“In a time of unprecedented change for the UK’s academy, its leaders are under the spotlight as never before. Accordingly, Times Higher Education has augmented its annual survey of pay in the sector with an investigation into our v-cs’ educational backgrounds. John Morgan asks: who are these people and what do they earn? …” (more)
[Times Higher Education, 24 March]
“The United Kingdom’s budget for 2011-12, announced today by Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, has some good news for scientists with a £100 million boost in spending on capital projects as well as promised removal of red tape surrounding biomedical research and clinical trials …” (more)
[Daniel Clery, Science Insider, 23 March]
“As another institution announces it will charge students the maximum, there are fears that the government may be forced to cut university places …” (more)
[Jessica Shepherd, Guardian, 23 March]
“Her case is the latest example of the increasingly frequent phenomenon of the litigious student, and it raises some very important legal issues …” (more)
[Eoin O’Dell, Cearta, 23 March]
“On tuition fees, the general picture is clear. Top universities will charge the full £9,000. Less prestigious universities will charge less. But where does the ‘top’ end, how low will the bottom go and what’s going to happen in the middle? …” (more)
[William Cullerne Bown, Exquisite Life, 23 March]
“Yesterday’s Guardian newspaper carried an interesting article by Universities UK president, Professor Steve Smith. In this he argued that the new post-Browne funding model for English universities would not actually involve a public funding reduction …” (more)
[Ferdinand von Prondzynski, University Blog, 23 March]
“The British government provided details on Tuesday of long-anticipated changes in immigration policy that are expected to cut the number of foreign students in Britain by 25% …” (more)
[Aisha Labi, Chronicle of Higher Education, 22 March]
“Government to close fake colleges, bar students with poor English skills and bring in new rules on staying after courses end …” (more)
[Guardian, 22 March]
“Ministers were today warned of a looming university funding crisis after Essex became the latest institution to announce flat rate tuition fees of £9,000 …” (more)
[Graeme Paton, Daily Telegraph, 22 March]
“From September 2012 universities in England and Wales will be able to charge up to £9,000 in tuition fees per year, and many universities have already signalled their intention to charge the full amount. This will change the way that students see their universities. As costs rise for so will expectations. Students will be more focused on making sure they get their money’s worth. How? One way will be by looking to enforce their contractual rights …” (more)
[Julian Sladdin, OUT-LAW News, 22 March]
“Strike action is set to hit some of the older universities across England as lecturers walk out in a dispute over pensions …” (more)
[BBC News, 22 March]
“Some students and profs London’s Imperial College have decided to stop using scary anecdotes to frighten students away from Wikipedia …” (more)
[Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing, 21 March]
“In the latest disastrous development in British Higher Education, due no doubt to the Government’s ill thought out proposal to transform (and rudely marketise) the process of University funding, Keele University has asked its Senate to consider a proposal to close the Philosophy program there …” (more)
[Storm breaking upon the university, 20 March]
“When students at the London School of Economics occupied the faculty dining room last month to protest the school’s links with the Libyan government, it seemed like a purely local dispute …” (more)
[DD Guttenplan, New York Times, 20 March]
“Reading about evolution has made me think about why some professions grow and thrive while others die out. I’m intrigued by the expansion in numbers of people regulating the activities of researchers …” (more)
[BishopBlog, 20 March]
“Deputy prime minister’s call to lower entry requirements for disadvantaged pupils rejected as ‘nonsense’ by academics …” (more)
[Daniel Boffey, Observer, 20 March]
“As recent events in Libya unfolded, one story that got a fair amount of air time was the donation to the London School of Economics of money from Saif Gaddafi, son of the Libyan leader. Inevitably of course further investigations by journalists have revealed other donations and grants from the region …” (more)
[Ferdinand von Prondzynski, University Blog, 20 March]
“The UK’s main lecturers’ union has welcomed proposals for vice-chancellors to have a portion of their pay withheld if they fail to perform well in their job …” (more)
[Hannah Fearn, University World News, 20 March]
“The biggest debt currently owed to the Student Loans Company is £66,150, the BBC has learned. A Freedom of Information request has revealed that the total sum of the 20 largest student debts is over £1m …” (more)
[Julia Ross, BBC News, 19 March]
“With third-level fees in England on the rise, increasing numbers of students from the UK are applying for places in Irish colleges. According to CAO figures, there has been an 11% increase in applications from the UK in comparison with the same time last year …” (more)
[Cían Nihill, Irish Times, 19 March]
Ninth Level Ireland 