Chris Havergal

‘Silent decoupling’ under way as Elsevier talks near crunch point York and Swansea latest to decline publisher’s offer, with latter also walking away from Springer Nature deal

York and Swansea are latest universities to confirm they won't take up the UK-wide Elsevier subscription deal - more expected to 'quietly opt out' www.timeshighereducation.com/news/silent-... via @jgro-the.bsky.social

News Talks podcast: Sussex v OfS – what could it mean for UK HE? We discuss why the University of Sussex is challenging the OfS in court and what it could mean for freedom of speech, institutional autonomy and the role of the regulator

Delighted to launch new @timeshighered.bsky.social podcast, News Talks (a sister to our best practice-focused podcast, Campus Talks). I joined @mirandaprynne.bsky.social to discuss how the Sussex v OfS High Court battle could reshape UK higher education www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/news...

‘Scandalous’ master’s loans ‘forgotten’ in student debt debate English system that provides funding for less than cost of third of degrees, with repayment thresholds frozen below minimum wage, ‘no longer fit for purpose’

To say there's been anger about the Plan 2 student loans recently is an understatement. But what about those who have both a Plan 2 loan and a master's loan?

www.timeshighereducation.com/news/scandal...

College staff ‘directed students towards essay mills and AI’ OfS investigation finds students at provider delivering franchised degrees also told how to avoid detection by plagiarism software

A college where students studying business degrees were directed to use AI or essay mills by staff has been reprimanded by the English HE regulator - as has one of its partners, the University of Greater Manchester www.timeshighereducation.com/news/college... via @julietterowsell.bsky.social

Jo Grady’s UCU election win challenged over ‘unfair advantage’ Candidates who stood in 2024 poll seek rerun of campaign after claiming incumbent broke rules by using union resources

Check out the coverage in THE, and stay tuned.

It's an uphill battle + taken nearly 2 years for the union watchdog to hold a hearing. Grady's using union money to hire a pricey KC, so the odds are against us. But we will fight to win for our colleagues.
www.timeshighereducation.com/news/jo-grad...

Jo Grady's former election rivals have applied to the trade union watchdog, the Certification Officer, over claims that she had an “unfair” advantage owing to her use of union resources during the campaign, set to be heard in a trial next week.

Read more below 👇

I’m no longer shocked about the attacks on members for wanting a fair & democratic union but the UCU comment suggests they’ve forgotten the basic requirement to represent the interests of members not those of the GS alone - which is exactly what the case is all about. Our union, our subs #ucu

Jo Grady’s UCU election win challenged over ‘unfair advantage’ Candidates who stood in 2024 poll seek rerun of campaign after claiming incumbent broke rules by using union resources

The @timeshighered.bsky.social has reported that @ewanmg.bsky.social and I have applied to the Certification Officer regarding concerns over the 2024 UCU general secretary election. UCU has characterised this as “smearing”, via a spokesperson.

www.timeshighereducation.com/news/jo-grad...
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Just a quick note to @greenparty.org.uk and @greenpartyhan.bsky.social - I was not consulted on being quoted on your leaflets and I have not endorsed your campaign (or any campaign in this seat). I think this note, like the bar chart next to it, is misleading and out of context.

Our thoughts are with everyone at De Montfort University, especially the victim and their loved ones following last night’s horrific events.

We are in close contact with staff to support the university.

Violence has no place on our university campuses.

Jo Grady’s UCU election win challenged over ‘unfair advantage’ Candidates who stood in 2024 poll seek rerun of campaign after claiming incumbent broke rules by using union resources

Jo Grady's victory in last UCU general secretary election being officially challenged by her rivals Vicky Blake and Ewan McGaughey, who claim Grady broke the union's campaign rules - hearing scheduled for next week www.timeshighereducation.com/news/jo-grad... via @julietterowsell.bsky.social

UWL fined £150,000 by Ofqual over ‘serious rule breaches’ Regulator finds university failed to ‘exercise proper control’ of one of its external assessment centres

University of West London fined £150,000 by exams regulator Ofqual for “serious rule breaches” connected to its oversight of an external assessment centre www.timeshighereducation.com/news/uwl-fin... via @julietterowsell.bsky.social

Universities commissioner needed ‘to oversee mergers and cuts’ Call for government to create new position mirrored on role that already exists in further education, to help steer sector while avoiding excessive regulation

A higher education commissioner should be appointed to take responsibility for supporting universities before crisis strikes, says Lifelong Learning Institute www.timeshighereducation.com/news/univers... via @helenpacker.bsky.social

Can new universities save left-behind towns and cities? Fresh models of university outposts emerging in regions without access to higher education as financial crisis sees shuttering of traditional campuses

Higher education 'cold spots' are still keen on university campuses, eg, in Blackburn, Blackpool, Peterborough and Warrington. But can they be sustained - like in Southend, Eastbourne or Lampeter? @helenpacker.bsky.social investigates www.timeshighereducation.com/news/can-new...

Kent and Greenwich hail ‘key milestone’ as merger terms inked Greenwich to change name to London and South East University Group before Kent joins as new ‘superuniversity’ takes shape

Universities of Kent and Greenwich agree merger terms after months of negotiations - Greenwich to become London and South East University Group, a company limited by guarantee, and Kent will then join that, reports @twilliamsthe.bsky.social www.timeshighereducation.com/news/kent-an...

UKRI chief blames leaks as cuts ‘not well communicated’ Ian Chapman tells MPs that some funding streams will be back online ‘in weeks’ amid uncertainty over impact of research changes

UKRI chief executive blames “information leaks” after conceding changes to science spending have not been communicated in the right way, leading to “upset and uncertainty” among researchers www.timeshighereducation.com/news/ukri-ch... via @jgro-the.bsky.social

Nottingham posts £85 million deficit as value of campus plummets For sale city centre site not worth as much as thought, says university, after accounts reveal scale of financial challenge

University of Nottingham posts £85.3 million deficit for 2024-25 after massive writedown in value of Castle Meadow and King's Meadow campuses. Also news of a £39.9 million deficit at Swansea University timeshighereducation.com/news/notting... via @patrickjack.bsky.social

Speeding up creation of university spin-outs and access to capital are bigger barriers to commercialising UK research than the equity demanded by institutions, says @ukri.org report www.timeshighereducation.com/news/investm... via @jgro-the.bsky.social

Sussex calls OfS fine ‘irrational’ as High Court case begins University argues regulator’s record fine was ‘unfair’, in case being closely watched across the sector

University of Sussex High Court fight against £585K fine imposed by OfS for allegedly failing to uphold free speech in Kathleen Stock case starts today - it will attack regulator's decision as "irrational and procedurally unfair" www.timeshighereducation.com/news/sussex-... via @jgro-the.bsky.social

University severs ties with former chancellor over Epstein links Queen’s University Belfast to drop name of US senator George Mitchell from its peace centre, and remove bust from campus

Queen's University Belfast to drop name of former chancellor George Mitchell from its peace centre after fresh links to Jeffrey Epstein were revealed www.timeshighereducation.com/news/univers...

Nearly half of Brits want some student debt cancelled Poll shows support for eliminating some or all of the money graduates owe the government, as calls grow for reform of the loan system

More than two in five people in Britain believe the government should cancel some or all student debt, finds @yougov.co.uk survey www.timeshighereducation.com/news/nearly-... via @patrickjack.bsky.social

Just 12 per cent of public aware of LLE a year off launch New polling finds policy intended to foster lifelong learning and re-skilling in England still suffering from very low levels of engagement

Just 12 per cent of public aware of Lifelong Learning Entitlement a year off launch, finds @hepi-news.bsky.social survey www.timeshighereducation.com/news/just-12... via @twilliamsthe.bsky.social

More ‘tough decisions’ on science spending ahead, warns UKRI head Further funding cuts will be announced in coming months after STFC savings and research council funding pauses, says Ian Chapman

Further cuts to UK science initiatives will be announced in the next few months, UK Research and Innovation’s chief executive has warned, adding that there are “tough decisions” ahead for the funding agency www.timeshighereducation.com/news/more-to... via @jgro-the.bsky.social

Three UK research councils suspend funding opportunities Temporary block on grant applications by MRC, BBSRC and EPSRC heightens concerns over funding cuts

Three of the largest UKRI research councils - MRC, BBSRC and EPSRC confirm they have suspended several of their main funding routes until further notice, amid mounting concerns for curiosity-driven research www.timeshighereducation.com/news/three-u... via @jgro-the.bsky.social

Impact tracking tool Researchfish to be closed down next year Platform previously accused of sending ‘threatening’ tweets to be shuttered by Elsevier as it ‘searches for new solutions’

Impact tracking platform Researchfish will be closed down next year, owners Elsevier confirm www.timeshighereducation.com/news/impact-... via @twilliamsthe.bsky.social

Why are grievances on the rise in UK universities? Formal complaints have shot up in recent years, albeit from a low base. But where some see the inevitable effects of redundancies, hybrid working and an overdue crackdown on poor conduct, others perce...

Why are staff grievances on the rise in UK universities? @jgro-the.bsky.social investigates www.timeshighereducation.com/depth/why-ar...

Russell Group ‘cautious’ on foreign campuses amid Indonesia talks Multi-institution model seen as way of reducing risk of transnational education, but few universities publicly willing to commit so far

Plans by leading British universities to establish a shared campus in Indonesia could help reduce the financial risk for institutions as the government pushes offshore expansion, reports @helenpacker.bsky.social www.timeshighereducation.com/news/russell...

Scottish assessment review called after death of Glasgow student Policies and procedures at all universities to be investigated following ‘systemic’ issues that led to undergraduate wrongly being told he had failed course

Sector-wide review into Scottish universities’ assessment policies and procedures announced after student died by suicide having been wrongly told he had not passed his degree www.timeshighereducation.com/news/scottis... via @julietterowsell.bsky.social

Nearly half of students concerned about their course closing Cost-cutting measures impacting student experience, find OfS polling, with increased class sizes and reduced access to facilities among issues raised

Half of English students have noticed an impact from cost-cutting measures at their university, with most saying it was leading to a worse experience than expected www.timeshighereducation.com/news/nearly-... via @twilliamsthe.bsky.social