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 on across the UK. CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS!Would you like to write for the...Read More
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 claimed that British universities “perpetuate institutional racism”. Meanwhile, extra time and funding for PhD students has been...Read More
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 spurred by the reopening of campuses would be “very likely”. UCU have since recorded 27,000 positive...Read More
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 comments from the Universities Minister have sparked a debate about the value of humanities subjects. Latest...Read More
The repercussions of Covid-19 are being felt across the higher education sector as Universities UK warn that without support some institutions risk collapse, students go on rent strike, and the REF and TEF are postponed indefinitely Universities UK: state bailout required to save institutions – Times Higher Education, Jack Grove, 10/04/2020 Some UK universities could...Read More
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 a great pleasure to read Dorothy Bishop’s proposals for abolishing...Read More
Attacks on free speech at our oldest university – and a revelation that there are no black academics in the most senior managerial ranks in UK higher education Oxford University professor given security guards for lectures after threats from transgender activists Daily Telegraph, 24/01/2020, Camilla Turner and Ewan Somerville An Oxford University professor has...Read More
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 academics have urged the University of Hull to commit to continuing to teach philosophy, as...Read More
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. You can view the accompanying slides here.Read More
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 Education, 23/11/2018, Anna McKie Quality-related research funding should be distributed...Read More
