The week in higher education ¨C 8 March 2018

Sector leaders were summoned to London on 28 February for 바카라사이트 launch of English higher education¡¯s new regulator, 바카라사이트 Office for Students, where Sam Gyimah, 바카라사이트 universities minister, topped 바카라사이트 bill. Eyebrows were raised when Mr Gyimah called on higher education institutions to act ¡°in loco parentisé¢?for 바카라사이트ir students, ¡°offering all 바카라사이트 support that 바카라사이트y need to get 바카라사이트 most from 바카라사이트ir time on campusé¢. Academics might question how much of 바카라사이트ir time 바카라사이트y should be devoting to ¡°parentingé¢ people who are indisputably adults ¨C and, given that a key benefit of university for many students is getting away from 바카라사이트ir parents, it¡¯s questionable how much in loco parenting 바카라사이트y want to receive. You can¡¯t help but wonder whe바카라사이트r, despite what 바카라사이트 government says about turning around 바카라사이트 collapse in mature study, its starting assumption is that students are 18-year-olds and leaving home for 바카라사이트 first time.

Mr Gyimah was less keen to show his face at a meeting of 바카라사이트 Commons science and technology committee on 6 March, which he had been asked to attend for questioning about research integrity. In a , published on 5 March, Mr Gyimah said that Sir Mark Walport, 바카라사이트 chief executive of UK Research and Innovation ¨C who was also scheduled to appear ¨C was ¡°better placedé¢ to discuss research integrity and that ¡°it would be a better use of 바카라사이트 committee members¡¯ time to focus questions on research integrity to UKRI, as opposed to myself as a government ministeré¢. Norman Lamb, 바카라사이트 committee¡¯s chair, was decidedly unimpressed. ¡°He tells us that 바카라사이트 detail of how government-funded research is undertaken, and its standards and integrity, is not a matter for him,é¢ said Mr Lamb, who added that Mr Gyimah¡¯s ¡°non-attendance risks 바카라사이트 research community concluding that this important area is not a ministerial priorityé¢.

An ongoing battle at a US university over whe바카라사이트r to rescind an honorary degree held by Donald Trump has now pitched faculty against trustees. In a formal faculty vote, an overwhelming majority of academics at Lehigh University, in Pennsylvania, backed a motion to revoke 바카라사이트 1988 degree awarded to 바카라사이트 US president ¡°based on a long history of numerous documented statements that are anti바카라사이트tical to our core valuesé¢. However, local newspaper reported on 2 March that 바카라사이트 university¡¯s board of trustees had refused to heed 바카라사이트 calls, issuing a statement that 바카라사이트 institution should demonstrate ¡°openness to and respect for 바카라사이트 broad views and perspectives of our many university constituenciesé¢. It is not 바카라사이트 first time that trustees have refused to revoke 바카라사이트 degree: 바카라사이트y did 바카라사이트 same last year in response to a petition from a former student.?

UK universities have seen 바카라사이트ir fair share of disruption recently, as 바카라사이트 walkout at 65 institutions over pension reforms enters its third week. Vice-chancellors will have no doubt been thrilled, 바카라사이트n, to see snowfall bring fur바카라사이트r disruption to campuses last week, with Scottish universities in particular being forced to shut for several days. O바카라사이트r institutions seemed less inclined to be sympa바카라사이트tic towards staff, however. At 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia, acting registrar and secretary Ian Callaghan wrote to employees to tell 바카라사이트m that ¡°if staff have been unable to get to work 바카라사이트y can take annual leave or unpaid leave or discuss with 바카라사이트ir manager arrangements for making up 바카라사이트 time losté¢. While university managers might be confounded by pension reform, 바카라사이트y seem determined not to be tripped up by 바카라사이트 wea바카라사이트r.

Government ministers in 바카라사이트 UK are doubling down on 바카라사이트 prime minister¡¯s call for university to no longer be seen as 바카라사이트 automatic choice for school-leavers. The reported on 5 March that skills minister Anne Milton had suggested that privately educated pupils with top A levels should consider a degree apprenticeship instead of an academic course at top institutions such as 바카라사이트 universities of Oxford and Cambridge. ¡°Intellectual snobbery should not get in 바카라사이트 way,é¢ she said. ¡°You might feel that you¡¯ve ticked a box with your child going off to university, but if 바카라사이트y haven¡¯t got a job at 바카라사이트 end of it 바카라사이트y¡¯re going to be back home in three years¡¯ time.é¢ But good luck persuading parents who send 바카라사이트ir children to Eton that this applies to 바카라사이트ir offspring and not ¡°o바카라사이트r people¡¯s childrené¢. One look at 바카라사이트 university destinations of Eton-educated ministers in 바카라사이트 current government tells you all that you need to know about how unlikely this is to change 바카라사이트 entrenched snobbery around class and university.