Stow Students lead the way with website

A Co-operative outlook by students and staff at one of Glasgow’s most famous colleges has been put into practice in the development of their new website.
Students at Stow College recently worked with college staff and designers to have the final say in how the college’s groundbreaking new website would look.
Nine students from various courses mucked-in to help the marketing team select, design and help with some of the website’s student-friendly and innovative features.
The new site shows video testimonials of students, showcases students’ work and offers the option to play music tracks from the college’s well-established record labels like Electric Honey Records.
The website’s community section allows current and prospective students to contact each other online and join dedicated college forums, as well as access various social media networking sites.
Hilary Ramsay, Digital Marketing Officer at Stow College, said: “We wanted a fresh and stimulating website that would become an invaluable and comprehensive resource for students, staff and the general public.
“Students were fundamentally involved from the first stage of the process and actually led the decision on which design company to appoint to the project.”
Dr Robert McGrory, Principal of Stow College was delighted with the outcome.
He said: “Last year Stow College celebrated its 75th anniversary, and this year we are looking forward to our future as the leading provider of quality further education in Glasgow.”

To view the new website, visit www.stow.ac.uk

Diana Kras – End of the line for herbalists could be in sight

Beware! The Government is encouraging you to buy – via the internet or back street shops – polluted herbal preparations ‘spiked’ with banned substances such as toxic heavy metals which have caused liver failure and long-term health problems.

As the European Union tightens the rules on the supply of herbal products, their sale, except for a small number of products for ‘mild illnesses’, will be banned from 2011.

Since 2000, the Government have been consulting on how to bring the 2,500 UK qualified herbalists and traditional medical practitioners (Chinese, Tibetan and Ayurveda) under statutory regulation.

The first consultation, which was published in 2005, had an overwhelming response in favour of statutory regulation.

This most recent consultation process, which closes to public comment on November 16, has been slammed for being far too complicated, with herbalists and their patients unable to respond to the obscure consultation questionnaire. This could affect the chances of its success. If the Government fail to proceed with statutory regulation, practitioners here will lose the right to supply their traditional preparations and medicines.

Then the six million Britons who use herbal practitioners may be forced to scan the internet, which abounds with substandard and potentially dangerous products.

‘We fear if the Government refuses statutory regulation, we will see a black market in herbal products, with unlicensed, potentially dangerous remedies’. Said Dr Michael Dixon, of the Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health

The UK Department of Health said currently there was currently no timeline for further action on a regulatory scheme.

Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon’s department said they are working towards a solution that ensures public protection, and ‘Any regulatory proposals must meet the specific needs of the people of Scotland’.