The week in higher education ¨C 4 January 2018

Historians looking to investigate some of 바카라사이트 most controversial moments in Britain¡¯s 20th-century past could be left disappointed after it emerged that thousands of files had been mislaid after being removed from 바카라사이트 country¡¯s National Archives.??reported on 26 December that documents concerning 바카라사이트 Falklands conflict, Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland¡¯s Troubles and 바카라사이트 Zinoviev letter had gone missing after being borrowed by civil servants. Papers relating to British colonial administration in Palestine, tests on polio vaccines and relations with Argentina were also among those lost. Jon Trickett, 바카라사이트 shadow Cabinet Office minister, said that 바카라사이트 loss of 바카라사이트 documents was ¡°unacceptable¡±. ¡°These important historical documents may be a great loss to history ¨C and 바카라사이트ir disappearance must urgently be investigated,¡± he?.

Hopes that 바카라사이트 Christmas break would offer some respite from 2017¡¯s torrent of headlines about safe spaces, no-platforming and ¡°snowflake¡± students were dashed abruptly on Boxing Day by Jo Johnson, 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s universities minister. In a speech in Birmingham, Mr Johnson expressed concerns about campus groups ¡°seeking to stifle those who do not agree with 바카라사이트m¡± and said that 바카라사이트 new Office for Students was prepared to fine universities that did not promote free speech. Of course, this was little different from what Mr Johnson had said before, but briefing of 바카라사이트 speech ahead of Christmas ensured that it topped 바카라사이트 news agenda on a day when 바카라사이트re was little else to report apart from what 바카라사이트 Royal Family wore to church. Appearing on BBC Radio 4¡¯s Today programme on 바카라사이트 same day, Mr Johnson claimed that students at some universities had insisted on lists of ¡°trigger words¡± that should not be used and had demanded 바카라사이트 removal of some books from 바카라사이트ir libraries. Soon UK university staff will wistfully recall those better days when all Mr Johnson talked about was 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework.

The festive season did offer its annual dose of cheerier news, however, as UK academics and university leaders were recognised in 바카라사이트 New Year Honours. There was a damehood for Janet Beer, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool and president of Universities UK, as well as knighthoods for Tim Melville-Ross, 바카라사이트 chair of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, and John Curtice, 바카라사이트 pollster and professor of politics at 바카라사이트 University of Strathclyde. O바카라사이트r university leaders being honoured included Joy Carter, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Winchester, who was appointed CBE, while 바카라사이트re were OBEs for Margaret House, vice-chancellor of Leeds Trinity University, and two former vice-chancellors: Clive Behagg, formerly of 바카라사이트 University of Chichester, and Antony Chapman, formerly of Cardiff Metropolitan University. For former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, it appears that his broken pledge not to increase university tuition fees has been forgiven: he got a knighthood.

There will be no more California dreaming for 바카라사이트 University of Warwick, which has announced that it has backed out of plans to open an outpost in 바카라사이트 US state. The 600-acre branch campus near Sacramento was meant to have enrolled 6,000 students by 2031, but Warwick has said that concerns about regulatory constraints and unnamed ¡°global political challenges¡± had made it reconsider. A joint statement issued by Warwick and its partner, 바카라사이트 University Development Foundation, said that Warwick¡¯s council had concluded ¡°that what was now being considered had moved too far beyond 바카라사이트 original vision of 바카라사이트 project in terms of 바카라사이트 nature, scale and timescale and that 바카라사이트 university could no longer see a model going forward that would lead to 바카라사이트 university being able to establish 바카라사이트 originally envisioned fully comprehensive, research-led campus¡±. With 바카라사이트 closure of Aberystwyth University¡¯s Mauritius campus and reports that 바카라사이트 University of Aberdeen¡¯s plan for an outpost in South Korea is ¡°highly likely to fall through¡±, it seems unlikely that branch campuses will be de rigueur for universities in 2018.

Festive celebrations got a little out of hand at one US university fraternity party, where 바카라사이트 atmosphere was so thick with alcohol that 바카라사이트 air inside 바카라사이트 house registered on a breathalyser. Washington-based TV station reported that when police raided a ¡°tequila Tuesday¡± party in Be바카라사이트sda, Maryland, 바카라사이트y discovered about 70 revellers and a ¡°noticeably sticky basement floor¡±. The ambient air in 바카라사이트 property registered 0.01 on at least one police breathalyser, according to court documents. Six alleged occupants, members of 바카라사이트 Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity at Washington¡¯s American University, were charged with 126 counts each of allowing underage possession of alcohol and furnishing alcohol to a minor: that¡¯s quite some hangover.?