Vice-chancellor bonuses growing despite sector funding crisis Universities defend decision to award some vice-chancellors larger bonuses than last year, with one private institution giving boss over £100K By Patrick Jack 16 December
Southampton Solent staff vote to strike over pensions dispute Union members back industrial action in early 2026 as row over pensions continues while Essex employees also launch ballot By Juliette Rowsell 15 December
OfS refers more institutions to watchdog over strike response English regulator warns multiple unnamed universities may have breached consumer protection legislation By Juliette Rowsell 15 December
Colleges in limbo amid ‘two-year wait’ for degree-awarding powers Institutions warn delays after reopening of English sector registrations are jeopardising their financial sustainability By Helen Packer 15 December
Trans scholars being ‘pushed out of academia’, researchers warn Universities ‘afraid to be trans inclusive’ after Supreme Court ruling and OfS Sussex fine, leaving staff fearing ‘hostile environment’ By Emily Dixon 15 December
UK universities report ongoing deficits after ‘difficult year’ Cambridge, Queen’s University Belfast and Leicester record shortfalls for the second year in a row as latest accounts highlight sector-wide financial challenges By Patrick Jack 13 December
UK universities strike deal with four major publishers Universities can decide on publishing deals after terms agreed with Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley and Taylor & Francis By Jack Grove 12 December
UA92 to open campus at Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium Classes to be held at iconic venue on non-matchdays as footballers’ institution seeks to counter international student shortfall By Helen Packer 12 December
Students lament possible closure of Cambridge veterinary courses University leaders considering internal recommendation to cease veterinary education after regulators extended conditional accreditation of degrees By Helen Packer 12 December
‘Genie out the bottle’ on franchising despite new rules Analysis shows that one provider has increased its number of subcontracted students by 500 per cent By Patrick Jack 12 December
‘Half in, half out’ approach to REF 2029 outputs ‘not enough’ Rollback of decoupling researchers from their work questioned despite policy U-turn on books By Jack Grove 12 December
Susan Lapworth to leave the Office for Students Chief executive becomes latest to depart English regulator after nearly four years in charge By Helen Packer 11 December
