White Paper inspiration from the US?

A somewhat different approach to cost savings in the new fees regime Not sure if this was a source of inspiration for the White Paper. It looks like something of a blue print for efficient management at the bargain basement end of the new private providers (but perhaps not for the New College of the …

Pet Soundings

Bringing Pets to College US News and World Report carries a story on the pet care option at university: For many students, leaving the comforts of home and moving in to college for the first time can be a difficult transition. Thoughts of leaving family, friends, and high school behind can conjure feelings of fear …

The Times: 2012 University League Table

2012 University Rankings published by The Times The new Times league table is out and there are some interesting changes. Some shuffling in the middle of the table and a couple of high climbers and a drop out. Last year's position in brackets: 1 Oxford (1) 2 Cambridge (2) 3 LSE  (5) 4 Imperial (3) …

More global goings on

Differing global view points In a recent post I offered some comments on views about internationalisation's mid-life crisis. Reports of two other recent conferences in Canada offer different perspectives on the globalisation of higher education. First, the Observatory on Borderless Higher Education has a report on its Global Forum which took place in Vancouver: The …

Nottingham wins a THELMA

THE Leadership and Management Awards 2011: Outstanding Communications and Marketing Team The full details of the results in each category can be found on the THE site. An earlier post reported the nominations Nottingham had received. On a really entertaining evening this was a terrific win for the University of Nottingham. And this is what …

Universities are “well-managed” shock

Remarkable speech at THE Leadership and Management Awards 2011 The THELMAs ceremony, on 16 June, was remarkable for a number of reasons. Not least the fact that Julian Clary was hosting. But perhaps the most surprising thing was the speech by David Willetts. First, it lasted barely a minute: realising that he was all that …

True Crime on Campus §11

More true crime on campus: traffic trouble Some further reports of the incidents to which our excellent Security staff have to respond. This particular set are all of a kind (apart from the last one): 15:45 Security were called to Landcroft Lane as a student's horsebox with a horse on board had lost a wheel. …

Preparing for a zombie attack: the tyranny of FOI

So should every public authority be preparing for this? Entertaining story on BBC News about Leicester City Council where a worried member of the public has forced the Council to admit it is unprepared for a zombie invasion: The authority received a Freedom of Information request which said provisions to deal with an attack, often …

Swings and roundabouts?

UK students rush to Maastricht. European students run to the UK So what is the story here? Is UK (or English) higher education in the post-Browne era so terrible that a mass exodus to the Netherlands is underway? The Independent reports that a Dutch university has seen a 'tenfold' rise in applicants: The number of …

Trouble with names

Or the importance of having a proper naming policy So could it happen here? Fascinating story this about Tsinghua University naming a teaching building after a donor. Except the donor is a clothes brand: China's prestigious Tsinghua University has triggered heated debates one month after its 100th anniversary of founding as it has named one …

Internationalisation’s mid-life crisis?

Or which way now for internationalisation? In a recent opinion piece in THE, I argued that genuine internationalisation, including building campuses overseas, was challenging but achievable and required a sincere long term commitment. Others have been asking some hard questions about the whole idea of internationalisation. So, has it lost its way? Is it the …

New university ‘to rival Oxbridge’

Exciting news - it's fantasy uni time The Telegraph and Sunday Times both carry this most interesting of stories about the establishment of the 'New College of the Humanities'. The Guardian also has the story but includes reactions from those expressing some consternation at the proposition as well as the key piece of information that …

Not such a good example?

"Don’t Look to the Ivy League" is an interesting article in the London Review of Books by Howard Hotson. Essentially, his argument is that a wider reading of the league tables suggest that the UK generally punches above its weight. The USA, despite dominating the very top of the table, lacks strength in depth. In …