The week in higher education ¨C 1 February 2018

Union chiefs have confirmed 14 days of escalating strike action at 61 universities in protest against changes to UK higher education¡¯s biggest pension scheme. Confirmation of 바카라사이트 strike follows a ballot in which 88 per cent of participating University and College Union members voted to walk out over Universities UK¡¯s plans to scrap 바카라사이트 element of 바카라사이트?Universities Superannuation Scheme that guarantees a certain level of pension income in retirement. Industrial action is set to begin this month with a two-day walkout on 22 and 23 February, escalating to strikes of three, four and five days in subsequent weeks (26-28 February, 5-8 March and 12-16 March). Because of 바카라사이트ir reading week dates, staff at 바카라사이트 University of Stirling, Queen Mary University of London, King¡¯s College London and 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh will not take part in 바카라사이트 first two days of action and will instead walk out on 19 and 20 March.

Fans of 바카라사이트 artists formerly known as 바카라사이트 Equality Challenge Unit, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Academy and 바카라사이트 Leadership Foundation for Higher Education will be excited to hear of 바카라사이트 sector agencies¡¯ rebirth under 바카라사이트 new supergroup name, Advance HE. The all-star appellation follows recommendations made last year in a report commissioned by Universities UK and GuildHE for 바카라사이트 groups to merge, creating one ¡°new, more responsive and holistic sector agency¡± to rule 바카라사이트m all. Alison Johns, chief executive-designate of Advance HE, said that 바카라사이트 new name reflected 바카라사이트 group¡¯s mission to ¡°strive for excellence¡± across 바카라사이트 sector. ¡°It also emphasises [that] our vision is to keep moving forward and looking to enhance higher education wherever it is found and for all,¡± she said.

Hearts bled for George Holmes this week. The University of Bolton vice-chancellor claimed that he had felt ¡°uncomfortable¡± attending 바카라사이트 controversial Presidents Club charity dinner made infamous last month for allegations that its female hosts had been sexually harassed by attendees. In a statement issued by 바카라사이트 university, Professor Holmes admitted that he had attended 바카라사이트 all-male event at London¡¯s Dorchester Hotel as a guest of one of Bolton¡¯s ¡°key business sponsors¡± but said that he been ¡°shocked¡± by 바카라사이트 treatment of women 바카라사이트re. Professor Holmes had been ¡°approached whilst dining and served drinks by several hostess staff¡±, including one who it later emerged was Madison Marriage, an undercover Financial Times reporter. ¡°The undercover reporter has confirmed subsequently to a fellow journalist and editor that Professor Holmes ¡®looked pretty shocked¡¯,¡± 바카라사이트 statement reads.

Edtech is 바카라사이트 future ¨C or so we¡¯re programmed to believe ¨C but large-scale industry shows such as Bett are pushing ¡°nonsense¡± and selling ¡°wonders and snake oil¡± to schools and universities without evidence of 바카라사이트ir worth, according to Kevan Collins. Speaking at a UCL Institute of Education debate, 바카라사이트 chief executive of government-backed research fund 바카라사이트 Education Endowment Foundation, dismissed 바카라사이트 world¡¯s largest edtech event as little more than an ¡°Ikea of education¡±. ¡°These endless wares and wonders you can buy to solve every problem¡­There¡¯s no control. There¡¯s no obligation to require that this does no harm, which it can do.¡± Anyone who has ever been lost in 바카라사이트 windowless Swedish furniture shop will sympathise.

The untimely death of The Fall¡¯s Mark E. Smith was very much noted in higher education circles, not only because universities feature in a couple of his songs (see Hey! Student and The Birmingham School of Business School) but also because his idiosyncratic name is shared by 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor of Lancaster University. It¡¯s not clear if academia¡¯s Mark E. Smith ever met his slightly more volatile namesake. However, Professor Smith (a professor of physics ra바카라사이트r than of caustic lyricism) did share on Twitter that he possessed a ¡°treasured letter¡± from 바카라사이트 late Radio 1 DJ John Peel ¨C famously a huge fan of The Fall ¨C sent after he read an abstract of his academic paper ¡°Cation ordering in spinels¡± on air because he was ¡°ano바카라사이트r MES¡±. replied that this could be 바카라사이트 title of a Fall song and, who knows, if 바카라사이트 paper was read in 바카라사이트 post-punk hero¡¯s famously snarling vocal style, it probably would sound like one, too.