It would be a really big help if… His portfolio safe, David Willetts can enjoy some stability and clarity, the very things v-cs would like from the minister By John Gill 31 October
Who picks up the tab for growth? Willetts, like Robbins, envisages more graduates, but he is similarly reluctant to explain how expansion will be funded By Simon Baker 24 October
More than a game of numbers The unhealthy drive to score maximum REF points can cause universities to lose perspective as well as humanity By John Gill 17 October
We push as Europe pulls Shoddy treatment of foreign students plays into the hands of continental rivals taking us on at our own anglophone game By John Gill 10 October
High notes need to be balanced The ‘golden triangle’ is a ringing success in the World University Rankings, but the UK needs every region to play its part By John Gill 3 October
The power of positive thinking Harvard’s huge fundraising and the US’ big lead in Moocs show that we can only learn from the American ‘can-do’ spirit By John Gill 26 September
Prophet didn’t see it coming Vince Cable’s uncertainties about funding reform suggest the contingent, ad hoc nature of coalition policymaking By John Gill 19 September
It seems there is no alternative Party conference season is upon us but there may be little dissent expressed over the fees status quo, despite its dangers By Simon Baker 12 September
Feeling less than zero The growth in zero-hours contracts threatens the reputation of our universities and the morale of their staff By John Gill 5 September
They’re all in it together The coalition wants competition to shake up higher education, but could a cooperative model also be worth exploring? By John Gill 29 August
A timely look under the bonnet A-level results day and clearing offered insights into the gremlins, glitches and successes of the new fees and funding system By John Gill 22 August
Acid test for culture change Sector braces itself for second round of admissions since start of government’s big higher education ‘experiment’ By John Gill 15 August
The market just around the corner The intended undergraduate fees market never took off, but it is very real for international and postgraduate students By John Gill 8 August
All clamour on feminist front Undaunted by battles that can be gruelling and disheartening, women are ramping up the fight for equality in the academy By John Gill 1 August
Two brains has been all ears, too David Willetts is a rare politician who thinks and listens. It would be a blow to the sector if he were replaced By John Gill 25 July
And the brand played on In India, the US, the UK and beyond, branding is an inescapable part of higher education, for good or ill By John Gill 18 July
What Dad does ought not matter University entry has exploded since Robbins, but there are signs that parental social class is re‑emerging as a crucial factor By John Gill 11 July
Population number crunch Demographics suggest that some universities may have to rely more than ever on overseas students for financial stability By John Gill 4 July
Sound financial principles As the sector maps a funding environment where donations loom ever larger, ethical guidance wouldn’t go amiss By John Gill 27 June
Faint heart never won fair access Failure to evaluate the impact of widening participation funding - and to fight for its retention - has left it vulnerable to the axe By John Gill 20 June
Fast, local relief for complaints When it comes to resolving student grievances in the high fees era, it is best if universities can nip them in the bud By John Gill 13 June
PM sticks to populist numbers Boris Johnson and Vince Cable both see the harm being done by the hard line on immigration, but Cameron is unlikely to budge By John Gill 6 June
A little healthy criticism The principle of challenging accepted views is vital for the administration of banks, universities, even medicines By John Gill 30 May
Not what the doctor ordered Moving health research and education funding to the Department of Health may mean higher education loses its voice By Simon Baker 23 May
Nul points for agency standard The gulf between the QAA benchmark on study time and the hours students put in raises questions about its judgement By Simon Baker 16 May
Groupings with the X Factor As research intensives band together to pool resources, they could be showing us the best way to weather the downturn By John Gill 9 May
Evidence and insight be damned In the training of teachers, ministers seem determined to sideline universities with little thought for the consequences By John Gill 2 May
The things that matter most Among the factors that make students (and others) happy is community, hard as it may be to measure By John Gill 25 April
Efficiency can be too ruthless The need to run a tight financial ship is important, but it cannot be the sole determiner of the shape of higher education By John Gill 18 April
Equity is the best policy If the UK wishes its sector as a whole to be as well regarded as its elite stars, the right balance must be found in funding By John Gill 11 April
A clear balance of interests Institutions have a delicate line to tread in being open about their organisations versus the pressures of competition By John Gill 4 April
A greater currency than cash When pension pots are full, generosity would fit the zeitgeist better than salary top-ups By John Gill 28 March
Still sing the songs of protest Attempts to crush dissent, silence alternative thinking and promote conformity jeopardise higher education’s future By John Gill 21 March
Stick your oar in or we'll sink By providing moral and intellectual leadership, university heads will help to protect the bottom line By John Gill 14 March
Untangling creation myths Artistic practice may count as research within the academy but it must be treated carefully if innovation is not to be stifled By John Gill 7 March
Rotten to the core? Far from it Bad apples who cheat may at times beat the system, but their misdeeds should not taint the honest and ethical majority By John Gill 28 February
Talk of fair play is not enough David Cameron can court India’s students all he likes, but the UK’s immigration policy is hardly bowling them over By John Gill 21 February
Gold rush too fast, too furious On open access as in other areas of reform, the coalition has failed to heed the maxim that slow and steady wins the race By John Gill 14 February
Don't lose head over mad men Advertising and branding matter more than ever, but universities already have what every business wants By John Gill 7 February
Look sharp, the ground is shifting In a revolutionary era the sector must abandon its traditional reticence to explore a taboo research subject: itself By John Gill 31 January
Reform chills are multiplying A variety of institutions are feeling exposed in the shifting landscape emerging from the blizzard of coalition changes By John Gill 24 January
Let's wait for the weightings Data on the number of eligible staff submitted to the REF will produce better rankings - but funding councils must play ball By John Gill 17 January
Sandwich short of a picnic Funding system must ensure it does not hamper institutions’ ability to offer work placements crucial to graduate employment By John Gill 10 January
Leader: 'Perfect on paper' may lack spark Universities need to hire the best people for the job, but demanding PhDs from all is not the way to do it By John Gill 3 January
Leader: Few tidings of comfort and joy The bells may be ringing out for Christmas Day, but for the sector they signal alarm after a year of unprecedented upheaval By John Gill 20 December
Enter the disruptive dragon Moocs promise to strike at the heart of traditional higher education delivery, but it needn’t mean the chop for universities By John Gill 6 December
Leader: Goldilocks had the right idea Rather than assuming bigger is better, we must trial research laboratory effectiveness before concluding which size is just right By John Gill 22 November
Leader: The self-censor may not hold New-found restraint over research council applications should be praised but will it survive further funding cuts? By John Gill 15 November
Leader: Universal lesson to be learned In the high fees era, debates about teaching qualifications will be just as pointed in the lecture hall as in the classroom By John Gill 1 November
Leader: A cloud of uncertainty over ABB With so little hard data about, the decision on taking more places out of the numbers cap is tough. It might all come down to cost By John Gill 25 October
Leader: Unknown half-life of fees fallout With the first cohort of £9K students settling in, there is still no clear idea about how cost is affecting numbers and teaching By John Gill 18 October
Leader: REF must ensure fair play for all The focus on world-leading work could turn a generation of unsubmitted researchers into second-class citizens By John Gill 11 October
Leader: Things can only get worse Budget forecasts suggest that higher education is still at risk from a government needing to find further savings By John Gill 27 September
Leader: No one is escaping the mire With student admissions down 54,000 on last year, even elite institutions are facing severe financial hardship By John Gill 20 September
Leader: Education is our stock in trade Fear of losing students to the for-profit sector is driving some institutions to try beating private providers at their own game By John Gill 6 September
Leader: Can we have the bill, please? Despite the demise of Lords reform, fundamental changes to the academy are still unlikely to receive parliamentary scrutiny By John Gill 9 August
Leader: Young guns can't go for it Hefce figures show that the proportion of scholars under 30 is falling: the implications for the sector's future could be severe By John Gill 2 August
Leader: Little buy-in for market dreams The government expected price sensitivity and consumer choice to drive down degree costs, but that's not happening By John Gill 26 July
Leader: Retain our critical faculties In dark days, the academy must dare to look beyond arguments for economic impact and restate the case for its intrinsic value By Phil Baty 19 July
Leader: Agents of potential misfortune With immigration and university standards hot issues, any impropriety involving recruiters abroad could tar the sector By John Gill 5 July