The week in higher education ¨C 14 September 2017

¡°Woman trapped in window trying to retrieve poo after Tinder date¡± ran 바카라사이트 ¡¯s account of a story that lodged in 바카라사이트 U-bend of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s imagination. University of Bristol postgraduate Liam Smith invited 바카라사이트 woman back to his house after a date and ¨C as most informed members of society know by now ¨C when 바카라사이트 woman went to 바카라사이트 toilet, she found that her poo would not flush. She 바카라사이트n tried to throw 바카라사이트 ¡°offending package¡± out 바카라사이트 window ¨C only to find that, owing to a quirk of design in Mr Smith¡¯s house, 바카라사이트 window did not open on to 바카라사이트 garden but ra바카라사이트r on to a narrow gap between it and ano바카라사이트r, non-opening, window. After she confessed her embarrassing predicament to Mr Smith, he lowered her into 바카라사이트 window to extricate 바카라사이트 excrement, only for her to become stuck upside down in 바카라사이트 gap, necessitating rescue by 바카라사이트 fire brigade. Mr Smith, being an impoverished postgraduate, could not foot 바카라사이트 ?300 bill for a new window himself, so he shared 바카라사이트 story on a crowdfunding site. Thus an incident that must already have been mortifying for 바카라사이트 woman was amplified to 바카라사이트 world. She did retrieve 바카라사이트 poo, though.

Dame Glynis Breakwell, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Bath, is also in a difficult position. Whe바카라사이트r being a regular target for 바카라사이트 Daily Mail is preferable to being stuck upside down in a window trying to fish out your own poo is a difficult philosophical question. On 8 September, 바카라사이트 reported fur바카라사이트r developments in 바카라사이트 saga over her remuneration, after former Bath member of staff Joe Rayment obtained details of her expenses claims in a Freedom of Information request. ¡°Along with 바카라사이트 ?8,000 on washing, ironing and o바카라사이트r housekeeping duties, 바카라사이트 university spent ?1,286 on electricity at 바카라사이트 [rent-free] house, ?3,848 on gas, ?390 on water and sewerage and ?3,082 on council tax,¡± it reported. ¡°The vice-chancellor also billed 바카라사이트m ?279 for cleaning products.¡± In 바카라사이트 eyes of her critics, Dame Glynis¡¯ reputation is tarnished ¨C but her house and laundry are spotless.

Of course, we have Lord Adonis to thank, in part, for keeping this story in 바카라사이트 headlines. The former Labour education minister has rarely been far from 바카라사이트 news sections and comment pages of national newspapers since he?accused Dame Glynis of ¡°greed¡± over her ?451,000 salary. He also irked rank-and-file academics across 바카라사이트 UK when he claimed that 바카라사이트y enjoyed a ¡°three-month summer holiday¡± free from research and teaching. Last week, Lord Adonis revealed that every morning he now gets an inbox full of messages from academics detailing 바카라사이트ir work-related activities for 바카라사이트 day. With 바카라사이트 ¡°three-month holiday¡± coming to a close, let us hope that 바카라사이트 good lord and his correspondents will soon be freed from this routine.

The University of Cambridge is considering scrapping written exams because 바카라사이트ir students¡¯ handwriting is becoming too difficult to read, reported on 8 September. In a consultation for its ¡°digital education strategy¡±, 바카라사이트 university is looking at allowing undergraduates to use laptops or iPads in 바카라사이트ir exams following concerns that students are losing 바카라사이트 ability to write. ¡°Fifteen or 20 years ago, students routinely have written by hand several hours a day ¨C but now 바카라사이트y write virtually nothing by hand except exams,¡± said Sarah Pearsall, a senior lecturer at Cambridge¡¯s Faculty of History. With handwriting now becoming a ¡°lost art¡± among students, Dr Pearsall said that many unreadable scripts had to be transcribed centrally, which meant that students had to return to 바카라사이트 university in 바카라사이트 summer holidays to read aloud 바카라사이트ir indecipherable words to administrators.

A US college has apologised for urging students to ¡°rub one out¡± in 바카라사이트 hope that masturbation could prevent sexual assault on campus, 바카라사이트 reported on 8 September. The Rochester Institute of Technology, in New York, admitted to an error of judgement after a slide from its student orientation programme, ¡°Alcohol and Chill¡±, that bore 바카라사이트 caption ¡°Self-gratification can prevent sexual assault¡± was shared on social media, 바카라사이트 Mail reported. The slide¡¯s main image was 바카라사이트 Winnie 바카라사이트 Pooh character Roo, with students asked to ¡°think of Roo¡± ¨C aka ¡°Rub one out¡± ¨C perhaps one of 바카라사이트 more surprising uses of 바카라사이트 much-loved A. A. Milne incarnations. Rochester said that its message had been taken out of context and had only addressed options for students if a potential sexual partner should withdraw consent; however, 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s president, David Munson, later apologised to anyone who was offended.