating degrees of murder is to punish with increased severity the more culpable forms of murder, but an accidental or unknown killing during the commission or attempted commission of a felony is punished more severely than all other murder charges with exception to first degree murder.
6. The felony murder rule erodes the relation between criminal liability and moral culpability in that it punishes all homicides in the commission, or attempted commission, of the proscribed felonies, whether intentional, unintentional, or accidental, without proving the relation between the homicide and the perpetrator’s state of mind.
7. Holding one or many criminally liable for the bad results of an act which differs greatly from the intended results is based on a concept of culpability which is totally at odds with the general principles of jurisprudence.
8. The basic rule of culpability is further violated when felony murder is categorized as first-degree murder because all other first-degree murders (carrying equal punishment) require a showing of premeditation, deliberation, and willfulness, while felony murder only requires a showing of intent to do the underlying felony.
9. While the felony murder rule survives in California, and other states, the numerous modifications and restrictions of it by some states courts and legislatures throughout the United States reflect dissatisfaction with the basic harshness and injustice of the doctrine and call into question its continued existence.
10. The felony murder rule can be used by prosecutors in a manner so as to cause grossly disproportionate sentencing, depending on the circumstances of each individual case.
11. The felony murder rule is unconstitutional because the presumption of innocence is thrown out. The prosecutor must only prove intent to commit the original felony; once done, first degree murder attaches to the underlying felony even though intent, (mens rea,) to commit murder does not have to be proved.
12. The felony murder rule is unconstitutional because it violates the Eighth Amendment: cruel and unusual punishment, grossly disproportionate sentencing to the crime(s) actually committed.
13. The felony murder rule bears no rational relationship or equity in its two penalties, with the penalties of other California murder laws, including, at times, the charge of first-degree murder.
In 1993, Robert Latimer killed his 12 year old daughter, Tracy. She had cerebral palsy and had many, many surgeries to correct this, and she was about to go for another one before she passed.
After he was convicted of second degree murder in 1994, a new trial was declared for Latimer, because it was brought to light that some jury members were asked what they thought of euthanasia and mercy killings. In 1997, the second trial jury reached the conclusion of second degree murder, but be allowed to apply for parole in one year. Three weeks later, Justice Judge Ted Noble gives Latimer "constitutional exemption" and gives him two years, one which would be served in the community.
The Saskatchewan Court of Appeals scratched that, and gave him life with parole in 10 years. No appeals worked after that, so now he sits in a minimum security prison in B.C. Today (Dec. 5), his bid for day parole was denied, because he still maintains that he felt it was the right decision.
The University of Edinburgh has shown this year's cohort of Medicine graduates complete disrespect regarding our graduation ceremony.
The ceremony was initially moved from it's own slot in July to one on 28th June, instantly clashing with our shadowing week which we all need to undertake as a requirement for our jobs.
The ceremony was alotted to a time on 28th June when many other graduates of other courses will too be graduating, in the same session, unfairly limiting ticket availability for both those graduates of Medicine and the other graduates from the School of Biomedical Sciences, School of Divinity and School of Health in Social Science in attendance that afternoon. Two tickets per person is simply unacceptable. The event is likely to resemble something of a cattle market with so many graduates in attendance for one ceremony.
To add insult to injury, the university has "special" ceremonies set aside for graduates of Veterinary Medicine and Law. Graduates for these ceremonies get a minimum of 4 tickets per graduand and a ceremony solely for those graduates. We do not believe as graduates of Medicine we are in any way superior to a graduate of any other degree. We believe that graduation from any degree is a signficant achievement. We believe graduates of all courses should be treated the same.
We do not understand why of all degrees undertaken, if Medicine is not to be regarded as a degree that confers signficant acheivment or in need of a "special" ceremony of it's own, why Veterinary Medicine and Law continue to be treated as such. Medicine in Edinburgh has a far greater heriatage than that of any other degree taught at the university - Medicine has been taught in Edinburgh since the early sixteenth century, Veterinary Medicine only since the early nineteenth century.
We believe that two tickets per graduate is simply insufficent in recognising the conferment of a degree. We believe this fact is made more insulting by the moving of our ceremony to an inconvenient date and by the "special" ceremonies set aside for Law and Veterinary Medicine.
7. Full time Day Program for the 'Bachelor degree of Biomedical Science' program.
Currently, MDIS do not offer a day program for the 'Bachelor degree of Biomedical Science' program.
8. Master's Degree Courses offered by California Univ. of PA offered in Bedford and Somerset County
December 2002 the first Bedford County Cohort of the Social Work Program graduated with a BSW. There is an intrest for the Master's Degree program to be offered in Bedford or Somerset Counties.
9. Death by Drunk Driving should be First Degree Murder
This is a petition to make it a First Degree Murder for a person that ends up killing a person while driving drunk.
Accused has long record
Linked to gang rape when only 11
By TOM GODFREY -- Toronto Sun
A 17-year-old male charged in the shooting death of Chemere Roache has been in and out of youth court since he was 11 for various offences including rape, armed robbery, auto theft and weapons offences.
The youth now faces second-degree murder and attempted murder charges in connection with Wednesday's shooting outside a Rexdale nightclub that left Roache, 18, dead and her boyfriend injured.
A second suspect in the shootings, Christopher St. George Clarke, 24, surrendered to police on Thursday. Officers intensified their search yesterday in the Jane St.-Finch Ave. area for two other suspects, Matthew Chiemaka Weir, 21, and Devon Ramdeen, 24.
Police said the 17-year-old North York youth, who lives with his single mother and older brother, has a long rap sheet.
"It was only a matter of time before we got him again," an officer said yesterday.
The youth was implicated after three other minors were charged several years ago with gang-raping a 13-year-old girl on her way home from school. But he was never charged because of his age.
A provincial court judge said the boy, who removed the jeans of the Grade 7 student and had sex with her in a bedroom, was the group's ringleader.
Police said the boy taunted officers that he couldn't be arrested because he was under the age of 12, and couldn't be charged under the Young Offenders Act.
"He was arrogant, self-confident. He knew he had us," an officer said at the time. "He was fully aware of his rights. He was using the YOA to protect himself from the law."
The judge who presided over the trial of the three youths in the rape case said he wasn't impressed with the boy's testimony.
"He was a complete liar in giving evidence," the judge said.
"The only thing I believe from what he gave us was his name, address and date of birth."
The boy was ordered to undergo a psychiatric assessment and serve three months in a juvenile home. He was placed in temporary custody of the Children's Aid Society.
"He will be back," an officer whispered in court after sentencing. "It's only a matter of time before he kills someone."
Roache's mom Carol said she was concerned by the youth's constant run-ins with the law.
"He was always getting into trouble from the time he was small," she said yesterday from her Etobicoke home. "But to bring it this far that someone has to die, there's no words for me to say. I'm just shocked."
Roache said her daughter's funeral will be held either next week or on Easter Monday.
Det.-Sgt. Craig Sanson said yesterday more than 10 shots were fired in the hail of gunfire. He said the shooting was sparked by a minor disagreement at the Apollo nightclub between Roache and four men.
"It wasn't much of an argument," Sanson said. "It was a relatively small incident."
Meanwhile, Clarke appeared for a bail hearing at 361 University Ave. court yesterday. He has also been charged with second-degree murder and attempted murder.
Clarke sat sullen looking in the prisoner's box, dressed in a baggy sky blue FUBU jacket over a grey hooded sweatshirt and black jeans.
He was remanded in custody until April 24.
-- With files from Jonathan Kingstone and Philip Lee-Shanok