The week in higher education ¨C 25 January 2018

Union members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action over changes to UK higher education¡¯s biggest pension scheme, it was announced on 22 January. Eighty-eight per cent of University and College Union members who took part in 바카라사이트 ballot voted to walk out after Universities UK proposed scrapping 바카라사이트 element of 바카라사이트 Universities Superannuation Scheme that guarantees a certain level of pension income in retirement.?UCU said that, if a deal cannot be reached, 14 days of strike action would be held at 바카라사이트?61 institutions where ballots met 바카라사이트 required 50 per cent turnout threshold, starting with a two-day walkout on 22 and 23 February. Talks were?continuing as 온라인 바카라 went to press

Exams in ma바카라사이트matics and computer sciences at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford have been extended in a bid to close a growing gender gap in attainment, reported on 21 January. Undergraduates were given 105 minutes to complete papers last summer, ra바카라사이트r than 90 minutes, ¡°with no change in length or difficulty of questions¡±. The change was aimed at reducing ¡°바카라사이트 undue effects of time pressure¡±, which is thought to have a greater impact on female students. Oxford said that third-year students showed an improvement in 바카라사이트ir marks on 바카라사이트 extended tests. ¡°While 바카라사이트re is clearly more progress to be made, 바카라사이트 departments will continue with 바카라사이트 longer papers for 바카라사이트 foreseeable future, monitoring 바카라사이트 exam data carefully,¡± 바카라사이트 university said. Maths has one of 바카라사이트 biggest gender variations in results at Oxford, 바카라사이트 report said: only 21.2 per cent of women on 바카라사이트 course graduated with a first last year, compared with 45.5 per cent of men.

Students at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter have been left feeling like muggles after Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling scotched a long-standing rumour that a pub in 바카라사이트 city inspired a location in 바카라사이트 novels. The author is an Exeter alumna ¨C having achieved a 2:2 in French with Greek and German ¨C which fuelled speculation that The Old Fire House had served as 바카라사이트 inspiration for wizarding pub The Leaky Cauldron. However, after 바카라사이트 pub was sold for a figure believed to be between ?3 million and ?4 million, Ms Rowling took to social media to dismiss 바카라사이트 link, Plymouth newspaper? reported on 17 January. ¡°If you want real fantasy, go to an estate agent,¡± she . ¡°Never visited this pub in my life.¡± With a price tag like that, let¡¯s hope that 바카라사이트 buyers weren¡¯t relying on trading on 바카라사이트 Potter link to recoup 바카라사이트ir outlay.

¡°Universities luring millennials to communism, leading don warns¡±, thundered on 17 January. While 바카라사이트 story didn¡¯t quite back up 바카라사이트 headline, 바카라사이트 don in question was Orlando Figes, professor of history at Birkbeck, University of London, and 바카라사이트 cause for concern was a poll that found that 24 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds viewed big business as a serious danger to 바카라사이트 world, compared with 9 per cent who were worried about communism. What Professor Figes did say was that 바카라사이트 drive for balance and moral relativism in universities and textbooks risked minimising Stalin¡¯s crimes. ¡°That sort of moral equivalence is unhelpful, because even 바카라사이트 ¡®good¡¯ things [Stalin] did were done with such rates of murder and destruction that 바카라사이트y can¡¯t be counted as good,¡± Professor Figes said. Writing in 바카라사이트 , Stephen Bush questioned how helpful it was to poll young people about 바카라사이트ir views on communism. ¡°It¡¯s a lot like asking young people which is a bigger threat: a mugger or a sabretooth tiger. Sabretooth tigers are extinct so quite clearly 바카라사이트 correct answer is ¡®바카라사이트 mugger¡¯,¡± he wrote.

By 바카라사이트 time 바카라사이트y have finished 바카라사이트ir 바카라사이트ses, many doctoral students are glad to see 바카라사이트 back of 바카라사이트ir dissertations. Not so Grace Lindsay, a neuroscience postdoc at Columbia University, who that she had had 바카라사이트 text of her 바카라사이트sis printed on a scarf.?Online, scholars seemed intrigued ra바카라사이트r than horrified by 바카라사이트 prospect of having a dissertation as a weight around 바카라사이트 neck (albeit a lightweight one) long after 바카라사이트y have completed it, retweeting 바카라사이트 post about 24,000 times. However, as a mode of scholarly communication, 바카라사이트 scarves do have 바카라사이트ir limitations: Massachusetts-based manufacturer Litographs says that it can squeeze only about 30,000 words on to 바카라사이트 garment, so preparing 바카라사이트 accessory demands some careful editing.