News in brief
Student satisfactionUK accommodation 'poor value'Almost half of UK university students are unhappy with the cost of their lodgings, a survey has found. Value for money was "important" to 93 per cent...
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Surplus value
Hefce says that record levels of spare cash prepare the academy for the new fees regime, but as new policies for allocating student places bed in, we might need to reassess its future financial...
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Ask the panel
Worried about your employment, maternity, pension rights? Send your questions to The Times Higher advice panel. What are the pros and cons, for pension purposes, of buying back years of service -...
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Surplus slips away
"No move on pensions" (December 9), reports that the latest official valuation of Universities Superannuation Scheme showed a surplus of £5 billion. The realistic figure (as reported on the USS...
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The Week in ÌÇÐÄVlog
Filming has started on a university-set comedy featuring a ruthless vice-chancellor, it was reported on 15 July. The Channel 4 series Campus, set at the fictional Kirke University, is due to be...
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It was fun while it lasted
Both vice-chancellors and academics enjoyed healthy pay rises in 2008-09, although they may seem a distant memory to those now feeling the pinch. Using an exclusive analysis by Grant Thornton, John...
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Risky business
As an actuary, I take some interest in pensions. According to its annual report for the year ended March 31, 2004, the Universities Superannuation Scheme had more than 80 per cent of its funds...
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Letter: Reason to be prudent 2
The Association of University Teachers is still consulting on the merits of accrual proposals for the Universities Superannuation Scheme. It is unlikely, however, to accept the implication of H. C. S...
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Letter: Fractional Errors 2
H. C. S. Ferguson misunderstands (Letters, THES December 14). The possible changes to the USS on which I and some colleagues on its trustee board have consulted members, if implemented for any period...
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Ask the panel
Worried about your employment, maternity, pension rights? Send your questions to The Times Higher advice panel. I am approaching 65, which means obligatory retirement at my university. Because of...
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How much are you worth?
Academic salaries have increased by 12.6% in two years, but can the rises be sustained? Market differences are already beginning to show, with significant variations in pay between universities just...
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Ready for the storm?
Lord Mandelson has wielded the axe on university spending, and whichever party wins the general election, further cuts are likely. Using an exclusive analysis of institutions' financial statements by...
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Ask the panel
I am about to join a new university as an hourly paid lecturer teaching for three hours a week. I am close to retirement and do not see this as a first step towards some sort of academic career. The...
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Imagine you had a Pounds 1.4bn windfall
Actuary Zaki Khorasanee sets out why academics should demand that their pension fund's surplus be used to improve their 'mediocre' rights. I joined the Universities Superannuation Scheme in September...
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Explaining the profits
Your money is in safe hands, says university pension scheme chief executive David Chynoweth. The pensions industry is under close scrutiny. And rightly so. The funds involved are huge and those...