BLOG INDEX
News round-up: Academics go on strike over pay and conditions
The strikes at half of the UK’s universities dominate this week’s news round-up – while new figures show that institutions are competing fiercely for a shrinking band of 18-year olds UCU says some universities are using ‘highly questionable tactics’ as strikes are...
read moreHigher education and the election: the main party manifestos compared
Professor GR Evans takes a look at what the three major political parties have planned for higher education For those of us interested in higher education, one of the most eagerly-awaited aspects of the manifestos was how they would deal with the recommendations of...
read moreNews 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 not...
read moreNews round-up: Nearly a quarter of English universities are in deficit
In this week’s news round-up, the number of English universities with operating deficits has risen to 32 – but the economy sees a net benefit from overseas students who stay Open University gave away £13 million in severance payments last year despite claiming they...
read moreNews round-up: Academics go on strike over pay and conditions
The strikes at half of the UK’s universities dominate this week’s news round-up – while new figures show that institutions are competing fiercely for a shrinking band of 18-year olds UCU says some universities are using ‘highly questionable tactics’ as strikes are...
read moreNews round-up: More strikes are on the way as UCU members vote for industrial action
University staff are to strike over pensions, pay and working conditions – and an imminent general election casts uncertainty over higher education policy December election puts UK policy progress on hold Times Higher Education, 01/11/2019, Simon Baker News that a...
read moreNews round-up: House of Lords warns of the impact of tuition fee cuts
Augar’s recommendation of cuts to tuition fees could be devastating unless government makes up the shortfall, says a House of Lords committee – and the OfS could begin fining universities if they carry on making unconditional offers Tuition fees cut could be...
read moreA 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 regulating...
read moreNews round-up: The pensions strike is over, and the OU vice-chancellor resigns
Academic staff have voted to accept an offer to reopen negotiations with employers, and the position of the OU’s vice-chancellor finally becomes untenable Student nurses face financial hardship over loan error, says nursing body The Guardian, 16/04/2018, Patrick...
read moreNews round-up: A new higher education regulator is launched and pension strikes continue
The pensions dispute rumbles on, the OfS admits to making a mistake over the Toby Young appointment, and the OU vice-chancellor faces a vote of no confidence Universities give out unconditional offers like candy, say head teachers The Times, 31/03/2018, Rosemary...
read moreNews round-up: demand for higher education is set to grow
Demand for university places is going to grow by 300,000, but the rise in tuition fees means fewer people are choosing to study part-time More than 40,000 fewer part-time students go to university due to tuition fees hike, study suggests The Independent online,...
read moreYes, tuition fees in England are among the highest in the world
It turns out the CDBU were right about tuition fees Prime minister Theresa May has admitted that tuition fees in England are among the highest in the world. It’s good to see an acknowledgement from government of something that we first drew attention to three years...
read moreRadical 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...
read moreCDBU 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...
read moreThe 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...
read moreRoundup 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:...
read moreNews round-up: The threat to the future of Erasmus+ – and why academia is a damaging environment for mental health
The government’s Brexit withdrawal bill saw defeat for an amendment requiring the government to continue the UK’s participation in the Erasmus + exchange scheme Fears for future of private university after recruitment ‘pause’ Times Higher Education, 10/01/2020, John...
read moreNews 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 not...
read moreNews round-up: Jo Johnson resigns – and another strike could be on the way
Once again, the country finds itself without a universities minister, while plans to allow EU nationals to stay for only three years in the event of no deal could hit student recruitment Ucas accused of abusing its position with debt firm advert The Guardian,...
read moreNews round-up: Casual academics are doing huge amounts of unpaid work
Academic staff on casual contracts do twice the amount of work they are paid for, and a member of the House of Lords hopes to outlaw essay mills Scientists quit Nobel-winning project over authorship dispute Times Higher Education, 05/07/2019, David Matthews A...
read moreNews round-up: House of Lords warns of the impact of tuition fee cuts
Augar’s recommendation of cuts to tuition fees could be devastating unless government makes up the shortfall, says a House of Lords committee – and the OfS could begin fining universities if they carry on making unconditional offers Tuition fees cut could be...
read moreNews round-up: A no-deal Brexit would be bad news for British researchers
More discouraging news on Brexit, and UK universities' ties to Saudi Arabia have come under scrutiny Universities’ Saudi ties under scrutiny after Khashoggi killing Times Higher Education, 26/10/2018, Ellie Bothwell Western universities are under increasing pressure...
read moreThe Bologna Process – the difference between theory and practice
Professor Judith Marquand has just published Democrats, Authoritarians and the Bologna Process: Universities in Germany, Russia, England and Wales. Here she explains what the Bologna Process has meant in different countries When I told the principal of an Oxford...
read moreBritain has one of the best higher education systems in the world. So what did Jo Johnson do to cheerlead us?
Professor Jo Wolff goes hunting for positive remarks from Jo Johnson about universities – and offers some advice to successor Sam Gyimah ‘Farewell unis and science’, tweeted Jo Johnson, channelling Private Eye’s E.J. Thribb. Academics were astonished by such an honest...
read moreNews 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, 27/12/2019,...
read moreNews 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 Morgan...
read moreNews 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 not...
read moreNews round-up: Labour could cap number of private school students going to university
As figures show that half of young people now go to university, Labour has announced plans to limit the number of students universities can accept from private schools UUK president aims to show degree value ‘not all about money’ Times Higher Education, 03/10/2019,...
read moreA 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 regulating...
read moreRoll 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...
read moreUpdate 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...
read moreA ‘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...
read moreThe managerial humanities: or, why the digital humanities don’t exist
Daniel Allington is a lecturer in English Language and Applied Linguistics at the Open University. The piece below is taken from his blog: http://www.danielallington.net As we all know, the digital humanities are the next big thing. A couple of years ago, I gave a...
read moreAcademics in UK universities – pressure vessels in a sea of metrics
A huge rise in mental health referrals amongst academics is the result of increasingly stressful working conditions, argues researcher and independent scholar Liz Morrish It is often said that lecturers’ working conditions are students’ learning conditions. My...
read moreNews round-up: More strikes are on the way as UCU members vote for industrial action
University staff are to strike over pensions, pay and working conditions – and an imminent general election casts uncertainty over higher education policy December election puts UK policy progress on hold Times Higher Education, 01/11/2019, Simon Baker News that a...
read moreAugar was a damp squib – here’s a better way to manage student finance
Norman Gowar was unimpressed by the Augar Review’s recommendations on student finance. He lays out an alternative proposal that would work for students, universities and taxpayers It is sad that the government’s attempts to marketise universities received scant...
read moreA 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 regulating...
read moreNews round-up: What now for universities? Brexit, changes to university funding and (maybe) an increase in R&D spend
The election result could have major implications for the higher education sector, including the possibility of recruitment challenges in the wake of Brexit UK universities face up to Brexit after Tory election win Times Higher Education, 13/12/2019, John Morgan The...
read moreNews 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 Morgan...
read moreNews round-up: More strikes are on the way as UCU members vote for industrial action
University staff are to strike over pensions, pay and working conditions – and an imminent general election casts uncertainty over higher education policy December election puts UK policy progress on hold Times Higher Education, 01/11/2019, Simon Baker News that a...
read moreNews 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 not...
read moreNews round-up: What now for universities? Brexit, changes to university funding and (maybe) an increase in R&D spend
The election result could have major implications for the higher education sector, including the possibility of recruitment challenges in the wake of Brexit UK universities face up to Brexit after Tory election win Times Higher Education, 13/12/2019, John Morgan The...
read moreHigher education and the election: the main party manifestos compared
Professor GR Evans takes a look at what the three major political parties have planned for higher education For those of us interested in higher education, one of the most eagerly-awaited aspects of the manifestos was how they would deal with the recommendations of...
read moreNews round-up: University applications from 18-year olds have reached a record high, despite the demographic dip
As more 18-year olds are applying to university and more gain places through clearing, Labour wants to move to a system of applying to university after A-level results Knowledge exchange framework review before funding link Times Higher Education, 23/08/2019, Chris...
read moreWho regulates the regulator? The Office for Students misses its deadline
The Higher Education Funding Council for England did an excellent job of maintaining a register of providers. So why is the Office for Students struggling, asks Professor G.R.Evans The Office for Students (OfS), fully in operation from 1 August after its first-year...
read moreA conflict of interest: the statutory instruments shaping the Office for Students
On Monday, the Labour Party tried unsuccessfully to block the legislation that would enable the new Office for Students to regulate universities. Professor GR Evans takes a look at the arguments During the debates on the Higher Education and Research Bill, members of...
read moreWhat is teaching intensity – and how do you measure it?
The government believes that university courses can be rated according to the level of teaching intensity they provide. Professor GR Evans detects a lack of joined-up thinking “Prospective students deserve to know which courses deliver great teaching and great...
read moreWho needs external examiners? We do
UCU has asked external examiners to resign in support of the strike over pensions. But what exactly does an external examiner do? Professor GR Evans reflects on the value of an undersung role On 15 March the University and College Union (UCU) asked external examiners...
read moreSubject level TEF: are the metrics statistically adequate?
Opinion piece by D. V. M. Bishop The Teaching Excellence and Outcomes Framework (TEF) was introduced at an institutional level in 2016. It uses metrics from the National Student Survey, together with information on drop-out rates, and on student outcomes. These are...
read moreReview: 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...
read moreThe 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...
read moreSaving 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...
read moreUniversities 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 November...
read moreNews 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, 27/12/2019,...
read moreNews round-up: More strikes are on the way as UCU members vote for industrial action
University staff are to strike over pensions, pay and working conditions – and an imminent general election casts uncertainty over higher education policy December election puts UK policy progress on hold Times Higher Education, 01/11/2019, Simon Baker News that a...
read moreNews round-up: Jo Johnson resigns – and another strike could be on the way
Once again, the country finds itself without a universities minister, while plans to allow EU nationals to stay for only three years in the event of no deal could hit student recruitment Ucas accused of abusing its position with debt firm advert The Guardian,...
read moreNews round-up: Two in five school leavers in England apply for university places this year
In England, record numbers of school leavers apply to university – and a record proportion of students are awarded first-class degrees England university applications hit record numbers BBC, 11/07/2019, Anon Record numbers of 18-year-olds in England have applied for...
read moreEducating 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...
read moreGerman 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...
read moreRoss McKibbin Advises Opposing Marketeers on Their Own Ground
One of the leading historians of twentieth-century Britain, Dr Ross McKibbin of St John's College Oxford, has greeted the foundation of the CDBU with an insightful piece 'In Defence of British Universities' in the London Review of Books. Those who would defend...
read moreSalford VC Martin Hall joins CDBU
Professor Martin Hall, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Salford and historical archaeologist, has written a piece in support of CDBU on his personal blog, which has also been reproduced on the higher education blog Wonkhe. Here are a few excerpts: The CDBU is...
read moreNews round-up: Another £12bn added to the deficit as ONS changes the way student loans are recorded
Student loans will now be reclassified as public spending – and the Office for Students issues universities with a warning about grade inflation Philosophers urge Hull to think again over course cuts Times Higher Education, 21/12/2018, Matthew Reisz Leading...
read moreWhat are metrics good for?
Last week, the CDBU's Professor Dorothy Bishop gave a terrific lecture looking at what metrics can offer in evaluating universities - and where they fail. If you were unlucky to miss it, here's your chance to listen to the lecture....
read moreNews round-up: Tuition fees don’t all go on tuition – shock
A new study finds that the larger part of tuition fees is spent on support, admin and buildings rather than tuition – and the two-year degree makes one of its periodic reappearances Scrap REF and allocate QR funding by headcount, says professor Times Higher...
read moreThe new REF: biased, unaccountable and unchallengeable
Changes to the 2021 Research Evaluation Framework will increase the stress on academics and strengthen the hand of the managerial elite, argues Josh Robinson, lecturer in English literature at Cardiff University Two of the changes implemented for the 2021 Research...
read moreThe Bill on the Governance of Scottish Universities
The Bill before the Scottish Parliament on the governance of Scottish Universities has implications not only for Scotland but anybody interested in the relationship of governments to the universities in their territories. Here are some weblinks to this debate:...
read moreNews round-up: More strikes are on the way as UCU members vote for industrial action
University staff are to strike over pensions, pay and working conditions – and an imminent general election casts uncertainty over higher education policy December election puts UK policy progress on hold Times Higher Education, 01/11/2019, Simon Baker News that a...
read moreNews round-up: Reading halves the workforce at its Malaysia campus, and a benefactor showers money on lucky Oxford
The University of Reading is the latest to find that overseas campuses aren’t as lucrative as hoped, while Oxford has been blessed with a gift of £150m to create a new centre for the humanities Reading halves Malaysia campus workforce after £27 million loss Times...
read moreThe 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...
read moreA 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 regulating...
read moreNews round-up: What now for universities? Brexit, changes to university funding and (maybe) an increase in R&D spend
The election result could have major implications for the higher education sector, including the possibility of recruitment challenges in the wake of Brexit UK universities face up to Brexit after Tory election win Times Higher Education, 13/12/2019, John Morgan The...
read moreHigher education and the election: the main party manifestos compared
Professor GR Evans takes a look at what the three major political parties have planned for higher education For those of us interested in higher education, one of the most eagerly-awaited aspects of the manifestos was how they would deal with the recommendations of...
read moreAugar was a damp squib – here’s a better way to manage student finance
Norman Gowar was unimpressed by the Augar Review’s recommendations on student finance. He lays out an alternative proposal that would work for students, universities and taxpayers It is sad that the government’s attempts to marketise universities received scant...
read moreNews round-up: Labour could cap number of private school students going to university
As figures show that half of young people now go to university, Labour has announced plans to limit the number of students universities can accept from private schools UUK president aims to show degree value ‘not all about money’ Times Higher Education, 03/10/2019,...
read moreUKRI 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 Research...
read moreUniversities UK – who does it represent and what does it do?
Professor GR Evans looks at the history of an organisation that has rarely been out of the news in recent weeks – and asks what powers it really has Universities UK has been in the news recently during the upset caused by the proposals to make major changes to the...
read moreNews round-up: What now for universities? Brexit, changes to university funding and (maybe) an increase in R&D spend
The election result could have major implications for the higher education sector, including the possibility of recruitment challenges in the wake of Brexit UK universities face up to Brexit after Tory election win Times Higher Education, 13/12/2019, John Morgan The...
read moreNews round-up: Academics go on strike over pay and conditions
The strikes at half of the UK’s universities dominate this week’s news round-up – while new figures show that institutions are competing fiercely for a shrinking band of 18-year olds UCU says some universities are using ‘highly questionable tactics’ as strikes are...
read moreHigher education and the election: the main party manifestos compared
Professor GR Evans takes a look at what the three major political parties have planned for higher education For those of us interested in higher education, one of the most eagerly-awaited aspects of the manifestos was how they would deal with the recommendations of...
read moreNews 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 Morgan...
read moreWho regulates the regulator? The Office for Students misses its deadline
The Higher Education Funding Council for England did an excellent job of maintaining a register of providers. So why is the Office for Students struggling, asks Professor G.R.Evans The Office for Students (OfS), fully in operation from 1 August after its first-year...
read moreNews round-up: Casual academics are doing huge amounts of unpaid work
Academic staff on casual contracts do twice the amount of work they are paid for, and a member of the House of Lords hopes to outlaw essay mills Scientists quit Nobel-winning project over authorship dispute Times Higher Education, 05/07/2019, David Matthews A...
read more‘A small cadre talking amongst themselves’: the problem with university governance
Without proper information and an understanding of wider concerns, governing bodies will continue to make poor decisions, argues Professor Norman Gowar, former principal of Royal Holloway, University of London News that some universities are in financial...
read moreSaving 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...
read more
Widening access
News round-up: What now for universities? Brexit, changes to university funding and (maybe) an increase in R&D spend
The election result could have major implications for the higher education sector, including the possibility of recruitment challenges in the wake of Brexit UK universities face up to Brexit after Tory election win Times Higher Education, 13/12/2019, John Morgan The...
read moreNews round-up: More strikes are on the way as UCU members vote for industrial action
University staff are to strike over pensions, pay and working conditions – and an imminent general election casts uncertainty over higher education policy December election puts UK policy progress on hold Times Higher Education, 01/11/2019, Simon Baker News that a...
read moreNews round-up: Labour could cap number of private school students going to university
As figures show that half of young people now go to university, Labour has announced plans to limit the number of students universities can accept from private schools UUK president aims to show degree value ‘not all about money’ Times Higher Education, 03/10/2019,...
read moreNews round-up: Education secretary backs a review of university admissions
A mixed bag this week: Gavin Williamson supports the OfS review into university admissions, a record number of disadvantaged pupils are winning university places and universities are likely to face delays to funding when the UK leaves the EU Ethicist warns...
read more 