Opinion

We should not be so dismissive of back-office staff, for not only are they vital to the academy, they are human, Paul Greatrix says

Don't be put off by the Commission on a Bill of Rights, say Colin Harvey and Colm O'Cinneide - we must engage with it

The White Paper lacks vision: the coalition's short-termism must give way to long-term thinking, Libby Hackett says

Mike Boxall and Paul Woodgates consider the attitudes to the new academic order revealed by PA Consulting's latest v-c survey

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The government's proposals promise radicalism. But, born of compromise and fudge, they betray a disturbing lack of vision

Alan Ryan considers whether traditional university education has run its race

Using peer review to reflect the holistic nature of journal 'output' would mitigate the REF, argues Keith Kahn-Harris

The sector doesn't need a Byzantine White Paper, says Aldwyn Cooper: it needs clear criteria, empowered universities and greater diversity

Move over, 'helicopter parents': a new model is strafing the US sector and is on its way here. Peter Gumbel offers an early warning

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Scrapping degree classifications for US-style GPAs represents a long-overdue step to modernise accounts of student achievement

We all lose when scholars forfeit copyright, says Felipe Fernández-Armesto

New College is a necessary response to a state-run model that denudes our precious autonomy, argues Frank Furedi

The rich were once expert at getting their way, but the failure of their revolt against fees signals tough times ahead, argues George Watson

On the eve of the White Paper, Steve West reflects on the passion, partnerships and diversity that will stand the sector in good stead

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Malcolm Gillies on how percentages can both reveal and obscure truths

The real work and worth of the academy can’t be described by ‘business performance’ metrics and management-speak, argues Tim May

The road to hell is paved with good policy intentions, says Mike Boxall: the academy needs the right incentives to deliver public benefits

Coalition policies deserve opprobrium - a minister cut from the same cloth as the academy does not, says Wes Streeting

Even elite universities can profit from the flexible, diverse curricula pioneered by Universal Design Learning, argues Rachel Adams

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Recipe for success: take a pinch of existing material, sprinkle a little academic stardust and charge punters £18,000 a year

Even in the web age, academic get-togethers remain relevant, says Alice Bell

Writing course materials for Goldsmiths was a young Gabriel Egan’s first scholarly work. Two decades later, they’re part of a ‘superstar’ institution’s offerings

In a climate of higher fees and rising unemployment, student litigation is likely to increase. Adam Brett offers his evaluation of what universities must do to stay out of court

Roger Brown offers a dystopian vision of university closures, cheap, unregulated for-profits and declining standards

Forget what the global rankings say: Europe is a worthier model for the UK as students there get a far better deal, argues Anthony Glees

Julian Beer and colleagues warn that the U-Multirank ranking system lacks flexibility and will not reflect institutions' missions

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Yes, says Sally Feldman, of Tracey Emin's display of her own menstrual fluids

Education is never wasted, no matter what business leaders say, argues Tara Brabazon

Tier 4 reforms discriminate against the private sector and give the QAA too much power, Geoffrey Alderman warns

High student debt and higher costs will discourage applicants from further study, with disastrous consequences, argues Gareth Thomas

Calm down Vince: Lord Browne is ready to kick-start the stuttering engine of university reform. Rob Cuthbert imagines the possibilities

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When bad news goes global and even good news is inconvenient, the government faces a huge challenge in pushing for reform

Kevin Fong gives the revision lecture that his students need but don’t want

Citation indices are poor and distorting proxies for research quality - they should get the boot, argues Thomas Docherty

Alan Ryan on an American battle that deserves the UK’s attention

By restoring cuts made to Oscar Wilde's work, we gain insights into the political forces underpinning censorship, says Nicholas Frankel

We must properly debate all ideas: even off-quota places have some merits, as the Australian experience showed, says Don Nutbeam

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David Willetts is getting flak for voicing controversial policy ideas. But universities could suffer too if debate is stifled

In a technological environment built on planned obsolescence, history matters, argues Tara Brabazon

The critics are wrong, argues Rick Rylance; the AHRC is funding research into the 'Big Society', not promoting it

The for-profits are coming, warns Matt Robb, and universities must prepare themselves for the rigours of competition before it's too late

Academy take note: the International Baccalaureate offers the best preparation for higher study, argue John Oakes and Anthony Seldon

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Felipe Fernández-Armesto can’t wait to flee the madness infecting the UK

As expectations of retirement income take a turn for the worse, Andrew Oswald offers a few ideas for reversing the trend