There will be music, speeches, and poems from the African Caribbean society at the front of Fulton House starting around 1.40pm on Monday.

The chaplaincy is also expected to read a short prayer as well.

Mandela was the first black president of South Africa and was a key activist in the anti-apartheid movement, spending over a quarter of a century in prison, most of which was in spent in the notorious Robben Island prison.

Tony Blair, former UK Prime Minister said Mandela was a “great man” who had made racism “not just immoral but stupid”.

Barack Obama commented that he was “a man who took history in his hands and bent the arc of the moral universe towards justice”.

Prof Nigel Piercy (pictured) says the reforms brought in by himself and his deputy (and son), Prof Niall Piercy, will improve results and help grow the reputation of the school.

But teaching staff say the changes have been made without any consultation and that the atmosphere in the school is now “toxic”. Seven staff have handed in their notice since the changes were introduced.

In an interview with The Waterfront, Prof Nigel Piercy said there had been “a few tantrums along the way” but that the reforms were necessary because the school had “a lot of catching up to do”.

“We are not doing what we should do to be part of the global scholarly community, either in terms of teaching and global research,” he said.

“We need a situation where a graduate sits in front of a potential employer and the employer has heard of the school and knows what it stands for. We want our graduates to stand out from the crowd.
“So what we’ve done is we’ve put in seminars and tutorials on all programmes without option, as they have largely disappeared. There is a much bigger emphasis this year on small group teaching and more contact hours.
“There is a guarantee that these seminars will be taught by Swansea staff, not by PHD students, that’s a promise to the students.”

But some students are unhappy, complaining that they weren’t consulted on the changes made over the summer.

Economics students claim that the changes have devalued their degree with the shortening of the dissertation to a few thousand word essay.

One economics student, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: “On this dissertation module, they’ve kind of told us funding had been cut for it, so we don’t have a dissertation tutor anymore. There’s just someone who we see as a group of 20 every five weeks at most? Doesn’t really give us much of a chance to get anything from it.
“Also, I went to the open day economics talk with my cousin, and they’ve cut down the economics courses offered. There used to be financial economics, economics BSc, economics BA etc and now they’ve just got economics BSc and PPE.
“People are quite concerned whether they are trying to push economics out of the department; which would be odd considering economics is one of the things the university isn’t actually too bad at.”

Mr Piercy said: “There was a fair amount of discussion mainly at an informal level with student groups. When you read the things people have said, it is chilling. And many of the things we have done hone in very specifically on those comments.”

“About waiting three months for the return of a piece of coursework. The guarantee now is the maximum of three weeks,” said Prof Piercy.

Staff have also been up in arms, especially over the dean’s proposals to move some staff to teaching-only roles.

A University and Colleges Union spokesman said: “At UCU meetings, staff described management style as ‘autocratic’. Many colleagues were visibly distressed and upset during these meetings. Among the many adjectives used to describe the atmosphere in the school was ‘toxic’.
“Members have complained of having to teach modules beyond their area of expertise and significantly increased teaching for some staff.
“UCU has expressed its concern to university management about the lack of consultation, about quality assurance with respect to programme changes, and about the system being used to determine staff workloads.
“UCU intervention has resulted in the removal of an explicit workload policy which favoured REF-submitted staff.
“We are disturbed to have learned that, over the last month, seven members of staff from the School of Management have handed in their resignations.
“We also understand that a number of other staff are considering leaving. Whilst anyone’s reason for leaving employment is confidential, we believe that it is no coincidence that these resignations come at this time.”

In fact the department is currently recruiting for almost a dozen senior lecturing positions.

When asked about staff who were disgruntled about the changes, Prof Piercy said: “If you see you don’t like what’s happening the honest thing to do is to say move on. No problem whatever with that.
“At a human level I’m very sympathetic… you get organisations where people get settled in their ways, then someone comes along and changes the rules.
“I know exactly what it feels like, but when we start to achieve the things we want, the improved status, better reputation. The experience is things settle down, especially when people start seeing the benefits.”

A Swansea University spokesman said: “The new dean, Professor Nigel Piercy, is implementing a programme of change at Swansea University School of Management, as part of the university’s strategic aim to be a top 30 UK university by 2017.
“We are also determined to drive forward our ambition to grow the School of Management, ready for its move to the new Bay Campus.”

Meanwhile, UCU is continuing to discuss the situation with university management: “We have received assurances that in the future there will be consultation with both staff and UCU on changes affecting teaching, and on other significant changes having an impact on members in the school.”

The online survey, filled in by 135 students, revealed an alarmingly high number of suspected spiking in Swansea, with 31% claiming it had happened to them.

Two thirds of those who thought they had been spiked were women.

Of those interviewed, 36 per cent of women believed they had been spiked and 25 per cent of men thought they had been.

Four people said they had been spiked in Oceana, twelve in Sin City, as well as 28 people believing they had been spiked in a venue on Wind Street.

The main number of respondents were third years, but a good balance of all year groups took part in the survey hosted by Survey Monkey.

Most respondents commented that they had only been spiked once, although five said that they had been spiked twice.

Two other survey respondents said they had been spiked more than five times.

Asked to share their experience, one respondent said: “No memory of the event, however friends have said my pupils were dilated, I had no control over my body but I was talking sense, followed by projectile vomiting. Friends took me home.

“Woke up very confused and still not 100%, went to hospital to be checked where they confirmed GHB in my system. Felt very low for weeks afterwards.”

Another participant who was spiked in a Wind Street club, said: “I became disorientated, and lost control of my legs. Luckily my male housemates carried me home, and sat with me all night. I couldn’t ask for help, as I couldn’t even talk.”

Another who was drinking with her spiker, unknown to her, said: “He bought me a drink and dared me to down it, after a while I realised there was something wrong and he told me that he had put MDMA in my drink.

“It was awful, I couldn’t move, the bouncers then were going to ring an ambulance but my friend came to pick me up, when I got home I passed out on my landing and my mum found me in the morning.”

Another reported: “Went home supported by my girlfriend. Feeling terribly drunk and nauseous having only had one beer.”

A further respondent said: “I felt out of control and could no longer hear properly. My friend took me home and looked after me. “

Very few cases of spiking are reported to the police and spiking is
difficult to prove as drugs like Rohypnol leave no trace once they have been eliminated from the bloodstream.

Students are being urged to report suspected cases of spiking immediately.

Research by Kent University in 2009 showed that students were likely to claim they had been spiked when they were unwilling to admit that they had drunk excessive amounts of alcohol.

The students’ union was unavailable for comment at the time of publication.
A campaign headed by Swansea University Students’ Union and Trinity St David University to help combat drink spiking is expected to be launched in January.

Welfare officer Grimes says more can be done to combat spiking:

SPIKING is an issue facing every single one of us when we go out for a drink. Even in your local pub, you are still at risk.

Spiking occurs when a substance, such as drugs or alcohol, is added to your drink without you knowing about it. This may affect how you act around people.

The way you may feel will depend on the drug; you may feel drowsy or confused. You may also find it difficult to speak or move.

But spiking is a crime which is rarely reported to the police.

Rebecca Grimes, Swansea University’s Welfare Officer, said: “We are currently in the process of working out the best way to get the message out in respect of the risk of drinks being spiked.

“I recently had a meeting with the police and the Welfare Officer of Swansea Trinity St David and we are in the process of working out a strategy to increase awareness of how to keep yourself safe on nights out, a particular aspect of which is spiking of drinks.”

Statistics show that spiking is on the rise.

A spokesperson from South Wales Police said they were interested in raising awareness around spiking, but “have not had any reported incidents of drinking spiking in either the university campus or Swansea city centre.”

The process of getting a positive spiking result is difficult, with a report and tests having to be done in time for the drugs to still be present in the body.

Miss Grimes went on to say that more needs to be done: “I absolutely think more can be done. What I would say is that if you suspect you have been spiked, get in contact with the police as soon as possible, so statistics can start to be noted down about your experiences.

“We have ‘spikeys’ freely available from the full-time officers’ offices (drink stoppers which protect your bottled drinks from being spiked).
“If anyone is concerned about their safety on nights out, myself and the women’s officer (as well as every other FTO), are more than happy to discuss things with you and how we can make our union nights safer.”

How to identify spiking and prevent it happening to you:

DRINK spiking is the name given when a substance, usually drugs or alcohol, is added to your drink without you knowing.

It tends to affect the way you act around other people, and can lead to serious situations such as personal injury, physical or sexual assault, theft, or even rape.

It doesn’t just happen in pubs and clubs, but can occur in any public place, and even in your home, for example, at a party or barbeque.

There are numerous drugs that can be administered such as GBH and Rohypnol.

They are often clear, odourless and tasteless and can come in liquid, tablet, capsule or powder form.

The effects tend to make you feel nauseous, drowsy, intoxicated, or can even lead to unconsciousness.

They kick in very quickly and can last up to eight hours.

Whilst a large number of victims are women, men are just as much at risk of being spiked.

According to the Roofie Foundation, women aged from 30 – 50+ are most at risk from having their drink spiked.

It is unlikely you will be able to tell if your drink has been spiked until after the effects kick in, so students are urged to take the following steps:
•Never leave your drink unattended
•Never accept a drink from anyone you don’t trust
•Keep an eye on your friends’ drinks
•Do not drink leftover drinks
•Keep hold of your drink rather than leaving it on the side
•Consider sticking to bottles and hold your thumb over the opening when not drinking it
•Remember that if you’ve already been drinking, you may be less aware of any dangers
If you suspect someone has been spiked, it is always important to tell someone such as a friend or member of security.

Drink spiking is also a criminal offence, regardless of whether or not an attack was carried out, so it is vital you report it to the police.

For further information please visit wwww.nhs.uk/Conditions/Drink-spiking/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Mitchell Lewis (pictured), a physics’ student, died in May, causing widespread sadness amongst many students, especially those who worked closely with him in the Students’ Union.

Many members of his family were also participants in the annual Admiral 10K run along the Swansea seafront.

Those who took part are believed to have raised at least £3,000 for the Mind, a mental health charity.

Stephen Marshall, a Swansea alumni and friend of Mitchell, raised £271. He said: “The race went really well, despite the muggy conditions. It was the fundraising for a great cause that pushed us forward in Mitch’s name.”

Mitchell’s mother said: “The image Mitch portrayed to others was one of a happy, smiling outgoing person, full of life and making the very most of his university experience and in the main he was indeed all of these.
“There was another side to Mitch however, that very few people saw because he was also a very private young man. Periods of sleepless nights, or days of sleep, feelings of anxiety, unable to focus or concentrate for any length of time, constantly trying to fit in with his peers, mood swings and the feeling of inability to cope with day-to-day issues were all covered up to the outside world.
“Although he refused to acknowledge it, Mitch suffered with depression, never clinically diagnosed because he always believed he had to sort it out himself, feeling that he alone felt this way and others were able to deal with things much better than he could.
“If only Mitch had allowed himself to be helped, spoken with someone, he might have realised that he was not alone in feeling this way.
“The Mind organisation helps people with such mental health problems as these and also friends and families trying to cope with loved ones unfortunate to have these kinds of issues.
“Sadly, it’s too late to make a difference to Mitch’s life now but raising money in Mitch’s memory to enable Mind to continue their work makes Mitch’s death a little less meaningless in so much as if just one person’s life can be changed for the better and save those that love them from enduring a loss like we have this year, every penny raised is worthwhile.”

His cousin Ceri Parker, who also participated, said: “I was so humbled by the numbers who joined me on the run and am so proud to have been a part of the event with so many who loved and cared for Mitch.
“By raising this money we are helping save somebody else who is going through the same as Mitch.
“He might be gone, but he’ll never be forgotten and this run was just one of many things that family and friends will do to promote mental health awareness in his memory.”

Mitch was born to Adrian and Sharon Lewis on the 5th January 1992, at 3:30am and named Courtney Mitchell Lewis. He weighed six pounds and nine and a half ounces.

Mitch’s love of science began at an early age, when his family were forced to put a lock on the bathroom door as every bottle, lid or holder would be filled with concoctions of shampoo, shower gels, shaving foam and toothpaste. Every time they were about to be thrown away, Mitch would say: “don’t throw that, that’s my potions!”

As he grew up, he became interested in dinosaurs as well. When most boys of 5 years of age wanted to be firemen or doctors, Mitchell’s response when asked was that he wanted to be a palaeontologist; to which most people would say to him “what’s that?”

He attended Penywaun playschool and Meithrin at The Urdd preschool in Aberdare, in the area of Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Soon after, Mitch went on to attend Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Aberdar, and then Ysgol Gyfun Rhydywaun.

He always loved computers and learning; if Mitch found a topic he was interested in, he would spend hours studying until he knew exactly what it was all about.

Mitch was also a fan of online computer game World of Warcraft, of which he enjoyed greatly, as well as walking the family dog, Shadow, for hours at a time.

Mitch came to University in 2011 to study physics and soon after started working in JC’s bar.

One of his former co-workers and friend, Sion Durham, said: “It was working in JC’s that I and Mitch first met each other.

“Both of us would do the cellar shifts on a Thursday Morning. The Wednesday night before always took its toll!

“There was never a dull moment, spilling mops, dropping bottles or buying frozen cookies. It was like finding a brother, totally opposite but still we became extremely good friends.

“Even though we finished working last year we still stayed friends! We often would sit and chat after his cellar shift to catch up.

“It is a great loss and I am really going to miss him.”

Many people came to know his sense of humour behind the bar of the student watering hole, and remember his warming smile; in fact one friend even went as far as naming him “The man who always smiled”.

Described by many as kind and genuine; he also had a well-known love for Strongbow cider, which he could and did drink exceptionally quickly.

Mitch grew as a person at Swansea, becoming the cheery and loving gentleman missed by so many.

Becca Tompkinson, Mitch’s best friend, said: “Losing a best friend has to be one of the hardest things anyone could ever imagine; especially a friend as amazing as Mitch.

“He was one of those incredible individuals who knew everything and also knew how to cheer you up and make you laugh whatever the situation.

“I have countless memories and it’s difficult to pick one, from our first ever night out together resulting in me getting kicked out to our constant singing of Les Mis songs and dance offs in Sin.

“He was always there, Strongbow and lime at the ready.”

Former Students’ Union President Luke James said: “Mitchell was so dedicated to our students’ union and his friendliness made it a better place to be every day.

“I was so sad to hear the news but it’s obvious his unique impact on our university and so many people’s lives will be felt forever.”

The university’s director of student services said; “We were shocked and saddened to hear of Mitchell’s death.

“As a third year student and an officer and member of staff of the Students’ Union he made a considerable contribution to campus life and will be missed by many.

“Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time and we offer them our deepest condolences.”

He is survived by a large extended family, as well as his parents, Adrian and Sharon, two sisters, Sophie and Jodi, and a half-brother, Paul.

The following poem was written by Mitch’s mother, Sharon:

There aren’t enough tears in me that can wash away the pain
of knowing I’ll never see you smile or hear you laugh again
or feel your arms around me, see your blue eyes shine so bright
to talk with you for hours from morning through to night

You knew I’d find it difficult to keep going day by day
not having you here with me and the price I’d have to pay
for accepting that you had to go you felt you had no choice
so I shut down everything in me and listened for your voice

You told me everything was fine, that you’d found your inner peace
and that in your darkest hour you’d felt the lightness of release
that your energy is here with us, not gone only transferred
to live in joy and happiness was your message that I heard

So I’m making you this promise Mitch that when I’m down and blue
to remember all the wonderful things that are special about you
and I’ll pack away my tears after grieving a short while
and find the strength you give to me
to think of you – and smile!

With thanks to the Lewis Family and Catrin Parker for contributions.

Mitchell Lewis

Mitchell Lewis, 21, from Aberdare, was in his second year and studying physics. He was well known in the student community through working in JC’s bar and for the Students’ Union as the Welsh Affairs Officer-elect.

South Wales Police issued a statement saying: “Police in Swansea are investigating the sudden death of a 21-year-old man who died at Morriston Hospital on Thursday morning (23 May 2013).

“There are no indications of suspicious circumstances and next of kin and HM Coroner has been informed.”

CRIME: In another incident in Brynmill, a car was accidentally set on fire near the Cricketers pub on King Edward’s Road.
Photo: Rhys Orton.

The “suspicious incident” occurred around 4pm last Monday less than a quarter of a mile from the popular student venues Uplands Diner and Noah’s Yard.

The woman involved in the incident is believed to be in her early 20s.

She was allegedly dragged into a car near the junction of Glanmor Road and Eden Avenue in the Uplands area.

The dark-coloured jeep-style vehicle involved was believed to have contained three people of Chinese appearance.

Detective Chief Inspector Simon Davies of Swansea Central Police Station said: “We are concerned for the safety of this female and would encourage her to contact us so that we know she is safe and well.

“I am also keen to speak to anyone who may have witnessed this incident which happened in broad daylight on a busy road.”

PCSO Clive Dainton, one of the campus police officers, said: “If you’re walking alone, stick to busy, well-lit areas. Avoid risky shortcuts through alleys and deserted areas.

“Always report any incidents to the police, because this could stop it happening to other students.”

The incident was reported just days after an armed robbery at Dylan’s wine merchants in Sketty. Two men wearing high visibility clothing entered the store on Dilwyn Road shortly before midday on Saturday. One of the men was carrying a shotgun and demanded money from the shopkeeper.

The pair escaped in a van belonging to the wine merchants. It was later recovered by the police around a mile from the incident at Briar Dene in Sketty Park.

Anyone with information about the incidents should phone the police non-emergency number on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Kelly Jervis had her phone stolen in Sin City but thought she would be able to get a replacement because it was insured by Protect My Bubble.

Second year Kelly was paying £6.99 each month to insure her mobile phone in case of damage, theft or loss.

She said: “The phone was in my father’s name, as he bought it for me when I was 16 and it’s just run on.

“I was in Sin City night club with a couple of friends and I lost everybody, so I needed to phone somebody.”

When she looked in her handbag, her phone was not there, despite the fact it had been there ten minutes previously.

“I got someone to phone the phone, but it was off.
“I called the police straight away, and they said that there had been quite a few iPhones taken in Swansea recently.”

When she phoned the Protect My Bubble, they asked for proof of purchase from her phone company.

As the SIM card was registered to her father, the company refused to give out any money.

Their reasoning was that the phone did not belong to Miss Jervis, despite never mentioning this and allowing her to purchase the insurance.

Their response came in the form of a “blunt three-line email”.

Kelly said: “I feel very angry, because I’ve been paying this and hoping that if I needed it, it would be there.
“That was the deal my dad made with me that I’d get insurance if he bought the phone for me.
“It’s disheartening that I’ve paid a years’ worth of insurance and they’ve given me nothing but rudeness.”

Research conducted by The Waterfront shows that Miss Jervis is not the only unhappy customer. Despite them being crowned the 2012 What Mobile Awards Best Insurance provider, some customers are not satisfied with the service they’ve received from Protect My Bubble.

One disgruntled customer, Qasim, said: “They’re just ignoring me, hoping I’ll go away.”

Another named Lauren said: “I have sent an official complaint via email as their website describes and received absolutely no response.”

Some customers report that they have contacted the Financial Ombudsmen and BBC’s Watchdog for assistance.

A spokesperson for Protect My Bubble said: “We are currently investigating Kelly’s claim and we will be in touch with her shortly to resolve the issue fully.

“We would like to thank The Waterfront for bringing this to our attention.”

Mahaboob Basha, the International Officer, was on his way to the campus mosque when the accident happened.

The full time officer was hit in the back when a piece of cladding the height of the building struck him in the back.

He is suspected of having broken three ribs, and is suffering pain in his hip joint and his left leg, as well as multiple bruises and stiffness in his neck. He is awaiting the results of X-rays but doctors have told him not to drive or operate machinery for six months.

The £2.75 million refurbishment of the Faraday building was only completed last term. The exterior has been clad with multi-coloured glass and metal panels. It was one of the metal panels at the rear of building which fell off.

The Waterfront contacted the Leadbitter Group, the company which did the refurbishment, but they refused to comment on the incident.

Leadbitter’s website states that they are “delivering quality and robustness in every construction project” and have been involved in building works on universities, schools and housing projects across the country.

A spokesperson from the university said: “A piece of cladding came off the rear of the Faraday building early (around 6.45am) on Friday 18th January. The area was cordoned off immediately and the fire brigade were called.
“The cause of the incident is being investigated but there had been snow and high winds.
“We were not aware that an individual had been involved in the incident but having now been made aware of this our safety team will be carrying out an investigation.”

Swansea Students’ Union Welfare officer Charlotte Britton said: “It is very worrying that part of the building fell off. We still haven’t found out why it happened yet but the university definitely are looking into it.
“The students’ union is supporting Basha and making sure he is OK.”

Students from abroad pay more than Welsh students for the same courses and, with fewer UK students applying to go to university following the tripling of tuition fees, the university wants to tap into the lucrative overseas market.

The college of arts and humanities (COAH), which saw a 27% drop in student admissions this year, is facing a £1.5m shortfall in funding as a result.

It is now preparing a huge marketing campaign to recruit more postgraduate students from abroad, including a proposed “roadshow” next year to several Chinese universities.

Professor John Spurr, head of COAH, said: “Strategy from 2009 has been to diversify our income streams by, among other means, increasing the number of post graduate and especially overseas postgraduate post graduate students… Since 2009 numbers have increased but not on the scale needed.”

Mahaboob Basha, Students’ Union international officer, said overseas students were much more likely to sign up for business, science or engineering courses than in arts and humanities.

“Those degrees are much more valued in Asian countries and they are much more likely to get a good job with one,” he said.
The move comes as UK universities are being accused of using overseas students as cash cows, and turning a blind eye to the recruitment of under-qualified recruits.

Prof Susan Bassnett, a former pro-vice chancellor of Warwick University, told the Times Higher Education Supplement she had been asked to “disregard linguistic competence and focus on content” by some of her peers. Some overseas students had such poor English that they “wouldn’t scrape a GCSE”, she said.

BBC Wales is now conducting an investigation into claims from lecturers in Wales that they are being pressured to accept substandard work from overseas students for financial reasons. They will be examining MBA dissertations from Swansea University as part of that investigation.

One lecturer at a Welsh University told the BBC: “Internationalisation in itself is absolutely necessary for any modern university – however, this is not at any cost.

“We should be focusing on quality and I would say that UK higher education has suffered significant reputational damage as a result of the recruitment policies by many universities.”

A Swansea University lecturer said much stricter checks were needed on students’ competence in English.

“Many of my overseas students are amongst the most hard-working and dedicated, but with some there is definitely a problem with the standard of English. Methods to assess English language ability need to be far more rigorous,” said the lecturer.

A Swansea University spokesperson said: “The university provides clear advice for students regarding the linguistic level necessary for entry to academic programmes. Students’ language qualifications are checked on application to ensure they meet UKBA regulations.

“We work extremely hard to ensure that our international students have the English language skills they require for the academic courses they pursue.

“Students are continually assessed during their study period and have to provide example material that indicates they have achieved competency in language skills.

“Like all students, international students are offered free academic skills support classes via the Academic Success Programme.”
Mahaboob Basha said: “Being an arts and humanities student myself it’s incredibly important that we follow good practice from the sector in our admissions procedures to recruit international students.

“At the same time, as we pursue a global presence, I think it’s important to praise the University for creating more opportunities for International students to study at Swansea University.”