Strength in breadth
While some universities are mopping up the A grades, others focus on diversity, says Donald Ridley Once upon a time, perhaps three decades ago, about 10 per cent of school-leavers went to university...
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You can't trust a don's diary
The transparency review of academics' work is a waste of time and money, says Bruce Charlton Starting next month, I have been asked to participate in the Civil Service-generated transparency review,...
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All systems go here at admission control
The A-level results are out, clearing is under way and those making the offers are working at full stretch. But it's not just an August job, says Chris Willmott, who clocks up more than 180 hours a...
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Teaching: On the front line
What is your experience of teaching? Name : Paul A. Singh Ghuman Age : 60-plus. Job : Personal chair in ethnic minority education, University of Wales, Aberystwyth. Salary : £45,000 a year....
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The sweet stench of success
For 20 years the plant has been almost invisible in the Cambridge University Botanic Garden. But now the Titan Arum, one of the largest flowers, is set to become the centre of attention. The giant...
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Book pulped at London Met
London Metropolitan University has pulped thousands of copies of an official history, The Times Higher learnt this week. Sean Glynn, author of From Polytechnic to University , a history of the old...
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Externals are all fired up
A new breed of young enthusiastic external examiners has emerged in UK universities and colleges during the past decade, a study has revealed. But academics who visit other universities to ensure...
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Today's news
Scientists warn of new Anthropocene age The EuroScience forum in Stockholm, Sweden, heard yesterday that climate change was the most obvious of a complex range of man-made effects that is rapidly...
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Delay term to aid fair entry, say top v-cs
Two prominent university heads declared for the first time this week that they would be willing to delay the start of the academic year to make it possible to select students after they have received...
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B-grade maths students are so bad, they may as well guess the answers
A-level maths standards have dropped to the point where B-grade students score little better in a basic university test than they would if they were randomly guessing, according to a new study. The...
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In the news: Patrick Tissington
The third anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the US is little more than two weeks away, but it was only last month that the Government published advice on how to survive a similar...
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Appointments
Leeds University has appointed: Kenneth Hay , former deputy head of the School of Design, to the chair in contemporary art practice; Constantine Katsikeas , formerly at Cardiff Business School, to a...
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Union call for strong watchdog
Academics could soon get a new ombudsman to deal with their complaints against university managers and governors, as unions begin fresh talks with vice- chancellors over plans to replace the defunct...
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Welsh look for great thinkers
Physical beauty and prowess command ever-more respect in today's celebrity-obsessed world, but Glamorgan University is seeking to redress the balance by launching a poll to highlight the world's...
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Next week
Are you earning enough? We look at how academic pay varies across the sector Also What are British values? Sir Bernard Crick, David Cesarani, Tariq Madood, Keith Hart and Keith Ward debate the make-...