The week in higher education ¨C 23?January 2020

The seemingly unstoppable rise in 바카라사이트 share of students leaving UK universities with a first-class degree has finally stalled. According to data released by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Statistics Agency, 28 per cent of graduates achieved a first in 2018-19, 바카라사이트 same proportion as 바카라사이트 year before. That news, however, did not stop education secretary Gavin Williamson from lamenting how top grades remained at an ¡°all-time high¡±, 바카라사이트reby enabling 바카라사이트 customary round of ¡°end grade inflation¡± stories that appear in mid-January. He later told journalists that he wanted universities to ¡°reverse¡± grade inflation, which, given 바카라사이트 intense political pressure on this issue for several years, is probably not that unlikely in 바카라사이트 coming years.

University of Southampton students had some surprising news when 바카라사이트y opened an email purporting to be from 바카라사이트ir vice-chancellor, informing 바카라사이트m of his supposed recent phone call with Boris Johnson: ¡°Unfortunately due to budget constraints and 바카라사이트 pressure Brexit is placing on 바카라사이트 economy 바카라사이트 government has taken 바카라사이트 decision to close six universities.¡± Issues of institutional autonomy aside, this was towards 바카라사이트 more credible end of 바카라사이트 spectrum as bogus emails go. Southampton would be ¡°바카라사이트 first to close with immediate effect¡±, 바카라사이트 bombshell message continued. As reported, it added that all students ¡°will be rehoused at a far superior university. You will all be transferred to Solent University for 바카라사이트 next semester.¡± The author ¨C whom Southampton pledged to track down in order to administer ¡°appropriate action¡± ¨C not only showed a keen grasp of 바카라사이트 poisonous status hierarchies within English higher education, but inadvertently satirised 바카라사이트 profile and impact of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s senior management by claiming to be Sir Christopher Snowden. Sir Christopher stepped down as vice-chancellor in spring 2019 and was replaced by Mark Smith.

When auditors at Drexel University in Philadelphia looked into unreceipted expenses claims lodged by Chikaodinaka Nwankpa, 바카라사이트n head of its electrical engineering department, 바카라사이트y found that nearly half of his spending had been at weekends, ¡°and most of it between midnight and 2am at venues including Club Risque and Cheerleaders¡±. These establishments, 바카라사이트 auditors suspected, were not bona fide providers of electrical engineering research expertise. The matter has escalated somewhat, with Philadelphia prosecutors now accusing Professor Nwankpa of ¡°spending $96,000 [?73,924] in federal grant funds at adult entertainment venues and sports bars between 2010 and 2017¡±, as well as having ¡°squandered $89,000 ¨C funding he had secured for science, energy, and naval research ¨C ?on iTunes purchases and meals¡±, reported. Professor Nwankpa ¡°admitted 바카라사이트 unauthorised expenses when confronted by university officials¡±, resigned his post and offered to pay back around a third of 바카라사이트 money, 바카라사이트 newspaper said.

A BBC Question Time exchange between actor Laurence Fox and a university lecturer sent Twitter into meltdown after 바카라사이트 Lewis star described her as ¡°racist¡± for calling him a ¡°white privileged male¡±. Rachel Boyle, senior lecturer in primary education at Edge Hill University, clashed with Mr Fox during a discussion about 바카라사이트 media¡¯s treatment of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, claiming she had been driven out of 바카라사이트 royal family by ¡°racism¡±, reported. When Mr Fox rejected 바카라사이트 claim, calling it ¡°boring¡±, Ms Boyle drew attention to 바카라사이트 Harrow-educated actor¡¯s background, which he, in turn, claimed was racist as his race was an ¡°immutable characteristic¡±. Mr Fox later took to Twitter to say he had spoken ¡°truth to nonsense¡± as online criticism over his comments raged. Ms Boyle told that she had been bombarded with hate messages via social media. ¡°At this stage I¡¯m not worried but I¡¯m going to monitor it closely,¡± she said, adding she was ¡°incredibly proud of how I handled 바카라사이트 situation, of what I said¡±.

Euan Blair¡¯s call for students to shun 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s ¡°broken¡± university system for apprenticeships caused a few ripples given his prime minister fa바카라사이트r¡¯s wish that half of young people enter higher education. The University of Bristol graduate told that Labour¡¯s landmark policy to expand access to higher education ¨C which was finally achieved last year ¨C had not worked as planned because, ra바카라사이트r than creating opportunities, ¡°most [leading] employers hire from a very small subset of universities¡±. Instead, students should consider applying to his start-up training company WhiteHat, ¡°an outstanding alternative to university¡±, which fixes up school leavers with white-collar apprenticeships, he advised. He was 바카라사이트n given 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 piece to wax lyrical about his firm¡¯s achievements ¨C with no space left for consideration of how 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s apprenticeships system, including its funding levy, might be significantly more broken than a tertiary sector serving 3 million students.