Opinion

Weekly transmissions from the blogosphere

The ‘golden triangle’ is a ringing success in the World University Rankings, but the UK needs every region to play its part

An ‘unconference’ inspires Kevin Fong to rethink his lecture material

If the line you have drawn in the sand is crossed, resign

Emma Rees offers a time-sensitive account of the start of term

Emran Mian on the questions that bothered him while working on the Browne Review, and which bother him still

Weekly transmissions from the blogosphere

Scott Armstrong’s 2013 Max Perutz Prize-winning essay on xenon’s potential to save lives

Critics of The Satanic Verses lost the battle but are winning the war, warns Dennis Hayes

Sally Feldman on students’ transition from adolescence to adulthood

Harvard’s huge fundraising and the US’ big lead in Moocs show that we can only learn from the American ‘can-do’ spirit

Generalists on fair terms would offer the flexibility the sector needs, argues Philip Roddis

Anthony Seldon says the best way to improve teaching in universities is through tough appraisals based on student feedback

Christopher Bigsby offers some words of advice

A weighted approach is the best bet for assessment, say Andrew Oswald and Daniel Sgroi

Vince Cable’s uncertainties about funding reform suggest the contingent, ad hoc nature of coalition policymaking

Reform must go all the way, argues Bill Rammell

Weekly transmissions from the blogosphere

Party conference season is upon us but there may be little dissent expressed over the fees status quo, despite its dangers

I am about to begin my 20th year of teaching in the UK: 12 years at Lancaster University and now in my eighth year at the University of Aberdeen

Alan Ryan reflects on the lack of uniformity in salaries for leaders of American higher education institutions

More government cash is the only way to cut student costs, argue Rudy Fichtenbaum and Hank Reichman

Freedom of demand but not supply, bureaucracy and Stalinist pay deals make progress almost impossible, says Sir Stuart Etherington

Weekly transmissions from the blogosphere

Meetings are an inescapable annoyance for most academics, but there are ways to make them more tolerable, John Kaag says

Harvard Business School’s teaching model offers consistency but also allows unscripted ‘discovery’, explain Michel Anteby and Caitlin Anderson

Weekly transmissions from the blogosphere

The growth in zero-hours contracts threatens the reputation of our universities and the morale of their staff

Felipe Fernández-Armesto on two undergraduates’ stairways to heaven (via Cincinnati)

David Gewanter recalls the time he spent studying under the late poet

The policies and realities of monitoring correspondence may vary, but the ethical implications are always significant

Weekly transmissions from the blogosphere

Rethinking classroom design needn’t be expensive, but keeping users in mind is key

Recreating a two-tier system is only benefiting ‘the best’, says Malcolm Gillies

The coalition wants competition to shake up higher education, but could a cooperative model also be worth exploring?

This year’s small deflation of A-level results still has a big impact on the sector, says Ucas head

Commemoration of the 1914-18 war should involve critical reflection rather than arouse an inarticulate glow of national pride

League tables should recognise the work of community-focused institutions in the developing world, argues Mukti Mishra

Weekly transmissions from the blogosphere

Using silence effectively in the university classroom has pedagogical benefits, asserts Helen Lees