Explain how REF money is spent, universities told Research England hopes transparency pilot could lead to more accountability but critics fear bureaucracy and government control By Jack Grove 9 September
Universities left as ‘piggy in the middle’ after skills reshuffle Lack of clarity over how brief held by Jacqui Smith will be carved up risks delaying crucial policy interventions, critics fear By Tom Williams 9 September
UCU to hold nationwide strike ballot after ‘insulting’ pay offer Union threatens ‘coordinated’ strikes to cause ‘maximum disruption’ at UK universities By Juliette Rowsell 8 September
‘Dynamic pricing’: overseas students offered thousands off fees Some ‘scholarships’ advertised by UK universities contingent on grades or ‘ambassadorial duties’, with others applied automatically to all By Patrick Jack 8 September
The REF’s postponement raises hopes that sanity will prevail on PCE The three-month pause to re-examine the assessment of ‘people, culture and environment’ could prelude a welcome reversal, says Alice Sullivan By Alice Sullivan 8 September
Review retirement age rules for Teachers’ Pension Scheme – unions Falling life expectancy calls for a rethink of when university staff qualify for benefits, letter to Treasury says By Juliette Rowsell 6 September
Universities ‘poisoning student minds’, says Farage Populist leader takes aim at higher education in speech on first day of the Reform UK conference in Birmingham By Patrick Jack 5 September
Kyle promoted to business secretary as skills ‘moved out of DfE’ Keir Starmer reshuffles Cabinet after Angela Rayner resignation, with big implications for higher education By Tom Williams 5 September
UK universities failing on research culture could lose funding Research England to use REF pause to consider whether institutions must meet baseline performance measures as a condition of receiving funds By Jack Grove 5 September
UCU threatens to dock staff pay in row over working from home Union’s new policy mandating three office days a week resisted by some staff, who are refusing to come in at all By Juliette Rowsell 5 September
Nick Gibb: education faculties ‘absent from schools revolution’ Longest-serving education minister explains why he ignored ‘abstract’ and ‘ideological’ academic research in fight to improve school performance By Jack Grove 5 September
‘Keep focus on excellence and impact,’ say v-cs after REF pause Using REF to tackle research culture risks making it too ‘bureaucratic and burdensome’, university leaders warn as Vallance rethinks changes to weightings By Jack Grove 5 September
