#napieruniversity

[mattspsychogeographyjourney]

The Sounds of Edinburgh

This blog is to help me document my time exploring psychogeography for a module at University called Responsive Environments. 

Today in the practical class, we were tasked with going out into the city and recording sounds to represent Edinburgh from a particular perspective. We were not to do it from a tourist’s perspective as this is something that has been used time and time again, we are all very aware of Edinburgh from this perspective. I was in a team with 2 class mates. We decided that a good perspective to show Edinburgh from was nature, and the different things that disrupt nature. Peace and tranquility is something associated with nature, but lots of noises can disrupt that.

We went down to the canal that is near the University. We recorded the sounds of birds by the canal. We first thought, “well why is this disrupting nature?” Well for human beings this is of course quite a disrupting sound, a crow making it’s noise. We then had a think of what else could be disrupting nature. We came up with an idea of a baby crying which would disrupt the peace of nature. We also thought of someone playing music on a speaker. To create this effect, we played these sounds from a phone. We also came across construction workers, working away. This turned out to be very useful for our recordings.

[justalittlecurl]

Got to meet Harry and his girlfriend Polly today - Harry is a brown long-eared bat and Polly is a common Pipistrelle. They were both hand reared as the were abandoned by their family. #unilife #animalbiologist #studentlife #napieruniversity #batsofinstagram #batty

[unknown-territory-16-blog]

Meeting with the head Equality and Diversity of the Napier University

The last Friday we met with the head of Equality and Diversity staff of the Napier University.

The University is finding gaps when we speak about integrity and inclusion at the place for staff and students.

The Napier University is one of the educational institutions in Scotland that wants to be 100% for everyone, for that reason,

“Edinburgh Napier University holds an Athena SWAN bronze award, which was awarded in April 2015. The award recognises and reflects our work on gender equality and supporting women's careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and Medicine (STEMM).

Whilst there is a focus on women, ATHENA SWAN wants to address gender equalities for both sexes.

It is important holding the bronze award represents a clear statement of our intention to maintain and develop a fair working environment within the University which, in turn,  improves staff performance and retention”.

Athena SWAN (2015) Available at: http://staff.napier.ac.uk/services/hr/workingattheUniversity/equalityanddiversity/Pages/Athena-SWAN1007-8304.aspx (Accessed: 1 March 2017).

Aberdeen university has passed a motion for gender neutral toilets to be introduced on campus.

A record-breaking 152 students attended the annual general meeting (AGM) at Robert Gordon University (RGU).

The AGM allows students at the university to work with the student union to bring forward any ideas or motions for rules they would like to see changed.

Christopher Cowie, a third-year accounting and finance student, came forward with the motion to introduce gender neutral toilets on campus.

Fourth-year pharmacy student Sebastian MacPherson said he had felt intimidated when using gender-specific toilets.

Speaking on behalf of other transgender students, Sebastian said: “This motion would go a long way to help us feel a lot safer when using toilets.

“Having the option to use gender neutral toilets would make a difference to my security at the university.”

Kerry Harrison, president of education and welfare at the institution, said: “This is something that is important to a number of students at RGU and they should be able to study here feeling safe and liberated.”

Jack Douglas, NUS Scotland LGBT+ officer, said: “Our universities and colleges represent proudly diverse communities, but without ensuring that everyone has access to appropriate toilets we run the risk of shutting people out of education for entirely avoidable reasons.

“The student movement has always been at the forefront of progressive changes and liberation causes, and has been a driving force in the increase in gender neutral toilets across education institutions in the UK.”

Reporter (2017) Aberdeen students vote in favour of gender neutral toilets. Available at: https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/fp/news/local/students-vote-in-favour-of-gender-neutral-toilets-at-annual-general-meeting/ (Accessed: 1 March 2017).

Extending the Provision of Gender Neutral Spaces Passed by Student Council on the 2nd of April 2015 Edinburgh University. 

What will we do?

1.    Create at least one designated Gender Neutral toilet in each EUSA venue where toilet facilities are provided. These facilities shall be clearly signposted, shall be open and easily accessible to all students and staff, and shall be separate from the accessible toilet facilities already provided.

2.    Create at least one designated Gender Neutral changing space in each EUSA building in which changing facilities are provided. These facilities shall be clearly signposted, shall be open and easily accessible to all students and staff, and shall be separate from the accessible changing facilities already provided.

3.    Lobby the university to provide at least one gender neutral toilet facility in each university building where toilet facilities are provided, and that these shall be clearly signposted, shall be open and accessible to all users, and shall be separate from accessible toilet facilities already provided.

4.    Lobby the university to provide at least one gender neutral changing facility in each university building in which changing facilities are provided, and that these shall be clearly signposted, shall be open and accessible to all users, and shall be separate from accessible changing facilities already provided.

What is the background to this?

1.    That there are students within and outside of the LGBT+ community who prefer to use gender neutral toilets and changing rooms or for whom gendered toilets are inappropriate because they do not identify with either male or female.

2.    That in the majority of EUSA and University buildings there are few to no gender neutral facilities for students to use.

3.    That EUSA is bringing a motion to NUS Scotland LGBT conference 2015 calling for the provision of gender neutral toilets in all Universities.

4.    The Edinburgh University Trans Equality Policy states: “Ideally there should be access to gender neutral toilet facilities wherever this can be reasonably accommodated....Requiring the person to use disabled toilet facilities is not acceptable unless the individual is disabled.”[1]

What beliefs motivate the actions you propose?

1.    That inadequate provision of gender neutral toilets for trans and other students who are uncomfortable or who feel unsafe using gendered facilities limits their ability to participate in their education, sport and other aspects of university life.

2.    That “accessible” facilities do not constitute adequate provision for those students unless they are available for all genders and abilities to use, and that re-purposing these toilets as gender neutral toilets for all students would limit the use of accessible facilities for those who need them, unless all available toilets are accessible.

3.    That student who requires gender-neutral facilities should not be expected to go further than those who do not or to declare themselves to have access to adequate gender neutral facilities.

4.    That by not providing these facilities, EUSA and the University are failing to meet the needs of trans and other students who need them.

5.    That no student, regardless of sex, gender or gender expression should be required to use gender neutral facilities in place of available gendered facilities should they not wish to, and that no student of any sex, gender or gender expression should be prevented from using gender neutral toilets or changing rooms.

Extending the provision of gender neutral spaces (2017) Available at https://www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/eusapolicy/welfare/genderneutral/ (Accessed: 1 March 2017).

And the Edinburgh College has facilitated gender neutral toilets in every campus.

As we can see many Scottish educational institutions have accomplished the equality and diversity, integrity and inclusion in their buildings applying toilets, workshops, support and education to create a wellbeing and successful life giving to everyone the chance of having a normal student life without hazards. We need The Napier University meeting this requirements in order to fulfil the life of this minority group.

Other issues we could appreciate in the meeting it is that the University does not gather information about the students so that makes the situation complicated as we do not know exactly the number of people who we are working with.  However, the University staff has created a number of networks of LGBT+ to discuss and speak out your opinion, at in the same time is a bridge that can be used for students and staff of the University. 

[unknown-territory-16-blog]

Sighthill Napier Campus

Today interviewing people at the Sighthill Campus of the Edinburgh Napier University we have figured it out that having gender neutral toilets and staff trained it is a step forward for the future.

The number of transgender people is increasing every year and many of the new generations are considered pansexual, no romantic or romantic, binary and no-binary , stated as generation Q.

UCLA's Williams Institute estimates there are 1.4 million transgender people in the United States. But according to a GLAAD/Harris Interactive poll, only 16% of Americans say they personally know someone who is transgender. A recent Pew poll shows that 87% of Americans say they personally know someone who is lesbian, gay, or bisexual.  

Glad (2016) Available at http://www.glaad.org/vote/topics/transgender-people (Accessed: 1 March 2017).

For that reason If the University staff is trained in issues of LGBT+, the institution will be prepared for any situation.

As another person was saying, “People on this campus is very used to speak about bodies, sexuality and gender orientation.

It was fascinating being in Aspects of living class and see everyone speaking openly and truly about any kind of subject”.

"Education. Inclusion. Acceptance. It happens in that order. It doesn't matter who you are, where you're from, what age you are; love and acceptance is a choice. You choose to be educated, and you choose to accept people as they are. If you choose not to, that's on you, not us.”

Ellie Mulreany (2017).

[unknown-territory-16-blog]

Logo idea in abstract watercolor texturising and denoting the power of the rainbow color LGBT flag. Detail of the triangle symbol of the Napier logotype, localising and explaining symbolically for who this is for.

[unknown-territory-16-blog]

LGBT Network

Wednesday, 25th January it was the second LGBT network at the Napier University gathering students and staff of the University, LGBT health & well-being and Barclays representative.

The network started last month to speak about issues like training for staff and students, projects, make sure that the University respects genders and they have representation and other issues.

The night started introducing ourselves one per one to know better who we are and the reason for being there If you wanted it.

After the introduction the representative of Barclays explained how Barclays works in diversity and integration explaining a transgender case in the NYC, " a transgender who transitioned at home but she wanted to transition to work as well. She was panicking!".

He explained the different good practices Barclays runs like Barclays Spectrum, Barclays disables, ... and how they promote them good values to other employers.

The questions to Bally, (I think was called, sorry) there were from the staff members asking how they have to do in other to integrate diversity and inclusion at the University policies.

- Coffee/tea break thank you to the University :) -

The LGTB Health explained the services they do and how they finance it as they are a charity.

They have services as personal services, workshops for parents and parents who adopt, mental health support, hotline and drop-in sessions are an example of the different areas they touch.

At the questions moment, some staff asked If using pictures in the slides with LGBT people will help. The answer was YES, but you can not see who is lesbian or gay so it will be helpful a little note reinforcing the support to LGBT.

- 2nd coffee/tea break thank you to the University :) -

It was the end of the network, and I had the pleasure to speak about my project as people was saying that inclusion and diversity it is having gender neutral toilets in a place like a university.

There are countries like Bangkok that they use gender neutral toilets as something normal.

Also, I have got the pleasure of speaking with the counselling staff but unfortunately we had not much time and a PhD student woman who has got dysphoria as well, she was lovely.

I met her at the beginning of the night and I could not stop of being surprised as she is a writer and she also is the representative of the transgender people at the LGBT pride of Edinburgh.

Thank you very much, Gina. :)

My conclusion is that the group is lovely and more or less we are in the same path.

I got some contacts and I am looking forward to working with these magnificent people alongside as we have the same aim, them as staff and me as a student.

We can spread integrity & diversity through campaigns and education.

WE CAN DO IT.

[botanicexperience-blog]

Tuesday 23rd of February

This will be my last obsevation in February because I’m going to be ridiculously busy the next week and hopefully by the the start of March the weather will have cleared up.

So it’s 8:30am and I’ve just arrived, it’s freezing and the ground is still frosty. But of course there are much more motivated and early risers than me out jogging, and a man out with his personal trainer. The tearooms and the glasshouses don’t open until 10am so I can’t get a nice warm cup of coffee.

I assume there must be a primary school nearby because there are lots of parents walking through with their children in a school uniform but I’m not sure where for. It’s pretty much all school kids, parents, cyclists and joggers up until 9:15. But by then the late stragglers are all running because they’re late for school.

The parents who dropped off their kids off are all walking back through the park, lots of them chatting to each other about their weekends and their kids, a few mentioning going to yoga class and coffee mornings; I am definitely in the west end... 

There really isn’t much else going on, so I am starting to think more about my design fiction. I think that the graffiti wall is quite a nice idea, but obviously has already been done and isn’t entirely interactive. Kids use this park quite a lot, but having seen this today it is normally just passing through with their parents so can’t stop to play, so if I made something aimed at children it would only really be used in the summer or after school for a small period of time.

The joggers, however, have been constant in all of my observations and taking some inspiration from the meadows, and the bicycle counter, I think something similar could be interesting.

[botanicexperience-blog]

Thursday 18th of February

5:13 - I came today on my way home from university to get an observation in late before they shut the gardens. It was still surprisingly light considering the time and time of year. The sun was just beginning to go down as I took my seat on the all too familiar bench, got out my notepad and pen and a coffee.

5:20 - My friend has come along with me and has just got a new phone so she is trying out all the new features and taking lots of selfies beside me. The glass houses are stilll only open until 4:30pm so there isn’t much movement around them. There are lots of people walking their dogs, and i’m trying to get a few pats in every so often.

5:33 - The sun is just about gone, I light a cigarette and a young guy comes over to ask if he can borrow my lighter, my friend tries to flirt with him a little and he sits down. I take this opportunity to ask him some questions, and be a third wheel...

I will post my interview in a separate post, we chatted for 20 minutes and then he had to go to work.

5:57 - We see the parks security begin to make a sweep of the park to check is there are many people left inside, and from previous experience of being locked in this park I know that he will be going to lock up the furthest away gates. This gives us about twenty minutes before closing time.

6:18 - The guard comes up to us and tells us the park is shutting in ten minutes, I think he is pretty desperate to get home as fast as possible so we pack up our stuff and leave.