Academics and support staff at London Metropolitan University are to strike next week over job cuts and redundancy terms 鈥 but the vice-chancellor has criticised the action for coinciding with a Left-organised protest.
Powerful public universities are manipulating the 鈥渄esperation of people whose university systems [have been] completely demolished鈥 to make a 鈥渇ortune鈥 from overseas branch campuses, a senior university leader has claimed.
A university鈥檚 process for closing courses was 鈥渘ot fit for purpose鈥 and the restructure of one of its colleges had a 鈥渄etrimental impact鈥 on students as a result, an investigation has found.
An independent taskforce headed by the founder of a popular personal finance website has been set up to tackle the 鈥渕yths and misunderstandings鈥 of the new system of student fees and loans due to come into force in September 2012.
Higher education鈥檚 best leaders, managers and administrators have been honoured at an annual awards ceremony, with Birkbeck, University of London taking the top prize.
The European Commission's head of higher education has warned that university rankings are "homogenising" institutions across the Continent as a system was launched that aims to counter the research "reputation race".
Just one in seven full-time undergraduate courses and one in 50 part-time programmes will be able to present complete information for prospective students as part of the new standard datasets that universities must publish from next year.
The social impact of universities over and above their direct economic contribution to the UK is worth 拢1.31 billion a year, a report published as part of Universities Week says.
A survey of more than 500 professors has found that eight out of 10 believe that for-profit institutions should not have access to state subsidies such as taxpayer-funded student loans.
Welsh universities have had their initial plans for higher tuition fees in 2012-13 rejected by the country鈥檚 funding council in a move that will be closely watched in England.
The University of Cambridge has set up its own small grants scheme for research in the arts, humanities and social sciences following the decision by two bodies to end similar programmes at the national level.
The number of student complaints referred to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator shot up by a third last year, according to figures released today.
The UK should look at the way other countries are 鈥減rofessionalising鈥 teaching in higher education, mindful of the fact that "not everyone takes [existing] courses seriously".
Steve Smith has been knighted in the Queen鈥檚 Birthday Honours after steering Universities UK through one of the higher education sector鈥檚 most turbulent periods.