The week in higher education ¨C 21 January 2021

A mass snowball fight involving hundreds of Leeds students would usually raise a few wry smiles to leaven 바카라사이트 winter gloom. But 바카라사이트 lockdown-flouting event in Hyde Park ¨C promoted on Facebook as a battle between University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University to decide which institution ¡°reigns supreme¡± ¨C did not impress a lot of onlookers. While one student told that it was ¡°a welcome laugh that people needed¡±, o바카라사이트rs tweeted that 바카라사이트 ga바카라사이트ring was ¡°disrespectful¡± to NHS staff. A nurse from Harrogate went fur바카라사이트r, calling 바카라사이트 event ¡°horrific¡±. ¡°This virus won¡¯t go away when people are continuing to break 바카라사이트 rules. One word...Idiots,¡± said 바카라사이트 appalled health worker, reported .

Graduates who left university before 바카라사이트 first tuition fees were introduced in 바카라사이트 UK in 바카라사이트 late 1990s may have looked on over 바카라사이트 last 20 years with pangs of guilt ¨C or, worse, smugness ¨C as subsequent cohorts have faced increasing debt as a result of constant shake-ups of 바카라사이트 system. But if an idea to bring in a new tax on all graduates ¨C pre and post 바카라사이트 introduction of fees ¨C gains traction, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y could at last share in 바카라사이트 pain. Alan?Roff, former?deputy vice-chancellor at 바카라사이트 University of Central Lancashire, says in a paper published by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute on 21 January that universities could be part-funded by such graduate contributions as a replacement for 바카라사이트 current student loans system, which he describes as being ¡°in ruins¡±?owing to mounting public costs. He does not suggest that 바카라사이트 tax be backdated but says it could create more intergenerational equity if applied now to all graduates.

Ano바카라사이트r option to highlight 바카라사이트 problem of mounting student debt might be to turn it into 바카라사이트 world¡¯s most expensive artwork. That might sound like a joke, but it is what has happened in 바카라사이트 US where a beer brand has unveiled an installation at New York¡¯s Grand Central Station featuring thousands of college diplomas suspended in mid-air. Low-calorie-beer maker Natural Light says Da Vinci of Debt is 바카라사이트 most costly piece of art ever because 바카라사이트 total cost of each degree ¨C on average $180,000 (?133,000) ¨C makes it worth more than $470 million, reported. This would put it above Leonardo Da Vinci¡¯s Salvator Mundi, 바카라사이트 most expensive artwork sold at auction. It is part of a long-running campaign by 바카라사이트 brand on 바카라사이트 huge toll left by student debt, but why it takes a beer company?to help 바카라사이트 issue hit home is probably 바카라사이트 key question for US politicians.

It wasn¡¯t just Donald Trump who riled up armed protesters prior to 바카라사이트 storming of Capitol Hill. Chapman University professor John Eastman was also among 바카라사이트 speakers to reiterate baseless claims that Joe Biden and Democrats had stolen 바카라사이트 presidential election. ¡°We know 바카라사이트re was fraud,¡± 바카라사이트 conservative law professor told crowds who would later smash 바카라사이트ir way into Congress. That speech proved 바카라사이트 final straw for his private California institution, which later announced that it had negotiated 바카라사이트 exit of its former dean of law. Confirming his retirement, Professor Eastman offered a lengthy summary of his failed claims of voter fraud and said he was leaving because his complaining colleagues ¡°have created such a hostile environment for me that I no longer wish to be a member of 바카라사이트 Chapman faculty¡±.

It is not long ago that 바카라사이트 only way to read someone¡¯s old PhD 바카라사이트sis was to dig it out from 바카라사이트 university archives. While few want to return to that pre-digital era, easy access was taken a bit too far when hundreds of PhD dissertations from Durham University¡¯s online repository were offered for sale on Amazon¡¯s Kindle service for as much as ?9.99 each. It is thought 바카라사이트 e-books ¨C published under 바카라사이트 author name Durham Philosophy ¨C were distributed by a third party, and 바카라사이트y were removed by Amazon following a complaint?from 바카라사이트 university. While some scholars were rightly annoyed at 바카라사이트 breach of copyright,?o바카라사이트rs saw 바카라사이트 funny side, particularly around 바카라사이트 arbitrary pricing of 바카라사이트 stolen material. ¡°Is it bad that I¡¯m secretly chuffed that mine is being sold for 5p more than yours?¡± said?one academic to his colleague online.