Council for the Defence of British Universities

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⏰ You have two more days to complete the consultation on ethical university governance! Don’t miss your chance to have your say.

➡️ qualtrics.manchester.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_bB…

Last chance to feedback on the draft Code of Ethical University Governance, which I drafted for the @cdbu.bsky.social earlier this year (survey closes 31 July).

There's a link to the draft Code on the survey's landing page.

Please share!

www.qualtrics.manchester.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_...

UCAS applications and offer making by June deadline, 2025 More UK 18 year olds are applying to higher education than ever before. David Kernohan breaks the numbers down

Last week on Wonkhe: More UK 18 year olds are applying to higher education than ever before. David Kernohan breaks the numbers down

. @russellgroup.bsky.social says proposed 6% international fee levy would cost its universities £315m - more than half the sector total and more than they spend annually on outreach (£250m) www.timeshighereducation.com/news/real-te... via @jgro-the.bsky.social

‘Student-led’ AHRC PhD places ‘to fall by at least 60 per cent’ Internal modelling released under Freedom of Information enquiry reveals extent of PhD scholarship cuts, with academics fearing impact could be greater still

Number of student-initiated PhD scholarships funded by Arts and Humanities Research Council set to fall by 60% when new doctoral training arrangements come into effect next year www.timeshighereducation.com/news/student... via @jgro-the.bsky.social

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And government *also* doesn't listen to staff, they only talk to UCEA and UUK. So they have an extremely skewed view of what is going on in universities.

Really appreciate this report by @cdbu.bsky.social on governance issues: wonkhe.com/blogs/cultur...

We are pleased to announce the details of our AGM, featuring a panel of excellent speakers!

@williammerrin.bsky.social @gsoh31.bsky.social

*Please note our previous post said ‘Monday 10 July’ in error. The event will take place on Thursday 10.

I'm speaking at this event, on infinite labour and the system of psychotic digital managerialism in HE. Based on a hopefully-forthcoming book!

@profstevenjones.bsky.social

@profstevenjones.bsky.social

Governing bodies ‘too focused on competition, not sector health’ Emergence of governors from private sector means oversight bodies have ‘lost touch with university community’, according to new draft code of conduct

University governing bodies should keep an eye on the collective needs of all institutions instead of just prioritising individual success if they want to improve the financial health of the sector, says @cdbu.bsky.social

#AcademicSky #EduSky

Governing bodies ‘too focused on competition, not sector health’ Emergence of governors from private sector means oversight bodies have ‘lost touch with university community’, according to new draft code of conduct

University governing bodies should keep an eye on the collective needs of all institutions instead of just prioritising individual success, says @cdbu.bsky.social draft governance code www.timeshighereducation.com/news/governi... via @helenpacker.bsky.social

A code of ethical university governance is overdue Steven Jones makes the case for a new ethical code to empower university governors to stand up for students, staff and the public value of higher education

“… the aim of the Code is not to look backwards, let alone to apportion blame. It is to help give future generations of university governors the confidence and wherewithal to bring genuine, meaningful challenge.” wonkhe.com/blogs/a-code...

NEW on Wonkhe: Steven Jones makes the case for a new ethical code to empower university governors to stand up for students, staff and the public value of higher education buff.ly/hR1dEeI

'The Council for the Defence of British Universities (CDBU), a group of serving and former senior academics, has published a draft code of ethical university governance, which sets out standards for the bodies in charge of universities.' You can feed into it until 31 July via this link. 2/2

Governing bodies ‘too focused on competition, not sector health’ Emergence of governors from private sector means oversight bodies have ‘lost touch with university community’, according to new draft code of conduct

'University governing bodies should keep an eye on the collective needs of all institutions instead of just prioritising individual success if they want to improve the financial health of the sector, a campaign group has said.' Absolutely vital topic this. 1/2

Please take the time to complete the accompanying consultation - live until the 31 July: www.qualtrics.manchester.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_...

CDBU Code of Ethical University Governance | CDBU Summary  The CDBU Code of Ethical University Governance is underpinned by the principle that governing bodies have a substantive part to play in affirming higher education as a prized public asset. Th...

We are very pleased to publish our Code of Ethical University Governance today, written on behalf of CDBU by Professor Steve Jones. cdbu.org.uk/cdbu-code-of...

English HE can meet Jacqui Smith’s challenge by embracing devolution If universities must boost opportunity and growth to unlock financial relief, partnering with strategic authorities makes perfect sense, say Chris Cunningham, Jo Davies, Michael Donnelly and Nadia Sid...

Excellent piece by our friend and colleague Chris! www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/engl...

Government plans levy on universities’ overseas fee income - Research Professional News Immigration white paper also proposes cut in duration of graduate visas to 18 months

Breaking: Government plans levy on universities’ overseas fee income.

Immigration white paper also proposes cut in duration of graduate visas to 18 months.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

As expected, there is some policy in this white paper which makes a difficult situation even worse for universities: 1) a potential levy on foreign student fees (I didn't have that on my radar) 2) the reduction of graduate visas to 18 months.

Ireland to launch ‘transformative’ research funding scheme Multiannual funding programme will ‘retain spirit’ of much-applauded previous scheme, considered ‘step-change’ in Irish research investment

The Irish government has plans for a “transformative” research funding programme to take up the mantle of the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions (PRTLI), a €1.2 billion scheme that ran from 1998 to 2015 and was widely considered a “step-change” in Irish research investment

UK immigration White Paper: key changes affecting universities Labour proposes graduate visa reduction, new fee levy and stricter compliance rules in long-awaited policy document

Here's a summary of all the key changes in the UK's immigration White Paper affecting universities, courtesy of @julietterowsell.bsky.social www.timeshighereducation.com/news/uk-immi...

How Florida Scrubbed ‘Identity Politics’ From Universities’ General-Education Curricula A sweeping new law required vast curricular change, leading to a confusing implementation that has professors contemplating the limits of their autonomy.

How do you define "identity politics"? What constitutes the Western canon? How does one "distort" a significant historical event? A sweeping Florida law provoked all of these thorny questions, and redefined colleges' gen ed curriculum in the process. chroni.cl/44u8c3x

UK HE shrinking This is a live page of all the redundancies, restructures, reorganisations, and closures taking place across the sector at the moment. Solidarity to all. This sector is vital to the country’s…

This has been a good discovery this morning, and a very useful resource. The #UCU Branch at Queen Mary University of London has been collating a list of redundancies and cuts across the UK HE sector:

qmucu.org/qmul-transfo...

Statement of support for US universities facing attacks over gender studies and EDI policies from the AGS (Association for German Studies in Great Britain and Ireland) - please share! ags.ac.uk/colleagues-i...

Killing off the university sector once and for all for a politcal battleground which Labour will never win… instead of reclassifying the immigration statistics as we always should have to reflect the fact the vast majority of foreign students leave the UK.

Stupid. Unserious. Utterly self-defeating.

Judith Butler · This Is Wrong: Executive Order 14168 When diversity, equity and inclusion become ‘threats’ to the order of society, progressive politics in general is...

‘Religious doctrine cannot serve as the basis for scientific research or state policy. But that is what is happening in this executive order.’

Judith Butler on Trump’s anti-trans and anti-protest policies: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

Tracking Trump’s Actions on Student Visas The Trump administration has abruptly canceled the visas or legal status of hundreds of international students, leaving campuses scrambling. Here’s the latest.

The Trump administration has canceled the legal status of hundreds of international students and recent graduates. Often, it has given neither the students nor their colleges notice, putting students’ ability to stay in the country legally in jeopardy without their knowing it. chroni.cl/42OaTeS