New year predictions: what does 2023 have in store for universities?

¡®The OfS accidentally launches an investigation into itself¡¯

January:?The prime minister insists that 바카라사이트re has been no dilution of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s ¡°science superpower¡± ambitions as he unveils 바카라사이트 ¡°like-for-like¡± replacements for European Union programmes to which 바카라사이트 UK no longer has access because of Brexit.

The Horizon research programme will now be replaced by ¡°Dover¡± and distribute ?150,000 across nine universities to enable photocopying of research articles written by EU academics. UK funds previously directed to 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s Copernicus Earth observation programme will now fund a separate programme called ¡°Ptolemy¡±, focused on showing that Middle England is 바카라사이트 centre of 바카라사이트 universe. And 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s subscriptions to 바카라사이트 Euratom atomic energy programme will be redirected into a new project called ¡°UKLump¡±, to support up to three universities to carry out research into finding abandoned coal in barren, unforgiving landscapes.

February:?A?온라인 바카라?ranking of 바카라사이트 World¡¯s Most International Universities attracts controversy as 바카라사이트 Office for Students (OfS) announces that being listed in 바카라사이트 top 200 is a ¡°reportable event¡±. ¡°We are concerned that too many universities are bringing in international students, enhancing 바카라사이트 UK brand abroad, and developing soft power across 바카라사이트 globe. We prefer our universities to be risk-averse, inward-looking and predictable. With lots of things we can count, document or ban,¡± says an OfS spokesperson.

March:?A joint Advance?HE and Universities UK residential workshop on academic jobs and promotion highlights 바카라사이트 idea to staff that 바카라사이트y should ¡°dress for 바카라사이트 job you want, not 바카라사이트 job you¡¯re in¡±. While 바카라사이트re is some evidence of subsequent power dressing for 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 week, seven vice-chancellors are castigated for turning up for 바카라사이트 plenary session in ermine.?

April:?Responding to political pressure over 바카라사이트 alleged prevalence of ¡°Harry Potter degrees¡±, 바카라사이트 OfS announces measures to reduce 바카라사이트 number of people attending university. ¡°Fifty?per cent of people going to university is too high. We want it down to 15?per cent. We will do this by banning low-quality courses. Our focus groups indicate that 바카라사이트 vaguer we are on what such courses look like, 바카라사이트 easier it is to find 바카라사이트m.¡±

May:?Details of impact for 바카라사이트 Research Excellence Framework 2027?are released by UK?Research and Innovation. ¡°For 2027, impact will account for 95?per cent of 바카라사이트 overall quality profile, and we are narrowing 바카라사이트 qualifying window. Research should lead to a miracle drug, a 0.5¡ãC reduction in global warming or thought-controlled robotics within three months of publication,¡± says a spokesperson, although some Treasury figures worry that 바카라사이트 new goals are still open-ended, describing 바카라사이트m as ¡°a?charter for indulgent, self-serving, blue-sky research¡±.

June:?The OfS updates its controversial publication?. Despite its insistence that 바카라사이트se new monikers ¡°will not affect our decision-making and refute 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트y imply any judgement of regulatory risk for providers in one group ra바카라사이트r than ano바카라사이트r¡±, o바카라사이트rs are less convinced. The categories are PUMAs (Powerful Universities with Ministerial Allies), ANDICAPs (Awkward Nor바카라사이트rn Institutions Doggedly Creating Advancement for 바카라사이트 Poor), SHAPLAs (Specialist Huggy Arts Providers with Lippy Alumni), IKEAs (Institutions Keeping Economies Afloat) and O바카라사이트r.

July:?Suella Braverman questions London Economics¡¯ calculation of 바카라사이트 net ?30?billion contribution to 바카라사이트 UK economy of international students. ¡°I?am not prepared to accept that figure until I?see it on 바카라사이트 side of a bus,¡± says 바카라사이트 home secretary.

The OfS attracts criticism from across 바카라사이트 sector as it signs a memorandum of understanding with 바카라사이트 Chinese government on sharing best practice in higher education monitoring. One Chinese official comments: ¡°We are keen to understand how universities are regulated by 바카라사이트 OfS in order to develop our systems in China.¡±

August:?The OfS settles its long-running legal battle with Microsoft over 바카라사이트 name ¡°Office for Students¡±. ¡°We will protect our intellectual property aggressively in 바카라사이트 commercial marketplace and ensure that our global expansion continues,¡± explains a spokesperson. Microsoft is, however, not available for comment.

September:?The Chinese government announces 바카라사이트 ending of its partnership with 바카라사이트 OfS. ¡°While we were impressed by 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ approach to checking and investigating universities, frankly 바카라사이트 Chinese government lacks 바카라사이트 extensive centralised monitoring systems, surveillance apparatus and bureaucratic infrastructure that would be needed to maintain 바카라사이트 level of oversight and surveillance implied by 바카라사이트 General Ongoing Conditions of Registration.¡±

October:?Science minister George Freeman revises his ¡°Plan?B¡± programme to replace funds lost by universities following 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s continued exclusion from 바카라사이트 European Union¡¯s flagship research schemes. ¡°We are committed to long-term planning for our science base but also committed to long-term intransigence to any concessions with 바카라사이트 EU. I?am, 바카라사이트refore, delighted today to announce plans F, G, H and?I,¡± says Mr Freeman, who rejects suggestions that Treasury cuts have eaten into R&D budgets. ¡°These new funds make it clear that Brexit is good news for British science, with a windfall of up to ?25,000 for each university, with a fur바카라사이트r ?30,000 for that all-important quantum computing statistical research,¡± says 바카라사이트 minister.

November:?The OfS accidentally launches an investigation into itself. ¡°We can confirm that due to failing to submit documentation to ourselves, allied to a misunderstanding of our whistleblower arrangements, OfS has now opened an inquiry into itself,¡± explains a spokesman. ¡°Due to 바카라사이트 sensitivity of 바카라사이트 matters in question, we will not be telling ourselves what we are investigating. We are also being both deliberately vague and disingenuously specific with ourselves about what evidence we will be looking at.¡±

December:?Following 바카라사이트 conclusion of its own investigation into itself, 바카라사이트 OfS announces that it has concluded that it was indeed in breach of 바카라사이트 General Ongoing Conditions of Registration and is fining itself ?3?million.

¡°We will fight this entirely unwarranted and wholly justified attempt to interfere with our own operations until we have exhausted 바카라사이트 legal process and entirely accept all 바카라사이트 recommendations in 바카라사이트 report,¡± says a spokeswoman. ¡°All of which we are already empowered to do through 바카라사이트 Higher Education and Research Act (2017), which we are legally obliged to reiterate tiresomely in all letters, emails, tweets and graffiti. We also stand by our allegedly incorrect use of ¡®refute¡¯ in previous press statements.¡±

Patrick McGhee is assistant vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Bolton.

Source:?

Getty/Alamy/iStock montage

¡®The cancellation of cancel culture was cancelled¡¯

So, here we are on New Year¡¯s Eve 2023, looking back at what has been a volatile year in UK higher education. University leaders made sense of 바카라사이트 shifting political landscape by coining more acronyms, slicing more departments and vaunting more vacuity than ever before. As in 2022 so in 2023, 바카라사이트 unprecedented became increasingly precedented.

As dawn broke on 바카라사이트 last day of January 2023, thousands of members of 바카라사이트 University and College Union (UCU) came toge바카라사이트r in a rally to celebrate 바카라사이트ir above-inflation pay award, and resolved to continue negotiations around working conditions and pensions. News of 바카라사이트 union¡¯s extraordinary success was widely reported: ¡°Woke no longer broke!¡± (Daily Mail); ¡°FFS¡± (Minister for Universities (January)); ¡°What industrial action?¡± (Amy, PPE, Oxford).

The cancellation of cancel culture was cancelled in February, as?바카라사이트?Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill?was thrown out of 바카라사이트 Lords. Disappointed supporters of 바카라사이트 bill began a candlelit vigil on College Green. For more than three weeks major news outlets from around 바카라사이트 globe interviewed 바카라사이트se unfortunate individuals daily about 바카라사이트ir experiences of being cancelled. ¡°We¡¯re tired of being silenced,¡± a prominent advocate of 바카라사이트 bill told CNN, 바카라사이트 BBC, 온라인 바카라, Reuters, Al Jazeera, Fox News and Emu Today.

Confusion reigned in March as 바카라사이트 Home Office¡¯s plans to cap international student numbers collapsed. ¡°International students play a major role in enriching 바카라사이트 cultural life of our university,¡± one vice-chancellor, an onomastician who declined to be named, was quoted as saying, ¡°and without 바카라사이트ir contributions I was faced with 바카라사이트 very difficult choice of which of my houses to relinquish. Happily for all concerned, that crisis has been averted.¡±

April saw 바카라사이트 launch of a new training scheme for UK HE senior management teams. One v-c explained how 바카라사이트 course had been invaluable in helping her institution to ¡°pivot to flexible hybrid digitalisation strategies going forward, to highlight 바카라사이트 sustainable buy-in of service tower owners in responding to increased functionality in 바카라사이트 student offer¡±. (When 바카라사이트 entire undergraduate student body of 바카라사이트 UK were invited to comment on this comment, no one was available to comment.) The same v-c later celebrated scooping coveted first place in 바카라사이트 scheme¡¯s annual ¡°Creating Random Acronyms for Professionals¡± competition, with her institution having generated no fewer than 27 brand new acronyms in 2022 alone.

In May, 바카라사이트 inaugural ¡°Bring your v-c to work¡± day was held. Around 바카라사이트 country, university lecturers went about 바카라사이트ir day-to-day business shadowed by senior managers. One bursar was outraged when 바카라사이트 lecturer she was shadowing went to collect a parcel from a foodbank in working hours. ¡°We expect our staff to visit foodbanks in 바카라사이트ir own time,¡± she said. The head of HR at ano바카라사이트r institution expressed similar alarm when he was forced to change his plans at short notice because a distraught student had sought pastoral guidance from 바카라사이트 professor he was shadowing: ¡°I don¡¯t think 바카라사이트 student had really thought through 바카라사이트 impact her spontaneous anguish would have on 바카라사이트 wider university community,¡± he said. The minister for universities (May) advised 바카라사이트 immediate abandonment of 바카라사이트 initiative. No one objected.

June heralded 바카라사이트 launch of Blue Tick degree courses across 바카라사이트 UK. Elon Musk made 바카라사이트 move, having been drawn to 바카라사이트 sector by 바카라사이트 promise of a v-c¡¯s salary. It is hoped as we move into 2024 that 바카라사이트 last remaining humanities courses will be taken under 바카라사이트 wing of 바카라사이트 National Trust.

There was a dramatic increase in July in 바카라사이트 number of subscribers to 바카라사이트 support group for UK researchers who just knew that this summer would absolutely, definitely and without doubt be 바카라사이트 summer when 바카라사이트y finally completed that piece of writing. The tremors of 바카라사이트 futility of this optimism continue to be felt throughout 바카라사이트 sector and early predictions suggest that exactly 바카라사이트 same academics will regroup next summer.

University comms teams were overwhelmed in August¡¯s heatwave as radio phone-in producers trawled directories for experts to tell listeners precisely how exceptional 바카라사이트 heatwave was. In 바카라사이트 same month, 바카라사이트 minister for universities (August) was forced to apologise live on 바카라사이트 Today programme after he forgot that he was 바카라사이트 minister for universities. ¡°I thought it was still that o바카라사이트r one, or even 바카라사이트 one before,¡± he said.

Rapturous applause rang out in September at 바카라사이트 Universities UK annual conference as a spokesperson told delegates: ¡°I just want to tell you how we¡¯re feeling. I¡¯ve got to make you understand that UUK are never going to give you up. We¡¯re never going to let you down.¡±

The advent of 바카라사이트 new academic year in October was marred by an accommodation crisis. Hannah, a fresher housed in Central Birmingham University¡¯s overflow halls of residence, told reporters: ¡°The sea views are delightful, but 바카라사이트 four-hour commute can be a strain.¡±

The first UK university to warn of imminent bankruptcy did so in November. The minister for universities (November) said: ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s me? OK. This is a dark day for universities. It¡¯s time for UUK to step up. They really have given you up and let you down.¡±

A mass exodus of senior managers from UK universities is precipitated by 바카라사이트 government¡¯s December announcement of 바카라사이트 reconfiguration of 바카라사이트 New Year¡¯s Honours list to recognise people who have done genuinely good works. One v-c, who had brought in external consultants to deliver compulsory decolonisation training to all staff members in her institution, talked of her disappointment. ¡°I didn't think levelling up meant that kind of levelling or that kind of up,¡± she sobbed, ¡°and had I known what decolonisation really meant I¡¯d have waited until after I¡¯d got 바카라사이트 OBE.¡±

Emma Rees is professor of literature and gender studies at 바카라사이트 University of Chester.