Pinker bemoans Sussex's closing of linguistics

Steven Pinker, the internationally renowned expert in language and cognition, has asked the vice-chancellor of the University of Sussex to reconsider his decision to close undergraduate linguistics...

The lines of beauty

As an essential curricular element, poetry is on the critical list, but Greg Garrard has a plan to make students adore it

Whisper it: administration can be useful, innovative and even likeable

Scholars must engage with the vital creative support teams that underpin their work. They may even find some satisfaction in paperwork, says Dave Hall

Font of all wisdom, or not?

The internet may one day hold the library of all knowledge, but not while Wikipedia predominates, says Martin Cohen

When is a dismissal fair?

One of the claims most commonly considered by employment tribunals is unfair dismissal. What is not always clearly understood by those seeking to pursue such claims is the approach that a tribunal...

Cartoon by Ham

The week in higher education

Women historians have been blamed for turning history into a bizarre soap opera. David Starkey, the historian and well-known television and radio presenter, said women had "feminised" history,...

Scholars in arts accorded highest esteem in the RAE

Analysis shows that perfect scores were harder to come by in sciences. Zoë Corbyn reports

DIUS promises to ditch the jargon but defends its use of 'customer'

Select committee's attack on chief scientific officer also rebutted, writes Rebecca Attwood

Move over dons, administrators now rule, says v-c

The days of the "donnish dominion" are over and university administration is perhaps the key profession in higher education.This is the view of Sir Peter Scott, vice-chancellor of Kingston University...

Recruitment problems kill off CAM courses

Not long ago, universities were clamouring to set up complementary medicine courses, but now it seems they cannot offload them quickly enough.The universities of Westminster and Central Lancashire...

Research councils unveil 'future vision'

Three new priorities and an unceasing drive for practical research announced. Zoë Corbyn reports

Post-92s suffer as AHRC block grants favour traditional sector

Four modern universities receive postgraduate cash as Oxbridge dominates, writes Zoë Corbyn

Collaboration, not difference, is key to survival

The mantra that universities must focus on "distinctiveness" and "difference" to survive in an increasingly competitive market may have to be watered down, because collaboration and rationalisation...

Hefce wants severance 'fairness'

Funder advises against 'rewarding' failure and confidentiality clauses, writes Melanie Newman