He may once have disdained older scholars, but, having reached seniority in a managerialist age, John Brinnamoor now values their ability to say what others can’t
A guaranteed offer of a place on a degree course gives students peace of mind, but it also means they are unlikely to make considered decisions about their most appropriate future path, argues Jane Baker
Academics must be able to walk among colleagues in the ivory tower and distil their thoughts to the non-technical masses in order to protect democratic norms, says Alex de Ruyter
There’s a collegial obligation to recognise that although we’re writing and speaking in English, it’s not the same language for everyone, says Richard Kerley
The risk-taking and coping with rejection needed to find love are very similar to the skills that PhDs will also find useful in their job hunt, says Alfredo Cumerma
In developing digital teaching and learning environments, institutions must maintain focus on the essential task of connecting students with their teachers and each other, says Rebecca Galley
Hybrid journals can extend open-access publishing to authors in journals with a strong reputation and that still have a stable subscription model, says Steven Inchcoombe
The benefits of active learning may be backed by numerous empirical studies, but it’s no replacement for the lecture and should not be the dominant teaching method in higher education, argue James C. Conroy and Robert A. Davis
Gavin Maggs reflects on why philanthropy must mean more than money, and how institutions can find their voice when building long-term relationships with alumni
Developing an open-access policy for long-form scholarly works that allows for flexibility and a wide range of exceptions will be a slow and steady process, says Helen Snaith
In their enthusiasm for faculty to engage on social networks and have online brands, universities need to prepare academics for the toxicity that can come with it, argues Philip Moriarty
There’s no better way for the UK to show its collegial spirit to the EU than through a commitment to student mobility, similar to what Australia and New Zealand enjoy, says David Phoenix
Telling opponents of liberal values to ‘jog on’ may be tempting, but it risks confirming opponents’ claims that universities are aloof bastions of leftism, says Julie Odams
Seekers of dispassionate truth may be irritated by the moral passion of the likes of Dostoevsky, Zola and Chekhov, but it is a much stronger influence on public opinion, says David Aberbach
Pakistani lecturers and students tend to be similar in age, which makes romances inevitable. Universities must do more to raise awareness of the potential fallout of such relationships, say Abur Rehman Cheema and Mehvish Riaz
Promoting active learning is nothing close to ‘religious fervour’, but rather follows the findings of robust, evidence-based research, says Carl Wieman
Educators accusing students of not working hard enough is simply a shirking of their responsibility to actually meet learners’ needs, says Katherine Gould
The accounting magic the UK government performs to handle outstanding student loans has once again been questioned, but the timing couldn’t be worse for universities, says Andy Westwood
Don’t believe the hype; Finnish universities face just as many problems with professional mismanagement and staff morale as those in other countries, says Gareth Rice
Changing the language we use for student loans while increasing student maintenance will not improve access to higher education as the Money Saving Expert suggests, argues Amatey Doku
A plan outlining the zombie excellence framework was found on the laptop of estranged academic Jolliest Vendettas of the University of Neoliberalia, who believes it is 2044 and she now works for the Office for Zombies
In furthering technological leaps, how close should institutions be to Silicon Valley and how can they ensure that everyone, not just business, benefits?
Free and open debate is alive and well on UK campuses, but new guidance on how universities can best encourage and protect free speech is welcome, says Peter Tatchell
Postgraduate enrolments in the UK are growing, but a Ucas study shows that almost a quarter of current postgrads aren’t satisfied with the university they chose, Helen Thorne says
Other industries have been disrupted by bold new approaches to funding models and higher education seems ripe for its own revolution, says Robert MacIntosh
In response to Richard Arum’s charge that higher education research is failing to sufficiently investigate university teaching, Anne Tierney gives concrete examples of the contrary
Quick wins are important in the UK’s efforts to improve student mental health, says Richard Black, but paybacks from long-term projects will create the sea change needed, he argues
Communicating with students on platforms they’re comfortable with is convenient and more engaging during clearing, but universities must abandon marketing scripts to be truly effective, says David Seaton
Universities have a responsibility to introduce students to critical thinking and counter the rote learning that schools employ in preparation for the high-stakes university entrance exam, says Matthew D. Edward
Richard Joyner gives his ‘Description of Science’ scores for scientists’ biographies that are written by academics, which, he says, can often contain no details of the subject’s work at all
For all the good ascribed to Twitter and the rest, is this time-consuming activity improving things or distracting us from achieving transformative impact?
The prospect of losing access to EU funding only strengthens the rationale for UK universities to develop deep, bilateral international partnerships, says Ed Byrne
Holding scientific meetings in the US discriminates against scientists who are barred entrance to the country under the recently upheld travel ban, argues Bryan Ford
As two new mothers living thousands of miles apart but juggling the same academic and childcare demands, we found solace in connections with other studying parents, say Nicola White and Rebekah Farrell
A critical and questioning intellectual community of social scientists is a core component of a confident and flourishing democracy, but can academic critique go too far? asks Matt Flinders
Professors should embrace the digital transformation of higher education but eschew the commercial interests that will inevitably come with it, argues Markus Giesler
Compliance rules around the UK's open access policy are good, but we need more support from vendors, publishers and institutions to make research outcomes truly accessible to the public, says Helen Blanchett
