Opinion

The shuttering of university campuses leaves security guards watching their screens for tumbleweeds, says George Bass

Online learning content is being shared across universities and accessed by record numbers of users, say Valentina Reda and Ruth Kerr

Swift decisions are needed on contact hours, attendance and assessment, says Benjamin Tak Yuen Chan 

Our students will be burdened with paying back current emergency spending and they deserve a fighting chance, says Sir Keith Burnett 

Denying legitimate authors their fair share of credit amounts to academic misconduct, says David Sanders

Universities are facing immediate challenges, but they’d be short-sighted to not prioritise civic activity, says Richard Calvert 

To stop economic destruction, we need to refocus vast resources from other productive activity – a truly grand prize might do the trick, says Chris Callaghan

Slashing research will be a dangerous temptation for politicians desperate for savings, warns Jan Palmowski

A solution that works for some might not work for others. Each student’s circumstances must be considered, argues Simon Hunt

The coronavirus crisis has knocked everyone sideways, including universities. And while they have no quick, easy answers, they are central to tackling it

Universities will have to rethink online provision, while the social and economic factors of the pandemic will affect demand, writes Simon Marginson 

It’s this element of higher education that will help universities make a quick recovery after this unprecedented crisis, says Steve Smith 

A belief that private colleges open more doors explains US voters’ lukewarm response to free public education, says Kate Eichhorn 

David LeFevre outlines a three-stage planning process needed to enhance online learning for all students – the new normal after Covid-19

Communication must improve and students should be consulted on finding new assessment methods, says Brian Wong

Finding writing partners online can impose some productive accountability, says Alice Kelly

Both are too resource-intensive to be sustainable during this crisis, and their objectives can be achieved through other measures, argues Dorothy Bishop

Now is the time for the higher education sector to get ahead of questionable government policy, say Chik Collins, Peter Jones and Marjorie McCrory 

Universities are scrambling to streamline online learning and temporarily removing barriers to scholarly content will be a huge help, says Anna Vernon 

Good online pedagogy is all about readability, comprehension checks – and endless clicks, says Nicholas Murgatroyd

The Sendai-based institution is focusing on collaboration and innovation in a bid to find solutions to global problems, says Hideo Ohno

The arrival of many Chinese international students has stoked prejudices that were, unfortunately, already growing, says Justin Fendos

Identifying high-risk students early and communicating what support is available will be essential, says Toby Chelms

‘Levelling up’ research spending may imperil regional universities’ sustainability, warn Grace Gottlieb and Graeme Reid 

Western universities may soon need to operate with far fewer international students thanks to the Covid-19 contagion, says Salvatore Babones

Having actionable plans already in place can help universities ride out the storm of global emergencies, says Cormac Bryce 

Taking all large classes online quickly required clear communication and a whole university approach, says May Lim

Having a colleague in the house is good to bounce ideas off of, but who will stay on top of the potty training? Theresa Mercer and Andrew Kythreotis share their experience of working from home during a pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic and the efforts being taken to tackle it could spark a wider reassessment of higher education’s vital role in society

Having to work from home might mean your kids have a bit more screen time – and that’s OK. Pragya Agarwal offers her tips on mixing home-working and childcare

Slightly higher fees would be a reasonable price for a system that responds to student numbers and preferences, says Andrew Norton 

Colleagues’ doubts about whether he deserved a prize make Aymen Idris wish people did not see his achievement as tokenism

Analysing how Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s community dealt with the disruption of mass protests and now the coronavirus lockdown can aid in its recovery, say five health communication researchers 

The sudden move to accommodate studying away from campus will come as a surprise to many disabled students who were previously told it wasn’t possible, says Stephen Campbell 

Focusing on how to deliver the UK government’s big ambitions for science could arrest the troubled funder’s drift, says John Womersley 

Universities have a duty to speak up during a crisis and provide evidence-based commentary, says Dawn Freshwater 

Recommendations set out in Labour’s lifelong learning report aim to make learning a universal right, explains Graeme Atherton 

After six weeks of draconian isolation, Alessandra Cappelletti is looking forward to seeing her students again

The costs of the UCU’s pay and pensions demands make the fights for lighter workloads, greater gender and ethnic pay equality, and less workforce casualisation impossible, says Alexander Douglas

HE is already suffering the financial impact of the coronavirus. But could a longer-term effect include a positive shift in mindset over HE’s fundamental role?

How future governments view R&D investment will be impacted by this fresh injection of funding, writes Athene Donald 

Universities are wrong to assume that they are entitled to use recordings of lecturers however they please, says Robert Cluley

Robert Zaretsky is troubled by his students’ refusal to see any nuance in a historical text that contains racial slurs  

There’s a great opportunity for Wales to show the world how an education centred on public service and community can be delivered, says Kirsty Williams 

Consulting citation data would ameliorate the all-too-human shortcomings of departmental review, says a Russell Group professor

But social media spats also reflect people’s desire for truth, social justice and greater openness, says Jingtai Tang

H. A. Hellyer shares his top principles for being a good academic – and a good person

The UK’s requirement that dyslexia tutors have specialist qualifications is a strain on hourly paid tutors and limits universities’ pool of workers, says Stephen Campbell 

Fear of reprimand is stopping researchers from looking into why workplace bullying is reported more in higher education than in other sectors, say Daniel W. Lund and Nick Forster 

The UK government's increasingly proscriptive policies on teacher education could start encroaching on universities’ autonomy, say Viv Ellis and Keith Turvey 

The government may be putting a new emphasis on universities and the role of research, but the attention may also bring new demands for delivery

Abuse of anonymity is damaging for both academics and students. It should lead to serious consequences, says Stefan Cantore

We should not be apologising for the way the humanities have been used in the Trump era, but striving to harness their force, says Sara Guyer

Employers value higher and degree apprenticeships. Restricting access to them would be counterproductive, says Jane Longmore

A recent posting on bioRxiv may have been erroneous, but the mistakes were picked up within hours, notes Kristen Sadler

The National Student Survey promotes higher education as a service passively consumed by students but it should encourage students to take more responsibility for their own learning, says Neil McBride

The Universities Superannuation Scheme is changing how it invests in ethical funds, which should be a concern to striking academics, argues Bernard H. Casey 

Working with actors in “left-behind” communities and recognising expertise beyond their walls will help close knowledge gaps on economic divisions, say Siobhan Morris, Olivia Stevenson and John Tomaney 

An atmosphere of fear on campuses has served to mute expression and limit academic freedom, but action can still be taken to fight back, says Debora Diniz

International mobility defines many academics’ careers – but how should we weigh the costs and benefits to individuals, and their adopted homes?