- When cuts to academic pensions were first announced, many predicted a 鈥渨inter of discontent鈥 featuring strikes, marking boycotts and campus protests. But it seems the battle against reforms to the Universities Superannuation Scheme is already over. Of the 40,215 University and College Union members at pre-1992 universities eligible to vote in the ballot over a revised pension offer, only 39.1 per cent did so, the Electoral Reform Society announced on 26 January. Of those who voted, twice as many (10,538) chose to accept the deal drawn up by employers and the UCU as those who rejected it (5,168), with the new package due to be agreed with universities on 29 January, subject to consultation. The low turnout will surely surprise many who felt academics would fight harder to preserve comfortable final salary pensions, which were long seen as the 鈥渏ewel in the crown鈥 for the UCU and its membership.
- 鈥淗eartbroken鈥 students at the University of Glasgow are mourning the loss of their 鈥渂eloved鈥 campus cat, The Scotsman reported on 26 January. Miller became Glasgow鈥檚 unofficial mascot when he began to hang around campus buildings as a kitten 18 years ago, the paper reported. Since his death was announced last week, bereft students have taken to Twitter to recall Miller 鈥 otherwise known as 鈥渢he Adam Smith cat鈥 鈥 and his exploits, with 1,700 liking the cat鈥檚 Facebook page. Miller picked up his nickname for frequenting the building named after the famous Scottish moral philosopher, rather than for his love of free market economics.
- The University of Bristol is seeking to hire an 鈥渁ssociate dean of eureka moments鈥. The catchy job title is actually for the rather more prosaic post of leading the university鈥檚 new School of Social and Clinical Medicine. But managers wanted a more lively moniker to 鈥渕ake people stop and think鈥 about the 鈥渆xciting opportunity鈥, BBC News online reported on 26 January. 鈥淚t鈥檚 there to attract attention and it鈥檚 certainly worked,鈥 said Jonathan Sandy, the university鈥檚 dean of medicine and dentistry. The successful applicant will be able to drop the unusual title if they wish, but keeping it may prove a good excuse for taking leisurely mid-afternoon baths in search of Archimedes-style inspiration.
- A university professor has been drawn into a high-profile row with the nation鈥檚 favourite gardener Alan Titchmarsh, the Daily Mail reported on 26 January. Titchmarsh, who will take over as chancellor of the University of Winchester in six months, has hit out at one of the institution鈥檚 academics, Eric Anderson, over his boasts that he has slept with more than 1,000 teenagers and men. Professor Anderson, professor of sports, masculinities and sexualities, who has appeared on Titchmarsh鈥檚 daytime TV chat show, has also said that he plans to double that total, the Daily Mail reported. Titchmarsh, a committed Christian, said he is worried about the pressure 鈥渋mpressionable鈥 16-year-old boys face to have sex. He added it was 鈥渘ot justifiable鈥 to sack someone 鈥渂ecause their sexual mores differ from one鈥檚 own鈥, but he would have 鈥渘o hesitation in encouraging appropriate and justified action鈥 against Anderson, whose main offence is surely simply talking publicly about the racy subject. Admitting he had opened 鈥渁n enormous can of worms鈥, Titchmarsh will probably wish he had stuck to his usual debates involving horticultural matters.
- The Police Service of Northern Ireland has confirmed that it is seeking to obtain all the material from Boston College鈥檚 Belfast Project, which explored the history of paramilitary violence in the province. The US university had fought a long court battle to keep interviews with loyalists and republicans private, but in 2013 police obtained tapes relating to the 1972 murder of Jean McConville by the IRA 鈥 which apparently led to the arrest of Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams. A PSNI spokesman said detectives were seeking 鈥渁ll the material鈥, The Observer reported on 25 January, as part of their duty to 鈥渋nvestigate fully all matters of serious crime, including murder鈥. The plan emerged after loyalist Winston 鈥淲inkie鈥 Rea obtained an interim injunction at the High Court in Belfast which prevented police flying to the US to collect tapes of his interviews.
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