BLOG INDEX
News round-up: Sheffield Archeology department closure is ‘an act of cultural vandalism’
On 27 May, staff at the University of Sheffield received confirmation via email that it's renowned archeology department will close and be merged with other departments. The decision has been met with huge criticism and described as an 'act of cultural vandalism'. The...
News round-up: Freedom of Speech Bill continues to disturb and disrupt
The Higher Education Freedom of Speech Bill, and debates surrounding it, have continued to disturb and disrupt the higher education sector this week. Critics have suggested that the bill will have a 'chilling effect' by threatening universities and student unions with...
News round-up: Top universities called out over failing to tackle ‘rape culture’ and sexual harassment
A website has accrued over 15,000 anonymous testimonies of sexual harassment, assault, and other accounts of deeply entrenched misogyny at universities across the UK. Naturally, this has caused students and staff to question whether enough is being done to tackle rape...
Academic freedom is in crisis; free speech is not
Words by Liz Morrish, independent scholar. In August 2020, the UK think tank The Policy Exchange produced a report on Academic Freedom in the UK, alleging a chilling effect for staff and students expressing conservative opinions, particularly pro-Brexit or...
The New Model University
Words by Professor David Midgley. The writing was on the wall in January. It was then that the government published its response to Dame Shirley Pearce’s review of the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework, commonly known as the TEF. Dame...
News round-up: Sheffield Archeology department closure is ‘an act of cultural vandalism’
On 27 May, staff at the University of Sheffield received confirmation via email that it's renowned archeology department will close and be merged with other departments. The decision has been met with huge criticism and described as an 'act of cultural vandalism'. The...
News round-up: ‘Catastrophic’ funding cuts for arts subjects cause uproar
Reports that the Office for Students and Education Secretary Gavin Williamson plan to slash funding for arts subjects by 50% have caused uproar this week. The OfS have sought to clarify the situation, claiming that the proposed cuts only apply "...to a smaller subsidy...
News round-up: Top universities called out over failing to tackle ‘rape culture’ and sexual harassment
A website has accrued over 15,000 anonymous testimonies of sexual harassment, assault, and other accounts of deeply entrenched misogyny at universities across the UK. Naturally, this has caused students and staff to question whether enough is being done to tackle rape...
News round-up: Freedom of Speech Bill continues to disturb and disrupt
The Higher Education Freedom of Speech Bill, and debates surrounding it, have continued to disturb and disrupt the higher education sector this week. Critics have suggested that the bill will have a 'chilling effect' by threatening universities and student unions with...
News round-up: ‘Catastrophic’ funding cuts for arts subjects cause uproar
Reports that the Office for Students and Education Secretary Gavin Williamson plan to slash funding for arts subjects by 50% have caused uproar this week. The OfS have sought to clarify the situation, claiming that the proposed cuts only apply "...to a smaller subsidy...
News round-up: Top universities called out over failing to tackle ‘rape culture’ and sexual harassment
A website has accrued over 15,000 anonymous testimonies of sexual harassment, assault, and other accounts of deeply entrenched misogyny at universities across the UK. Naturally, this has caused students and staff to question whether enough is being done to tackle rape...
The most severe cuts to UK research funding in a generation – with far-reaching consequences.
Words by Elena Isayev, Professor of Ancient History and Place at the University of Exeter. Anita Entale, a Rwandan-born scientist, was developing cheap methods to clean contaminated water supplies, supported by a Royal Society grant. She is one of the numerous...
Radical changes on an international scale: On the parallel ‘reforms’ of British and Czech university systems
On 27 November 2012 Professor Howard Hotson was invited by the Institute of Philosophy to speak at the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic on the ‘radical shake-up’ of the UK university system. His lecture attempted briefly to put the ongoing marketisation of...
CDBU Founding Member Lord Rees To Debate Universities Minister David Willetts
One of the Founding Members of the Council for the Defense of British Universities (CDBU), the Astronomer Royal, Lord Rees, is to debate against David Willetts MP, Minister of State for Universities and Science, on the subject “Can British Universities Keep Ahead in...
The CDBU is launched at the British Academy
What is to be done? This was the leading question aired at the inaugural meeting of the Council for the Defence of British Universities (CDBU) at the British Academy on the evening of Tuesday, 13 November. Such was the consensus amongst Founding Members of the need...
Roundup of Coverage for CDBU Ahead of Tuesday’s Launch
We’re delighted to see that the new Council for the Defence of British Universities (CDBU) has been receiving plenty of press coverage from outlets around the world, ahead of our official launch at the British Academy on Tuesday 13th. Here are some of the highlights:...
News round-up: Sheffield Archeology department closure is ‘an act of cultural vandalism’
On 27 May, staff at the University of Sheffield received confirmation via email that it's renowned archeology department will close and be merged with other departments. The decision has been met with huge criticism and described as an 'act of cultural vandalism'. The...
News round-up: Freedom of Speech Bill continues to disturb and disrupt
The Higher Education Freedom of Speech Bill, and debates surrounding it, have continued to disturb and disrupt the higher education sector this week. Critics have suggested that the bill will have a 'chilling effect' by threatening universities and student unions with...
News round-up: Top universities called out over failing to tackle ‘rape culture’ and sexual harassment
A website has accrued over 15,000 anonymous testimonies of sexual harassment, assault, and other accounts of deeply entrenched misogyny at universities across the UK. Naturally, this has caused students and staff to question whether enough is being done to tackle rape...
Academic freedom is in crisis; free speech is not
Words by Liz Morrish, independent scholar. In August 2020, the UK think tank The Policy Exchange produced a report on Academic Freedom in the UK, alleging a chilling effect for staff and students expressing conservative opinions, particularly pro-Brexit or...
The New Model University
Words by Professor David Midgley. The writing was on the wall in January. It was then that the government published its response to Dame Shirley Pearce’s review of the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework, commonly known as the TEF. Dame...
News round-up: Sheffield Archeology department closure is ‘an act of cultural vandalism’
On 27 May, staff at the University of Sheffield received confirmation via email that it's renowned archeology department will close and be merged with other departments. The decision has been met with huge criticism and described as an 'act of cultural vandalism'. The...
‘Skills for Jobs’ – what the FE Bill means for HE
Words by Patrick Ainley, former professor of training and education at the University of Greenwich and regular contributor to the Post-16 Educator. The ‘Skills for Jobs’ Bill proposed in the Queen’s speech last week and introduced to Parliament today ‘is not a serious...
News round-up: Freedom of Speech Bill continues to disturb and disrupt
The Higher Education Freedom of Speech Bill, and debates surrounding it, have continued to disturb and disrupt the higher education sector this week. Critics have suggested that the bill will have a 'chilling effect' by threatening universities and student unions with...
News round-up: Universities must make clear that intimidation of academics is unacceptable, Gavin Williamson warns
Strong words from the education secretary on free speech, and new figures show that two in five 18-year-olds now apply to university Gavin Williamson gives universities final warning on free speech The Times, 07/02/2020, Rosemary Bennett The education secretary...
News round-up: Eventually everyone will have a first-class degree
If grade inflation continues at the current rate, by 2030 all students at some universities will graduate with first-class degrees. Plus: regulation is costing universities more than £500k a year First-class degrees for all students by 2030 The Times,...
News round-up: One institution tackles grade inflation – and a headteacher says that ‘any fool’ can get into university
Nottingham Trent University is cutting the number of firsts, while one of their academics has faced a backlash for encouraging students to register to vote Universities ‘central’ to solutions on UK regional inequality Times Higher Education, 15/11/2019, John...
News round-up: Female academics rise through the ranks more slowly
Female academics are less likely to reach senior positions than male ones, and since the referendum, there’s been a big rise in EU academics leaving the UK Gender not children 'holds women academics back' BBC, 17/10/2019, Hannah Richardson Women academics do...
A robust analysis of the crisis in universities
Professor David Midgley reviews English Universities in Crisis: Markets without Competition, by Jefferson Frank, Norman Gowar and Michael Naef The policy objectives against which this book measures the effectiveness of the current system for funding and...
Roll up, roll up for the HERB 2.0 show
The themes playing out in the higher education debates in the houses of parliament seem strangely familiar, writes Professor David Midgley HERB 2.0 (the Higher Education Research Bill) has been playing in both houses of parliament recently. Like HERB 1.0, which...
Update on Amendments to the Higher Education and Research Bill
David Midgley has kindly provided this useful summary of recent developments: The text of the Bill as amended by the Lords in report stage is now available at https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/lbill/2016-2017/0112/17112.pdf. The most significant changes...
A ‘cohesive and self-critical academic community’: an ideal under threat
Opinion piece G.R.Evans An article in Times Higher Education on 2 March collected suggestions from a ‘panel of university administration experts’ on the best way to frame a job advertisement. Wondering where suitably qualified and ‘excellent’ teachers are going to be...
News round-up: Sheffield Archeology department closure is ‘an act of cultural vandalism’
On 27 May, staff at the University of Sheffield received confirmation via email that it's renowned archeology department will close and be merged with other departments. The decision has been met with huge criticism and described as an 'act of cultural vandalism'. The...
News round-up: ‘Catastrophic’ funding cuts for arts subjects cause uproar
Reports that the Office for Students and Education Secretary Gavin Williamson plan to slash funding for arts subjects by 50% have caused uproar this week. The OfS have sought to clarify the situation, claiming that the proposed cuts only apply "...to a smaller subsidy...
News round-up: Government urged to waive student loan interest fees
The government has announced a £50 million hardship fund for students who have been financially impacted by the pandemic. However, some feel more could be done to help students, with a group of vice-chancellors calling on the government to go further and waive student...
News round-up: Government “restructuring regime” threatens university autonomy
The government recently published their 'Restructuring Regime' for universities facing financial collapse, causing many to question whether university autonomy is a thing of the past. The petitions committee announced that there will be no automatic tuition fee...
The New Model University
Words by Professor David Midgley. The writing was on the wall in January. It was then that the government published its response to Dame Shirley Pearce’s review of the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework, commonly known as the TEF. Dame...
News round-up: Sheffield Archeology department closure is ‘an act of cultural vandalism’
On 27 May, staff at the University of Sheffield received confirmation via email that it's renowned archeology department will close and be merged with other departments. The decision has been met with huge criticism and described as an 'act of cultural vandalism'. The...
News round-up: Freedom of Speech Bill continues to disturb and disrupt
The Higher Education Freedom of Speech Bill, and debates surrounding it, have continued to disturb and disrupt the higher education sector this week. Critics have suggested that the bill will have a 'chilling effect' by threatening universities and student unions with...
News round-up: ‘Catastrophic’ funding cuts for arts subjects cause uproar
Reports that the Office for Students and Education Secretary Gavin Williamson plan to slash funding for arts subjects by 50% have caused uproar this week. The OfS have sought to clarify the situation, claiming that the proposed cuts only apply "...to a smaller subsidy...
News round-up: Freedom of Speech Bill continues to disturb and disrupt
The Higher Education Freedom of Speech Bill, and debates surrounding it, have continued to disturb and disrupt the higher education sector this week. Critics have suggested that the bill will have a 'chilling effect' by threatening universities and student unions with...
News round-up: ‘Catastrophic’ funding cuts for arts subjects cause uproar
Reports that the Office for Students and Education Secretary Gavin Williamson plan to slash funding for arts subjects by 50% have caused uproar this week. The OfS have sought to clarify the situation, claiming that the proposed cuts only apply "...to a smaller subsidy...
News round-up: Top universities called out over failing to tackle ‘rape culture’ and sexual harassment
A website has accrued over 15,000 anonymous testimonies of sexual harassment, assault, and other accounts of deeply entrenched misogyny at universities across the UK. Naturally, this has caused students and staff to question whether enough is being done to tackle rape...
News round-up: Proposed redundancies spark fresh outrage
Waves of redundancies announced at the University of Leicester, Kent, and Chester have sparked outrage across the higher education community. Students and fellow staff have responded by creating petitions, open letters, or have demanded that highest paid staff take...
The New Model University
Words by Professor David Midgley. The writing was on the wall in January. It was then that the government published its response to Dame Shirley Pearce’s review of the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework, commonly known as the TEF. Dame...
News round-up: ‘Catastrophic’ funding cuts for arts subjects cause uproar
Reports that the Office for Students and Education Secretary Gavin Williamson plan to slash funding for arts subjects by 50% have caused uproar this week. The OfS have sought to clarify the situation, claiming that the proposed cuts only apply "...to a smaller subsidy...
News round-up: New reports shine a harsh light on racism and sexual harassment at UK universities
Sexual abuse at English and Welsh universities has been described as a "public scandal" after a report revealed that universities are systematically failing to address instances of assault and harassment, while another report commissioned by Universities UK has...
We need to talk about academic freedom
Words by Eric Lybeck, Presidential Academic Fellow at the Manchester Institute of Education. Yesterday, Policy Exchange published a report on academic freedom in British universities drawing on a flawed survey with inconclusive results. This did not stop major...
The New Model University
Words by Professor David Midgley. The writing was on the wall in January. It was then that the government published its response to Dame Shirley Pearce’s review of the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework, commonly known as the TEF. Dame...
News round-up: Sheffield Archeology department closure is ‘an act of cultural vandalism’
On 27 May, staff at the University of Sheffield received confirmation via email that it's renowned archeology department will close and be merged with other departments. The decision has been met with huge criticism and described as an 'act of cultural vandalism'. The...
‘Skills for Jobs’ – what the FE Bill means for HE
Words by Patrick Ainley, former professor of training and education at the University of Greenwich and regular contributor to the Post-16 Educator. The ‘Skills for Jobs’ Bill proposed in the Queen’s speech last week and introduced to Parliament today ‘is not a serious...
News round-up: Freedom of Speech Bill continues to disturb and disrupt
The Higher Education Freedom of Speech Bill, and debates surrounding it, have continued to disturb and disrupt the higher education sector this week. Critics have suggested that the bill will have a 'chilling effect' by threatening universities and student unions with...
Review: A New Vision for Further and Higher Education, edited by Sol Gamsu and Richard Hall
Patrick Ainley, formerly professor of training and education at the University of Greenwich, welcomes an essay collection aiming to rethink the purpose of tertiary level learning but thinks that it does not go far enough The Centre for Labour and Social Studies...
The Augar report: everything you need to know
You might not have had the time to wade through last week’s 200-page Augar Review on higher education. Fortunately, David Midgley, emeritus professor of German literature and intellectual history at the University of Cambridge, has written an essential guide to the...
Saving adult education: how staff and students came to the rescue of a lifelong learning college
When the Vaughan Centre for Lifelong Learning at the University of Leicester was threatened with closure, a campaign was launched to re-open it as a community-owned college. Founder member Dr Miriam Gill looks forward to a brighter future for adult education in the...
Universities are not like banks: why Sir Michael Barber is wrong
Sir Michael Barber, head of the Office for Students, has said that the regulator will not come to the aid of failing universities. It’s a policy that could have disastrous consequences for students, argues Professor DVM Bishop In a much-publicised speech on...
News round-up: Top universities called out over failing to tackle ‘rape culture’ and sexual harassment
A website has accrued over 15,000 anonymous testimonies of sexual harassment, assault, and other accounts of deeply entrenched misogyny at universities across the UK. Naturally, this has caused students and staff to question whether enough is being done to tackle rape...
News round-up: When will we see the return to university campuses?
As the government prepares to gradually ease Covid-19 restrictions, with the hope of returning 'to normal life' by late June, university staff and students have been left wondering when, or if, they will be expected to resume face-to-face teaching and return to...
News round-up: Universities must make clear that intimidation of academics is unacceptable, Gavin Williamson warns
Strong words from the education secretary on free speech, and new figures show that two in five 18-year-olds now apply to university Gavin Williamson gives universities final warning on free speech The Times, 07/02/2020, Rosemary Bennett The education secretary...
News round-up: Eventually everyone will have a first-class degree
If grade inflation continues at the current rate, by 2030 all students at some universities will graduate with first-class degrees. Plus: regulation is costing universities more than £500k a year First-class degrees for all students by 2030 The Times,...
The Covid-19 Crisis and the Future of Tertiary Education: a Green Paper from the University of Greenwich
This paper was kindly contributed by Dr Jane Lethbridge and Professor Patrick Ainley from the University of Greenwich. It is the fourth in our series titled ‘Manifestos for Change’, in which we are seeking forward-thinking responses to the present Covid-19 crisis, and...
An alternative vision for the future of Roehampton
This report was contributed to CDBU by Vision for Roehampton, a grassroots campaign organized by members of the UCU Roehampton branch. It is the third in our series titled 'Manifestos for Change', in which we are seeking forward-thinking responses to the present...
Educating for unemployment
by Prof. Patrick Ainley (University of Greenwich) Ken Roberts (pictured), Professor of Sociology at Liverpool University, described ‘The real trend in social mobility from upward to downward’ at the latest seminar in a series on precarious labour hosted by the...
German media coverage of the CDBU
Continuing our coverage of overseas reactions to the foundation of the Council for the Defence of British Universities, Germany’s leading newspaper and radio news outlets have also picked up the story. Germany’s most celebrated daily newspaper, the Frankfurter...
News round-up: UCU threatens industrial action if staff are forced to return to unsafe campuses
University and College Union will ballot its members to strike once again if they are forced to resume in-person teaching and return to unsafe campuses. Meanwhile, the government has published its highly anticipated response to the Augar review, and rent strikes rage...
News round-up: New reports shine a harsh light on racism and sexual harassment at UK universities
Sexual abuse at English and Welsh universities has been described as a "public scandal" after a report revealed that universities are systematically failing to address instances of assault and harassment, while another report commissioned by Universities UK has...
News round-up: UCU deems government’s decision to reopen campuses for face-to-face teaching “unlawful”
UCU have called for a judicial review of the government's decision to ignore calls from its own Sage committee to move all non-essential teaching online and instead reopen campuses for face-to-face teaching. Sage advised the government that coronavirus outbreaks...
News round-up: Universities receive record number of applications during lockdown, but many are pushing ahead with cuts
Ucas recently announced that UK universities had received a record number of applications over the lockdown period, despite growing concerns about the impacts of coronavirus on the higher education sector. Many universities are pushing ahead with devastating cuts, and...
News round-up: Free speech debate intensifies
The "free-speech debate" has intensified after the government announced it would introduce a 'Free Speech Champion' for higher education who will have the powers to fine universities or student unions that restrict free speech. The announcement has been met with...
News round-up: Thousands of university staff made redundant since the start of the pandemic
An FOI request made by Times Higher Education has revealed that thousands of university staff have been made redundant since the coronavirus pandemic hit. Meanwhile, students across the country have planned the biggest rent strike in decades with over 20 strikes...
News round-up: UCU deems government’s decision to reopen campuses for face-to-face teaching “unlawful”
UCU have called for a judicial review of the government's decision to ignore calls from its own Sage committee to move all non-essential teaching online and instead reopen campuses for face-to-face teaching. Sage advised the government that coronavirus outbreaks...
News round-up: Tensions grow over the return of staff and students to university campuses
Once again, the return of staff and students to university campuses has dominated Higher Education news. UCU insist that the risks of spreading Covid-19 is still far too high, especially without proper Track and Trace and testing protocols in place. Meanwhile, the DfE...
News round-up: UCU threatens industrial action if staff are forced to return to unsafe campuses
University and College Union will ballot its members to strike once again if they are forced to resume in-person teaching and return to unsafe campuses. Meanwhile, the government has published its highly anticipated response to the Augar review, and rent strikes rage...
TEF in the time of pandemic
This blog post was kindly contributed by Professor Dorothy Bishop. It was originally featured on her personal blog, which you can find here. An article in the Times Higher today considers the fate of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). I am a...
‘Don’t frighten the students’: the crisis of academic freedom in the managed university
Liz Morrish had an unblemished record of 30 years in academia without so much as a late library book to her name. That all changed when she publicly voiced her opinions on the terrible toll managerialism was having on academics’ mental health – and she found herself charged with gross misconduct.
It’s time to abolish the REF – here’s how to do it
The REF is partly responsible for universities’ present ills, but if we get rid of it, we need to find an alternative model for allocating research funding. Norman Gowar, former principal of Royal Holloway, University of London, suggests a way forward As always it was...
News round-up: Top universities called out over failing to tackle ‘rape culture’ and sexual harassment
A website has accrued over 15,000 anonymous testimonies of sexual harassment, assault, and other accounts of deeply entrenched misogyny at universities across the UK. Naturally, this has caused students and staff to question whether enough is being done to tackle rape...
News round-up: Government “restructuring regime” threatens university autonomy
The government recently published their 'Restructuring Regime' for universities facing financial collapse, causing many to question whether university autonomy is a thing of the past. The petitions committee announced that there will be no automatic tuition fee...
News round-up: Universities fear the worst after government refuses multi-billion bailout
The government's rejection of the multi-billion pound bailout needed to save universities has raised serious concerns for the future of higher education. Voluntary severance schemes have been introduced, graduate prospects look bleak, and the shift to online learning...
Cooling the crisis out
"If we wish to change the model, to have higher education serve the public, students and academics, and not as a Ponzi scheme floated on a bubble of student fees, we need to act now", argues John Holmwood. The financial crisis facing the higher education sector is...
News round-up: Top universities called out over failing to tackle ‘rape culture’ and sexual harassment
A website has accrued over 15,000 anonymous testimonies of sexual harassment, assault, and other accounts of deeply entrenched misogyny at universities across the UK. Naturally, this has caused students and staff to question whether enough is being done to tackle rape...
The most severe cuts to UK research funding in a generation – with far-reaching consequences.
Words by Elena Isayev, Professor of Ancient History and Place at the University of Exeter. Anita Entale, a Rwandan-born scientist, was developing cheap methods to clean contaminated water supplies, supported by a Royal Society grant. She is one of the numerous...
UKRI and OfS: happy marriage or uneasy alliance?
The roles of the previous higher education regulator, Hefce, have been split between two new bodies: UKRI and OfS. The two organisations were meant to collaborate – but how’s it working out in practice? Professor GR Evans investigates Higher Education and...
News round-up: New reports shine a harsh light on racism and sexual harassment at UK universities
Sexual abuse at English and Welsh universities has been described as a "public scandal" after a report revealed that universities are systematically failing to address instances of assault and harassment, while another report commissioned by Universities UK has...
News round-up: Tensions grow over the return of staff and students to university campuses
Once again, the return of staff and students to university campuses has dominated Higher Education news. UCU insist that the risks of spreading Covid-19 is still far too high, especially without proper Track and Trace and testing protocols in place. Meanwhile, the DfE...
Universities need to end their silence
Statement from the Council for the Defence of British Universities on A-level results. English universities have been remarkably silent about the fiasco over Ofqual’s determination of A-level grades. Universities UK issued an extraordinarily misjudged...
News round-up: University staff and students bear the brunt of Covid-19
As Covid-19 continues to inflict damage across the higher education sector and with the plea for a financial bailout falling on deaf ears, students and staff have come out in full force to highlight "inhumane" management practices and responses to the pandemic. NEW on...
News round-up: ‘Catastrophic’ funding cuts for arts subjects cause uproar
Reports that the Office for Students and Education Secretary Gavin Williamson plan to slash funding for arts subjects by 50% have caused uproar this week. The OfS have sought to clarify the situation, claiming that the proposed cuts only apply "...to a smaller subsidy...
An alternative vision for the future of Roehampton
This report was contributed to CDBU by Vision for Roehampton, a grassroots campaign organized by members of the UCU Roehampton branch. It is the third in our series titled 'Manifestos for Change', in which we are seeking forward-thinking responses to the present...
News round-up: Online learning raises questions and issues of accessibility become a growing concern
This week, universities continued to come to grips with the prospect of shifting online, raising questions about quality and accessibility. CDBU also expressed their support for disabled students who feel left behind amid Covid-19 chaos, and we have issued a call for...
News round-up: Universities fear the worst after government refuses multi-billion bailout
The government's rejection of the multi-billion pound bailout needed to save universities has raised serious concerns for the future of higher education. Voluntary severance schemes have been introduced, graduate prospects look bleak, and the shift to online learning...
News round-up: When will we see the return to university campuses?
As the government prepares to gradually ease Covid-19 restrictions, with the hope of returning 'to normal life' by late June, university staff and students have been left wondering when, or if, they will be expected to resume face-to-face teaching and return to...
News round-up: Free speech debate intensifies
The "free-speech debate" has intensified after the government announced it would introduce a 'Free Speech Champion' for higher education who will have the powers to fine universities or student unions that restrict free speech. The announcement has been met with...
News round-up: Government urged to waive student loan interest fees
The government has announced a £50 million hardship fund for students who have been financially impacted by the pandemic. However, some feel more could be done to help students, with a group of vice-chancellors calling on the government to go further and waive student...
News round-up: New reports shine a harsh light on racism and sexual harassment at UK universities
Sexual abuse at English and Welsh universities has been described as a "public scandal" after a report revealed that universities are systematically failing to address instances of assault and harassment, while another report commissioned by Universities UK has...
Widening access
News round-up: New year, same problems
As the world welcomes a new year, the issues that the coronavirus pandemic has inflicted on higher education remain. Students across the UK have begun rent strikes, university staff face the prospect of returning to unsafe campuses, and debates about the value of...
News round-up: A-levels fiasco causes chaos for universities
After thousands of A-level and BTEC students were downgraded on results day, Gavin Williams and Ofqual - in a highly predictable U-turn - scrapped the algorithm and allowed students to use Centre Assessed Grades (teachers' predictions) instead, allowing many to secure...
News round-up: Online learning raises questions and issues of accessibility become a growing concern
This week, universities continued to come to grips with the prospect of shifting online, raising questions about quality and accessibility. CDBU also expressed their support for disabled students who feel left behind amid Covid-19 chaos, and we have issued a call for...
News round-up: Warnings of admissions chaos as coronavirus hits
Inevitably, this week’s round-up is dominated by one story – the coronavirus’s impact on teaching, exams and admissions Exam cancellations to spark ‘almighty scramble’ in UK admissions Times Higher Education, 20/03/2020, Anna McKie The cancellation of exams caused by...