From Regulation to Regime: Are we seeing a government takeover of universities?

From Regulation to Regime: Are we seeing a government takeover of universities?

by | Jul 31, 2020 | Academic freedom, Covid-19, Free speech, Government, In the News, Marketisation, Opinion, Uncategorized, University governance

Words by Liz Morrish, independent scholar. One thing governments have learned over the last 30 years is not to let a disaster go to waste. In the guise of offering a survival strategy for universities in the pandemic, the Department for Education has issued a...
News round-up: Government “restructuring regime” threatens university autonomy

News round-up: Government “restructuring regime” threatens university autonomy

by | Jul 24, 2020 | Academic freedom, Casual staff, CDBU Updates, Covid-19, Employability, Government, Humanities, In the News, Marketisation, News round-up, Office for Students, Opinion, Tuition fees, Uncategorized

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...
CDBU announces new Chair of Trustees and responds to government “Restructuring Regime”

CDBU announces new Chair of Trustees and responds to government “Restructuring Regime”

by | Jul 21, 2020 | Academic freedom, Casual staff, CDBU Updates, Covid-19, Employability, Government, Humanities, In the News, Marketisation, Press Releases, Uncategorized, University governance

PRESS RELEASE: July 21, 2020 The Council for the Defence of British Universities is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Rowan Williams (Lord Williams of Oystermouth) as our new Chair of Trustees.  We offer a warm welcome to Lord Williams, who we know will...
News round-up: Online learning raises questions and issues of accessibility become a growing concern

News round-up: Online learning raises questions and issues of accessibility become a growing concern

by | May 29, 2020 | Academic freedom, Admissions, Casual staff, CDBU Updates, Covid-19, Further education, Government, In the News, Marketisation, National Union of Students, News round-up, Opinion, Scotland, Uncategorized, University funding, University governance, Wales, Widening access, Workplace stress

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...
‘Don’t frighten the students’: the crisis of academic freedom in the managed university

‘Don’t frighten the students’: the crisis of academic freedom in the managed university

by | Apr 20, 2020 | Academic freedom, Free speech, Opinion, Teaching Excellence Framework, TEF, Uncategorized, University governance

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...

News round-up: Warnings of admissions chaos as coronavirus hits

by | Mar 20, 2020 | Academic freedom, Admissions, Free speech, Marketisation, News round-up, Uncategorized, Unconditional offers, Widening access

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...