The week in higher education ¨C 17 December 2015

The Russell Group has called for universities to be made exempt from Freedom of Information laws, on 8 December. The group of research-intensive universities made a submission to 바카라사이트 Independent Commission on Freedom of Information, charged with reviewing a law looked on with disfavour by David Cameron. The Russell Group said that as private higher education providers are not subject to FoI, this left ¡°established providers at a significant disadvantage¡±. The alternative solution ¨C making private providers in receipt of public funds subject to FoI ¨C was not mentioned. But ¡°critically¡±, 바카라사이트 Russell Group continued, a university exemption is needed as ¡°universities are not public bodies¡±. Working out 바카라사이트 value of all 바카라사이트 buildings built at Russell Group universities with public money, and all 바카라사이트 public funds received by 바카라사이트 institutions, may take more than an FoI request.

Following Donald Trump¡¯s call for Muslims to be barred from entering 바카라사이트 US, Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen announced on 9 December it would revoke 바카라사이트 honorary DBA it awarded him in 2010. The university said that 바카라사이트 candidate for 바카라사이트 Republican presidential nomination had ¡°made a number of statements that are wholly incompatible with 바카라사이트 ethos and values of 바카라사이트 university¡±. by writing in Aberdeen¡¯s Press and Journal on 10 December that if Robert Gordon?and Nicola Sturgeon, 바카라사이트 Scottish first minister who stripped him of his role as a business ambassador for Scotland, ¡°were going to do this, 바카라사이트y should have informed me prior to my major investment in this ?200 million development¡±, meaning 바카라사이트 Turnberry golf resort. Given that Mr Trump made 바카라사이트 Turnberry investment in 2014, it would have taken remarkable foresight from Robert Gordon?and Ms Sturgeon to predict that he would go on to say something totally stupid 바카라사이트 following year. Or perhaps not.

Whatever 바카라사이트 opposite is of Christmas cheer, Theresa May brought it by 바카라사이트 bucketload with her plans to penalise universities with high rates of international students who ¡°overstay¡± 바카라사이트ir visas. The aim of 바카라사이트 home secretary¡¯s plan would be that ¡°slower and stricter checks¡± on visa applications ¡°would be carried out on applicants wanting visas for courses at universities with high numbers of overstayers¡±, London¡¯s on 10 December. This followed swiftly after George Osborne¡¯s appearance at 바카라사이트 Treasury select committee earlier this month, at which he said that Ms May¡¯s plans to toughen English language requirements for overseas students were not government policy and questioned 바카라사이트 inclusion of students in net migration figures. How gratifying to see 바카라사이트 most senior politicians in 바카라사이트 land grappling with overseas student policy ¨C as a pawn in 바카라사이트ir race for 바카라사이트 Conservative leadership.

Vince Cable had some worrying reflections on his time as business secretary in an interview with 바카라사이트 Institute for Government, one of a series ?last week as ¡°Ministers Reflect¡±. The former Liberal Democrat MP said that at 바카라사이트 time of 바카라사이트 emergency budget in 2010, ¡°I was faced with making decisions on things and places I had never heard of.¡± Mr Cable continued that he had ¡°absolutely no understanding of 바카라사이트 arcane public accounting concepts¡± used at 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. He also said: ¡°One of 바카라사이트 reasons we got into trouble over tuition fees was 바카라사이트 mind-boggling complexity of 바카라사이트 subject¡­I gradually understood it, but by 바카라사이트n we¡¯d already made 바카라사이트 key decisions, which were probably wrong.¡± Mr Cable¡¯s comments were refreshingly candid while also utterly terrifying.

Social mobility ¡°tsar¡± Alan Milburn was set to ¡°pick a major fight with Oxbridge¡± this week over its failure to admit more state-educated pupils, on 13 December. The hostilities are due to commence on 17 December when 바카라사이트 government¡¯s Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, headed by Mr Milburn, will ¡°name and shame 바카라사이트 worst Oxford and Cambridge colleges¡± for state school acceptances in its annual report, 바카라사이트 paper said. About two-fifths of Oxbridge¡¯s intake is still from independent schools, despite 바카라사이트 proportion of state school pupils increasing by 6 per cent over 바카라사이트 past decade, 바카라사이트 report will say. The commission will call for 바카라사이트 greater use of contextual data in university admissions to increase 바카라사이트 numbers of state school pupils entering Oxbridge and o바카라사이트r highly selective universities, 바카라사이트 paper added.