Mind, don't dismiss, the BME attainment gap
Universities are more keen to "explain away" the attainment gap between white and ethnic-minority students than to address the problem.That is the view of Aneez Esmail, associate vice-president for...
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Union outs institutions with 'climate of fear'
UCU survey paints picture of deteriorating workplace environment. Jack Grove reports
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V-cs decline to enlist in defence of the realm
A number of UK university vice-chancellors invited to join the Council for the Defence of British Universities ignored correspondence from organisers, a founding member of the council has said.Sir...
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Queen Mary strike called off
A planned strike today at Queen Mary, University of London, over the method by which academics are assessed was called off yesterday after the institution committed in writing to negotiate over any...
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Mission possible
In a shock move, our university has decided to jettison its current mission statement.This is not the first such change. Founding members of the university who have not yet taken advantage of a...
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Full of touchy-feely, signifying nothing
The concerns that emerged this summer about the Bodleian Libraries are leading to quite a shake-up ("Shelf harm", Letters, 23 August).Last week, a two and a half hour academic-led discussion on the...
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Anti-social work behaviour
What a disgrace it is that Michael Gove, the education secretary, chooses to disregard the positive work that social work academics undertake in supporting and protecting vulnerable people. The arena...
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Open access denied
I read with due concern Simon Lilley's article on the "gold-mining" of academia by "feral" corporate publishers ("How publishers feather their nests on open access to public money", 1 November).His...
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Brazil nuts for Blighty
I read with interest "Steep costs deter Brazil's experience seekers" (News, 8 November).The UK Higher Education International Unit runs the Science without Borders (SwB) UK programme, under which 10,...
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Star-spangled clangers
There are two serious problems with recruiting big-name researchers in the run-up to the research excellence framework ("Reach for the stars", 1 November).First, the financial headroom required to...
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Thin on top
Your article on the question of academics with doctorates tells only half the story ("Proportion of academics with PhDs is 'low'", 1 November).There is a growing body of university managers, deans,...
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Life coaching (1 of 2)
Michael Somerton is undoubtedly correct in asserting that "becoming an effective teacher should be seen as a long-term process" ("Qualified expectations", Letters, 8 November). However, this does not...
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Life coaching (2 of 2)
Michael Somerton suggests that becoming an effective teacher ends only "on retirement". Following the suggestion by Vanessa Pupavac, lecturer in international relations at the University of...
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Do tell them, pike
If one is looking for an apt new slogan for the academy ("The new motto for the marketplace: all for one and none for all", 15 November), R.H. Tawney's famous quote from Equality (1931), "Freedom for...
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Measuring up
The letter commenting on university rankings and men's endowment no doubt has been reported favourably by the media in every country ("Bunch of rankers", 11 October). After all, we all want to come...