Wonkhe Mondays Archive
2024
September
- 30 September – Blue is the warmest colour, skills shift, the Welsh commitments, a song for Europe
- 23 September – Efficiency is our watchword, a moveable feast, model achievement
- 16 September – See you in November, we need to talk about workload, if you recruit them they will come
- 9 September – All in this together, secrets and fries, leadership in challenging times
- 2 September – Do the write thing
August
- 19 August – (Holiday briefing) What a result, 100 days of summer
- 12 August – (Holiday briefing) Many wrongs make a riot, the results are out, digital transformation takes skills
- 5 August – (Holiday briefing) New condition of registration, breaking the cycle of student despair
July
- 29 July – Fit for the future, leadership in challenging times, disorderly exit, data-driven regulation latest
- 22 July – Labour’s legislation, majority rules, boom boom boom bust, international foundation years
- 15 July – Licence to skill, Keir’s peers, many questions, the inheritance of loss
- 8 July – From academic support to student success, ministering to the sector
- 1 July – Don’t forget to vote, quality call on me, Withers: from dithers to delivers
June
- 24 June – Full-fat devolution, stabilising the HE ship after the election, where you live and what you learn
- 17 June – Needs to know, the manifestos and what comes next, graduate outcomes
- 10 June – Knowledge security, the BTEC HE participation cliff edge, stabilisers on
- 3 June – Hey Mickey, after the election, creativity in the real world
May
- 20 May – PGT deserves a break, financially unsustainable, policy and evidence in immigration
- 13 May – Return of the MAC, protesting too much?, all the things I could do, data history data futures
April
- 29 April – How HE shows up in party manifestos, universities and freeports, enterprising or over-reliant?, Balkanisation
- 22 April – The Festival of Higher Education is back, first in family students, in praise of Clearing, international students get remote, the changing face of student feedback, chops for breakfast
- 15 April – Choice or voice, beyond the quality basics, nursing a headache, allowances for failure
- 8 April – Say my name say my name, strategic unplanning, spun out
March
- 25 March – A penny saved, thinking on funding, open for business
- 18 March – Australian Universities Accord, Office for Students funding review, extremism definition, MAC and squeeze, Gething gets First Minister
- 11 March – Lonely learning, displaced universities in Ukraine, notes from the culture war
- 4 March – New threats to student futures, the squeeze is on, priority onboarding, Grady inflation
February
- 26 February – Supporting education reform in Ukraine, a social mobility premium, they need to talk about franchising, acting accordingly, rooting out low pay with data
- 19 February – Getting out of neutral, skill and care, size and shape
- 12 February – Widening access in places, the fee also rises, research bureaucracy, voter ID, balancing the seesaw
- 5 February – Public sector pipeline, does more staff make for happier students?, Sunday Times fallout, setting out his stall
January
- 29 January – The Secret Life of Students, it’s not fair, compliance culture, regulatory power(point), under maintenance
- 22 January – Take your partner by the hand, systemic political failure, admissions cycle, presumption of partnership
- 15 January – Exit, pursued by a bear, the wages of dignity, trust me I’m a student
- 8 January – The secret life of students, not so Cleverly, budget lines
2023
December
- 18 December – We wish you a merry TEFmas, thinking radically in 2024, graduate route arguments briefing, pain both ways
- 11 December – Gender-based violence – from data to action, should the drop in applications worry universities?, another year to get your REF submission in, beat the cheats, “one down, two to go”, graduate route review
- 4 December – Let’s make a TEFmas miracle, a minimum service from DfE, student income and expenditure
November
- 27 November – Systematic review, go hard or go home, do they stay or do they go?
- 20 November – Back to the data future, be not of good cheer, England’s new funding method the LLE, quality does take time
- 13 November – REF impact, food insecurity, theories of change, state of the union, education for the “long term”
- 6 November – The graduate premium, in praise of small policy, UKRI row continues
October
- 30 October – Healthcare workforce expansion, totally sacrosanct, quality priorities, housing headaches
- 23 October – Technology for student success, campus protest, skills chaos, housing a problem
- 16 October – Is cost of living affecting belonging?, antisemitism on campus, all that glitter not much HE gold
- 9 October – What’s Labour’s future for fees?, Arif Ahmed speaks out, standards advanced, setting the curve
- 2 October – Students’ views of engagement analytics, a TEF crowd, academic freedom, deal or no deal, knowledge exchanged
September
- 25 September – Looking outward – the people needs of HE, the past present and future of TEF, sexual misconduct prevalence pilot, what does LLE stand for?, one pot to fund them all
- 18 September – Regulation in England: what now?, quality matters, research culture wars
- 11 September – A common cause, over the Horizon, regulatory rethink, cost of learning, marking time
- 4 September – It’s all coming up in 2023–24, the scale of harassment, CTER takes flight
August
- 21 August – (Summer update) Results day
- 14 August – (Summer update) Exam results aren’t everything, NSS 2023
- 7 August – (Summer update) The limits of cross-subsidy, transforming international research collaboration, dispatches from a US edtech conference
July
- 31 July – (Summer update) What can we honestly say to alienated students?
- 24 July – (Summer update) Students’ interests, HE reform – what we got
- 17 July – Command and control, the keys to curriculum change, promises promises
- 10 July – Toxic masculinity makes us all discontent, Labour is shattered, event horizon, the mane event, the apprentice becomes the discouraged applicant
- 3 July – Summer of AI, foreign policy matters, what else is going on?
June
- 26 June – Industrial disputation, a tale of two student experiences, carbon copy, journeying on
- 19 June – A kinder gentler REF?, Wonkhe founder Mark Leach recognised in King’s Birthday Honours, complicated foreign affairs, loans miss the lifelong learning target
- 12 June – We need to talk about franchising, duty of care, rights here rights now
- 5 June – Disciplinary matters, duty of care, Labour – study now, pay more later, my definition is this, beyond the skills binary
May
- 29 May – (Holiday briefing) Freedom from and freedom to, Braverman comes for dependants, what else is going on?
- 22 May – The Festival of Higher Education, National Conservatism comes for universities, international scale, in the line of duty of care, first do no harm
- 15 May – Curriculum transformed, less dependant, regulator in the spotlight, Euro visions
- 8 May – (Holiday briefing) Labour and fees, what else is going on?
April
- 24 April – Running it up the poll, disabled student commitment, reflecting on complaints, when student engagement goes wrong, marking and assessment boycott, WUSCA 2023
- 17 April – Does research funding need a review?, fees & funding debate reignites, AI and higher education, free speech and confidence
- 3 April – Will there be a new designated quality body?, it’s hard not to be EORR-ish, consultation or a marking boycott or both?, new ministerial team in Scotland
March
- 27 March – The journey to a million, devil in the detail for LLE, HESES she says, who teaches the teachers?, understanding neurodiversity in HE
- 20 March – Has the avalanche finally arrived?, fairness and belonging, budget days
- 13 March – Lifelong loans, education espresso is back, stability fuels innovation
- 6 March – Anything but nine to five, a science superpower?, tell us how you are feeling about ed tech, inquiry into OfS
February
- 27 February – Radical reform by stealth, immigration figures fallout, new duties on harassment and sexual misconduct, Horizon funding goes bye-BEIS?
- 20 February – The chatbots are coming for your students!, a period of calm, what else is going on?
- 13 February – Being real, getting real, machinery of government, burning platform, thirty-three LLE
- 6 February – Going for growth, free speech ping pong, extra credit, public perceptions of universities
January
- 30 January – How was the TEF for you?, digging for a resolution, visa seesaws, feeding back on OfS, plan 5 from outer space
- 23 January – A tertiary future for all?, measuring our way to net zero, maintenance of hardship, antisemitism on campus
- 16 January – The numbers game, curb your enthusiasm, pay and pensions action continues
- 9 January – Secrets and lives, what we’ll be talking about in 2023
2022
December
- 19 December – (Holiday briefing) What a year it’s been, it’s your letters
- 12 December – Responsible research assessment, change and the community, the end of NDAs, work experience in a blended world
- 5 December – The future of part-time HE, supporting research potential, care experienced students, free speech bill heads towards its endgame, a Christmas miracle?
November
- 28 November – Raising the red lectern, learning from students – and from their data, international student stats, we’re an innovation nation now
- 21 November – Industrial action begins, Barber’s back, QAA goes woke, capacity concerns, graduate employability
- 14 November – UKRI breaks silence on Plan B, red boxing day, the cost of living, what else is going on
- 7 November – Funding demand, cry freedom, quality in perspective, NUS president sacked
October
- 31 October – The return of austerity, the bill is back, who’s in and who’s out, NSS changes, support for students
- 24 October – Cutting your losses, reckoning time for regulation, it blended up OK, how do we know what students need right now?, strike decision
- 17 October – Belong from the beginning, look over there, short cuts
- 10 October – What measure is what matters, international incident, twenty years of the quality enhancement framework, student suicide
- 3 October – Next conference call, belong from the beginning, OfS 3.0, getting in and getting on, community organising as work-based learning
September
- 26 September – Getting organised, Liverpool bound, trickle-down economics
- 12 September – Remembering Queen Elizabeth II
- 5 September – What’s next?, costs of living, further along the horizon, OfS’ last days?
August
- 22 August – (Summer update) A level results, ten of the best: admissions
- 15 August – (Summer update) SQA results, content concerns, ten of the best: research and innovation
- 8 August – (Summer update) Conservative party leadership race, ten of the best: finance and the cost of living
- 1 August – (Summer update) Truss on HE, OfS’s hot summer, ten of the best: the NSS
July
- 25 July – (Summer update) Quality item, research news, ten of the best: quality assurance
- 18 July – (Summer update) Wonkhe community survey, changing careers, ten of the best: race and racism
- 11 July – This is fine, satisfaction can include academic rigour, pump it up, how UK universities are supporting Ukraine
- 4 July – Wedge issues, reading the small print, a very large group complaint, new sector finance data
June
- 27 June – What do staff who teach make of technology?, chasing the tales, underfunding and overwork hold the sector back, say economists
- 20 June – To uni I belong, renter’s reform, why would OfS be regulating research?, who expected normal?
- 13 June – A tale of two surveys, make it make common sense, open secrets, quality of standards, no good news on the Horizon?, microcredentialling
- 6 June – Can universities make the argument for sustainability?, Levelling off?, What else is going on?
May
- 30 May – We all dig those boots, we can’t get the material, getting serious about skills, care leavers
- 23 May – “We are feeling creatures that think”, this is not fine, duty of care, REF and referentiality
- 16 May – Hitting the buffers, after the REF has gone, “Unmerited” crackdown, HE bills, new and old, changes at Wonkhe, Education Espresso – pedagogy and playfulness
- 9 May – Brace for impact (case studies), the Queen speaks, on cloud nine, pay offered, the resolution is coming
April
- 25 April – Blair Institute, fiscal drag, next steps for industrial action, APP variation
- 11 April – Taking action on student belonging, providers close sometimes, graduate employment myths, notes from the Nordics
- 4 April – Access all areas, it’s your letters, belonging from the beginning, the data burden, benchmarks for all
March
- 28 March – Working in higher education, far from first class, graduates pay students don’t benefit, I see that delegate there, new bills please
- 21 March – Research nation, full disclosure, if you go down to the woods today, a new regulatory structure is slowly emerging in Wales, it’s all in the blend, belonging from the beginning
- 14 March – Absorbing the shocks, making allowances, everybody out?
- 7 March – The war in Ukraine, the conditions for quality, quite the admission, careers 2032: a roadmap for action, what a drag, creeping powers, an “ideological fixation”?
February
- 28 February – New rules, market measures, fiscal illusions, lifelong loans, PQOff
- 21 February – Has the free speech bill been cancelled?, cometh the Augar?, the belonging puzzle, Donelan is demanding, DfE goes tertiary, reversion to trend
- 14 February – A student futures manifesto, the case for space (and place), is all fair in access and participation?, the return of learning gain, assent all ARIAs, strikes begin at 44 universities, 100 years of NUS
- 7 February – How to do wellbeing in the new normal, Doing diversity differently at The Secret Life of Students, Levelling the land, living black at university
January
- 31 January – International student futures, no ESG, no capital, loan repayment threshold freeze, is there still a binary divide?, Scotland inquiry on student accommodation, older postgraduates, accidental underwriters
- 24 January – Course quality and value get a rebrand, student outcomes, a new TEF, down in the data weeds, how to change assessment, UCU reballot
- 17 January – Will universities’ civic commitments wash?, are students in danger of being spiked?, forms funding and the future, buffer overflow, Freedom of Speech means disclosing a decade of financial data, chatty rats and Mickey Mouse
- 10 January – It’s all coming up, omicroff, new NSS, graduate prospects, sealing the gaps
2021
December
- 20 December – What will 2022 bring?, It’s beginning to look a little like Christmas
- 13 December – Staffing universities, plan B, the legacy of COP26, one nation universities, end of cycle, student maintenance loans
- 6 December – The state of research, levelling up and admissions, industrial action, the next decade of careers support, textbooks are still too expensive
November
- 29 November – Access and Participation Plans, social mobility rankings, admissions over-subscription clauses, the Omicron variant
- 22 November – Secret Life of Students event, Making Sense of Higher Education event, UK regulators, strikes, BTECs, HE in the House of Lords
- 15 November – Regulatory futures, antisemitism and IHRA, distance learning, University of Austin
- 8 November – Fee cuts, free speech bill, UCU strikes, TER(W)
- 1 November – Budget, AUDE heroes, APPUG report on student finances, Welsh quality consultation, UCAS 15 October deadline
October
- 25 October – Hopes for the spending review, BHM: being black in science, OfS activity, spiked, COP26
- 18 October – The new social mobility, the new rules, Stock take, the bill chill, Sharia loans, digital edge awards
- 11 October – Coalitions of change, It’s fresh…exciting (on Wonkhe.com), libraries gave us power, levelling up in Manchester, beat the cheats, 24-hour PhD people
- 4 October – Tory Party conference, comprehensive spending review, graduate repayment threshold, Wonkhe community survey, research allocations, student hardship payments
September
- 27 September – IFF graduate index, Labour Party conference, reshuffle continues, REF results date, UCU ballot, freshers’ posters, DfE vaccine survey, LGBT+ students report
- 20 September – Cabinet reshuffle, how to crowdsource a university, levelling up, Covid
- 13 September – University groupings, UUK conference, Scottish programme for government, international students
- 6 September – UPP Foundation Student Futures Commission interim report, new SU leaders, USS
August
- 23 August (summer update) – Pedagogy, HE policy in five years, innovation, Car Parking League Table 2022
- 16 August (summer update) – Long Covid, A level results
- 9 August (summer update) – A level results day, degree standards, essay mills, student voice, open access
- 2 August (summer update) – Mental health, student complaints, Graduate Outcomes, vaccination
July
- 26 July (summer update) – selective providers, vaccine passports, sexual misconduct, OfS consultations, graduate jobs, community survey
- 19 July (summer update) – Wonkhe community survey, NSS results, free speech bill, level three funding
- 12 July – Whole new world event, Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill, Covid restrictions lifting, UCAS numbers
- 5 July – Skills and Post-16 Education Bill, SFC coherence and stability report, financial stability, Covid restrictions, farewell to Registrarism
June
- 28 June – Digital literacy, universities thriving on international stage, Black Lives Matter event, Student Academic Experience Survey, white working class report, LEO data, universities’ financial sustainability, Scottish hotel quarantine for international students.
- 21 June – Learning resources micro-commission, Black Lives Matter, skills bill second reading, Covid roadmap delays
- 14 June – UCEA pay negotiations, Oxford culture wars, TEF awards extensions, HESA good jobs research, HEPI/London Economics student loans modelling
- 7 June – Wonkfest, education funding row, Horizon Europe, ARIA bill, September, geography of employment data
May
- 31 May – Holiday Briefing
- 24 May – Skills and Post-16 Education Bill, Future Research Assessment Programme, SOCs, Oriel College keeps Rhodes statue, new Scottish education team.
- 17 May – Freedom of speech bill, Queen’s speech, new Welsh education minister
- 10 May – Student engagement, Queen’s speech, art course funding, levelling up, research culture
- 3 May – Bank Holiday Update
April
- 26 April – Black Lives Matter, Wonkfest 2021, Post-qualification offers, harassment and sexual misconduct, OIA large group complaints, SUs letter to CMA, Scottish local elections
- 19 April – Top-up fees, return to campus, sexual harassment, higher education in the Welsh election
- 12 April – Wonkfest 2021, higher education regulation, government science funding, university culture, campus reopening
March
- 29 March – E-book pricing, Student Futures Commission, UCAS student choice report, research bureaucracy review, academic freedom, OfS funding consultations
- 22 March – Wonkfest launch, ARIA hearing, OfS warning against overrecruitment, ebook pricing; Police, Crime, Setencing, and Courts Bill; Welsh internation exchange scheme
- 15 March – Aula/Wonkhe teaching survey, higher education leadership, no detriment, action against sexual harassment and misconduct, UKRI funding cuts
- 8 March – Nice work if you can get it, Budget 2021, USS valuation, OIAHE complaint case summaries
- 1 March – Census 2021, Scottish route map out of pandemic, alternative exam arrangements in England, Gravity Assist, Sutton Trust research on extracurricular activities and employability, Donelan on decolonisation
February
- 22 February – UCAS January statistics, freedom of speech proposals, ARIA, universities and the media
- 15 February – End of term, freedom of speech, research ecosystem, graduate employment, essay mills
- 8 February – TEF, Wonkhe/Pearson research, UCAS end of cycle report, student hardship, Turing scheme
- 1 February – Freedom of speech, grade inflation, APPG Students on rent refunds and hardship funds, OfS consultation on quality and standards, Covid-19 testing
January
- 25 January – Augar response, Skills for Jobs, Pearce review, PQA consultation, Aula survey, Michael Barber speech, university Covid-19 testing
- 18 January – New term troubles, waiting on the Augar and TEF responses, free speech and statues, consultations on exams
- 11 January – Skills to thrive, exams cancelled, staggered return to campus, no detriment, OfS chair preferred candidate
- 4 January – Staggered return, FE white paper delay, Brexit done, New Year’s honours
2020
December
- 21 December (Christmas Update) – Seven things we learned in 2020, the very best of Wonkhe in 2020
- 14 December – University finances, Covid-19 cases falling among students, OIA Good Practice Framework, new courses/closed courses
- 7 December – Staggered return to campus, student withdrawal statistics, A levels 2021, What do graduates do?, international admissions series
November
- 30 November – Skills, Start to Success, staggered return, institutional racism, Spending Review, covid complaints
- 23 November – Value and quality, spending review, grade inflation, postgrad support, Covid-19 vaccination plan
- 16 November – Admissions reform, “low value” courses, Dominic Cummings, SAGE advice, innovation taskforce
- 9 November – Burnout, admissions review, retention, lockdown, ten years on from fees protest, skills white paper, research support scheme
- 2 November – UPP levelling up report, lockdown II, Start to Success metric, college of the future, Knowledge Exchange Concordat, A levels in Wales
October
- 26 October – Student experience, UCU legal challenge, SFC report, UUK Vision, OfS data collection, REF review
- 19 October – Non-continuation, student quarantine, white working classes, international security risks, A level delays.
- 12 October – Covid-19 outbreaks, culture wars, antisemitism, new providers, disabled students, female HE workers during lockdown, OfS’ regulatory approach
- 5 October – Insolvency, Covid-19 outbreaks, skills gaps, Black History Month, EU student numbers
September
- 28 September – Students going home for Christmas, RAB charge, NSS review terms, UCAS analysis of Clearing, student voting patterns
- 21 September – Covid-19, student union activism, Wonkhe/Adobe survey, cyber attacks on universities, postgrad earnings, social mobility, track and test app
- 14 September – How to respond to Covid-19, bureaucracy crackdown, student visa changes, student engagement, USS2020
- 7 September – Wonkhe community centre, SAGE report on returning to campus, Pearson research on digital poverty among students, mental wellbeing, examnishambles rattles on
August
- 31 August (Summer Update) – UCU calls to “scrap” reopening universities.
- 24 August (Summer Update) – Universities and public health, examnishambles, graduate jobs in the arts, QR allocations, international students eligible for UKRI grants, OfS gets 400 registrations
- 17 August (Summer Update) – A levels fiasco, The Secret Life of Students, Bloomsbury decision, open Covid data.
- 10 August (Summer Update) – Scottish Higher results, Secret Life of Students, student accommodation, return to campus, Pearson survey, OfS board papers
- 3 August (Summer Update) – Policy Exchange on academic freedom, economics of university cities and towns, OfS loses in court, OfS letter, participation in HE stats, allocation of student healthcare places, USS funding hole, review of HEFCE Catalyst funding, report on the “Cube” fire, REF2021.
July
- 27 July (Summer Update) – Wonkhe Community Survey, SAGE on outbreaks at universities, Labour campaign for higher education, unconditionals (mostly) banned, social and geographical mobility, degree algorithms, no ring fence in Wales, Chinese students, decolonisation
- 20 July – Restructuring regime for universities, variable fees, OfS on market exit, student covid-19 transmission, the expectation gap, Welsh draft Tertiary Education Bill, NSS, Higher Technical Education reforms.
- 13 July – Gavin Williamson “tears up” 50 per cent target, BLM, PPE on campus, NSS preview, Graduate Outcomes, UCAS deadline data, Disabled students allowance, tuition fees petition
- 6 July – “Low-value” courses, IFS report into sector finances, R&D roadmap, OfS climbs down on unconditionals
June
- 29 June – Bailout part “deux”, Wonkhe BLM event, PQA, GO and LEO, Michael Barber retires from OfS
- 22 June – Local lockdowns, Australian fee reform, SHAPE, Graduate Outcomes, Rhodes in falling, complaints, Tier 4 changes, TRAC
- 15 June – Ignoring the student number cap, University Alliance polling, applications and deferrals, Rhodes must fall, Graduate Outcomes, Jo Johnson report
- 8 June – Student number controls, black lives matter, UUK principles, deferrals, SFC review
- 1 June – How to save money, devolution, deferrals, Russell Group report, levelling up
May
- 25 May (Holiday Briefing) – Cambridge and Bolton opening plans
- 18 May – Widening participation, university mergers, stepchange framework, rankings, postgraduate mental health, Independent SAGE, Scottish Coronavirus bill
- 11 May – Scientific advice to government, bailout, governance, cut to teaching funding, graduate unemployment
- 4 May – Support for universities, mental health under lockdown, international recruitment, BAME attainment
April
- 27 April – New normal, UCU report, student hardship
- 20 April – Bailout, KEF delay
- 13 April (Holiday Briefing) – Transition phase
- 6 April – Financial abyss, admissions, no detriment
March
- 30 March – Covid-19: the next few months, Sheffield Hallam to host Civic University Network, REF postponed
- 23 March – Covid-19: the policies and the practicalities.
- 16 March – Pandemic response, Secret Life of Students, IFS response to the Budget, Bloomsbury Institute registration decision, UCU strikes end
- 9 March – Budget day, International Women’s Day, HEPI report, Amber Rudd controversy, Yes, Minister, UCU industrial action
- 2 March – IFS report, Secret Life of Students, Turning Point UK, coronavirus, Million Plus report, OfS refused registration, PQA, HEPI report, HESA data, Brexit negotiations
February
- 24 February – Student number controls, Tortoise, PX report, Welsh governance, UCU industrial action
- 17 February – Graduate premium, new HE and science ministers, NDAs, student engagement, HESA WP stats, UKRI consults on open access, REF, BUCS initiative on initiations.
- 10 February – Climate emergency, freedom of speech, immigration reform, end of cycle data, student vote, industrial action dates confirmed, Scottish budget
- 3 February – Secret Life of Students 2020, Brexit transition, end of cycle data, access and participation, strike ballots pass threshold
January
- 27 January – Wicked problems: reputation of HE, pathways to impact statements, Withdrawal Agreement passes, Augar deferred, LEO update, WP reports
- 20 January – Wicked problems: HE culture, KEF, UCU report in to working conditions, possible value review, unconditional offers, HESA spring, Erasmus+, paramedic students
- 13 January – Wicked problems: the curriculum, government letter to OfS, OfS on harassment and sexual misconduct, Erasmus+ confusion, Wonkhe SUs Baltic tour, pension talks announced.
- 6 January – Wicked problems, Jo Johnson on Radio 4, Dominic Cummings’ job advert, apprenticeship levy, HESA data, ISE pulse survey, Scottish HE union ballot
2019
December
- 30 December – New year’s holiday briefing
- 23 December – Christmas holiday briefing
- 16 December – General election, Office for Students returns after election, student accommodation report, JEP report.
- 9 December – Grade inflation, Liberal Democrat student mental health charter, general election, freedom of expression, Welsh tertiary education bill, strikes
- 2 December – Independent HE manifesto, end of cycle statistics, industrial action, King’s research funding report, Scottish national innovation strategy
November
- 25 November – 21st Century Lab manifesto, party election manifestos, maintenance grants return, strikes, student fee income, Prince Andrew, voter registration
- 18 November – Humanity of VCs, skills election, residential model, grade inflation, strikes
- 11 November – Universities as businesses, Wonkfest, general election, mental health, ‘academic freedom’ report
- 4 November – Wonkfest, general election, UCU ballot outcome, OfS registration, quality in Scotland
October
- 28 October – Influencing policy, EHRC report on racial harassment, student voters, student finance, where do fees go
- 21 October – OfS value for money strategy, DARPA, reportable events
- 14 October – Nate Silver, Wonkhe Awards shortlist, Skidmore’s letter to Research England
- 7 October – Futurology, fitness to practice, sexual violence, THE PHOTO
September
- 30 September – Research about research, fake news, Conservative Party conference, TUNDRA
- 23 September – Augar recommendations shelved, universities initiations, Black postgraduates
- 16 September – Wonkfest, UUK conference, post-study work visa
- 9 September – Student success, UCU strike ballot, EU research funding
- 2 September – No-Deal Brexit, spending review, USS dispute re-emerges, REF2021
August
- 19 August (Holiday briefing) – A level results, Clearing, Labour party come out to support PQA
- 12 August (Holiday briefing) – Spending review delayed, potential fast-track Tier 1 visa scheme, SQA results
- 5 August (Holiday briefing) – GSM London enters administration, Unite looks to acquire Liberty Living, USS 2018 valuation, 2/5 of students in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland receive an unconditional offer
July
- 29 July (Holiday briefing) – Boris Johnson, PM; Jo Johnson, Universities Minister; TEF review delayed until after recess
- 22nd July (Holiday briefing) – Universities UK review of admissions, regional LEO
- 15 July (Holiday briefing) – Learning about learning
- 8 July – NSS results, government consultation into level four and five qualifications, OfS annual report, Theos report about faith on campus, increase in QR research funding, UCU survey of casual staff, Clearing opens
- 1 July – Student representation, new university for Milton Keynes, student loan forecasts, LEO, USS, Disabled Students’ Commission
June
- 24 June – VC’s attending remuneration committee meetings, student loans in public sector finances, academic views on REF, TEF4, Prevent, OfS receives funding for mental health services, LEO data published
- 17 June – TEF review, Student Academic Experience Survey, Skidmore on research investment, UKRI delivery plan, POLAR, access issues in Scotland
- 10 June – Augar analysis, potential change in immigration policy, graduate labour market, birthday honours, Skidmore defends arts and humanities, advanced learner loan write-off, strike ballot over USS
- 3 June – The Augar review, Counting the Cost event
May
- 20 May – Wonkhe 360, Augar, degree classifications, international research and innovation, antisemitism
- 13 May – Rules of Engagement, POLAR, Sam Gyimah, NSS, USS 2018 valuation, UCEA ‘disappointment’ at unions, Wales
April
- 29 April – Access and participation plans, international student scandal, OfS business plan, OIA annual report, Data Futures
- 15 April – The Rules of Engagement, quality wars, pension pot changes for smaller universities, New JNCHES meeting, new NUS president
- 8 April – University rankings, NUS conference
- 1 April – University finances, Open University’s 50th anniversary
March
- 25 March – Secret life of students, futureproofing the university, grade inflation, quality assurance
- 18 March – Student numbers crisis, OfS one year on, international education, suspicious packages at universities
- 11 March – Lifelong learning, the cost of degrees, introducing Wonkhe SUs, academic workload
- 4 March – Gender inequality in HE, Augar, student numbers’ effect on communities
February
- 25 February – Trouble for VCs, subject TEF, student complaints about industrial action
- 18 February – Labour’s education policy, the Civic University Commission, VC pay dispute, OfS registration fees
- 11 February – Wonkhe’s 8th birthday, HE’s influence on voting patterns, VC pay, Skidmore on Augar, possible new university for Peterborough
- 4 February – Student experience, free speech controversies, unconditional offers, Open Access
January
- 28 January – HE debt, unconditional offers, extremist speakers at universities, accelerated degrees
- 21 January – Further Augar leaks, Skidmore’s roundtable for students with disabilities, Intergenerational Foundation report
- 14 January – PQA, Grammar School debate, TEF4 data released, KEF consultation
- 7 January – Radical ideas for HE, ONS treatment of student loans, Wonkhe’s new editor!
2018
December
- 31st December – Holiday update
- 24 December – ONS treatment of student loans, holiday updates
- 17 December – Augar leak, Wonk Panel, Secret Life of Students
- 10 December – Chris Skidmore, Hinds on technical education, loneliness study, student rent
- 3 December – Sam Gyimah resigns, university finances, unconditional offers, data regulation
November
- 26 November – OfS registration, student protection plans, Augar’s potential effects on Wales, Matthew Hedges, USS valuation
- 19 November – Measuring TEF, accelerated degrees, new free speech guidance, KEF comes into focus, TPS and USS keep pensions on agenda, door open for BrHExit
- 12 November – Wonkfest, OfS, our interview with Sam Gyimah
- 5 November – Post-18 Review, NUS Funding, The New Wonkhe Editor
October
- 29 October – Budget, sector finance, TEF
- 22 October – Academic governance, grade inflation, Civic University Commission
- 15 October – Student satisfaction, OfS, Colleges Week
- 8 October – World Mental Health Day, skills ladder
- 1 October – Learning gain in England
September
- 24 September – Social mobility, public sector pensions
- 17 September – HE Power List, immigration
- 10 September – Freshers, MAC, OFFA
- 3 September – Augar Review, summer catch-up
July
- 9 July – Part-time & mature student decline, application numbers, contextualised admissions
- 2 July – Fees, university access
June
- 25 June – Racism on campus, BrHExit
- 18 June – Marketisation, the civic university
- 11 June – The fair treatment of students, minister Gyimah, TEF
- 4 June – New universities minister, TEF3
May
- 21 May – TEaSOF, MAC
- 14 May – Issues for the humanities, TEF
April
- 30 April – USS, admissions fairness, AI, TERCW
- 23 April – OfS, civic university, maintenance grants
- 16 April – USS, Open University, Research England
- 9 April – Wonk Panel Survey, gender pay gap
March
- 26 March – USS, NUS National Conference, Post-18 Review
- 19 March – LEO, USS, AdvanceHE
- 12 March – The Enemy Within, subject-level TEF, USS dispute, Spring Statement
- 5 March – Office for Students
February
- 26 February – Office for Students, USS Strikes, Post-18 Review
- 19 February – Post-18 Review, student loans, USS strikes
- 12 February – Office for Students, HE Funding Review, DORA
- 5 February – UCAS cycles, Jacob Rees-Mogg at UWE
January
- 29 January – UCAS end of cycle data, vocational entries to university
- 22 January – Freedom of speech, Gyimah’s tour of universities, USS negotiations, UCAS stats, Brexit
- 15 January – Collapse of LCCM, UCAS deadline, cabinet reshuffle, VC pay, grade inflation, international students
- 8 January – Toby Young, freedom of speech, European Commission research publication
2017
December
- 18 December – OfS subscriptions
- 11 December – Accelerated degrees, value for money, Quality Code consultation
- 4 December – KEF, industrial strategy
November
- 27 November – Industrial strategy, budget, REF, student support in Scotland, UCAS end of cycle, graduate birth rate
- 20 November – Budget week, disadvantaged student numbers
- 13 November – Paradise papers, What do students want from TEF?
- 6 November – Hello from Wonkfest, Why we wonk, contextual admissions in Scotland, Russell Group impact
October
- 30 October – Culture wars: Brexit and race on campus
- 23 October – OfS consultations
- 16 October – Michael Barber, KEF, TEF 3, student loan inquiry
- 9 October – Major review of HE, return of (the) MAC
- 2 October – Conservative and Labour Party Conferences, Moody’s downgrade universities
September
- 25 September – 2017 HE Power List, Labour Party Conference, BrHExit, USS dispute
- 18 September – Fees at £7,500, VC pay, VAT exemption
- 11 September – Changes to TEF, VC pay
- 4 September – Andrew Adonis, myths about international students, REF consultation
July
- 24 July – Subject-level TEF, Community survey
- 17 July – SPA, tuition fees, Brexit
- 10 July – Nicola Dandridge, tuition fees, Brexit
- 3 July – UKRI, tuition fees, fire safety at universities, Brexit
June
- 26 June – TEF results
- 19 June – LEO data, preparing for TEF results, Brexit
- 12 June – Election fallout, preparing for LEO
- 5 June – General election, TEF incoming, tuition fees
May
- 22 May – Party manifestos for HE, researchers and purdah
- 15 May – Labour’s position on fees, Tory manifesto, NSS boycott
- 8 May – Higher Education and Research Act (2017), Election time, NUS conference
April
- 24 April – Election fever, NUS Conference
- 10 April – Universities and the political new times, industrial strategy deadline
- 3 April – Office politics and the future of HE regulation, HERB, apprenticeship levy
March
- 20 March – Admissions fairness, HERB thrown off course, No platforming
- 13 March – TEF and the House of Lords, Budget surprises, REF deadline
- 6 March – Budget day, HERB enters the House of Lords
February
- 27 February – Path clears for HE bill, Migration stats kerfuffle, HEFCE grant letter
- 20 February – TEF, degree apprenticeships, NSS boycott, HERB’s report stage
- 13 February – Michael Barber for OfS, sale of student loans, school partnership policy
- 6 February – UCAS data released, Sir Mark Walport for UKRI, alternative provision for HE
January
- 30 January – Bell Review, UCAS recruitment cycle, industrial strategy, Hazelkorn Review, HERB
- 23 January – Industrial strategy, HERB in the Lords
- 16 January – First week of HERB in the Lords, 15th Jan deadline for HE applications
- 9 January – Jo Johnson clashes with Lords over HERB, tuition fee increases
2016
December
- 19 December – UUK’s review of sector agencies, 2016 application cycle, what to look out for in 2017
- 12 December – REF2021, review into institutional racism at the NUS, UCAS End of Cycle Report
- 5 December – LEO, HERB moves into the Lord, TEF debate, application numbers down, bursaries
November
- 28 November – Autumn Statement, fees, TEF, Diamond Review, Scottish Funding Council
- 21 November – HERB in report stage, Autumn Statement incoming
- 14 November – Scottish Funding Council, Donald Trump, student visa reform, Remaking Tertiary Education, NUS and UCU demonstration, HEFCE’s financial forecast for the sector
- 7 November – HEFCE’s annual forecast, Brexit, fee rises and TEF, US election
October
- 31 October – Learning gain, Brexit, Technical and Further Education bill, Conservative MP tweets against academics, chair sought for OfS
- 24 October – Violence, harassment, and hate crime on campus; Brexit; student choice; gender pay gap
- 17 October – New DHLE, campus anti-semitism
- 10 October – Brexit and international students, HERB, social mobility, SNP Conference
July
- 18 July – New government, HE to be partially moved back to DfE, new secretaries of state for education, HERB goes to parliament, should TEF be delayed?
- 11 July – Brexit fallout, leadership contests for Labour and Tories, Sainsbury Review, HERB, Independent Higher Education
- 4 July – Conservative leadership contest, HE bill in limbo, Brexit predictions, new DHLE
June
- 27 June – Brexit, DHLE data due, THE’s mock TEF result
- 20 June – Britain to vote on leaving the European Union, university admissions bias, concerns about UKRI
- 13 June – Bias in university admissions, OFFA and TEF, HESA releases data on alternative providers in England
- 6 June – The transparency revolution begins, HEPI report on student experience, UCU industrial action
May
- 23 May – HE reform, TEF, key dates for reform consultations
- 16 May – HE White Paper, new quality assessment model, two SUs to leave NUS
- 9 May – HESA consultation on graduate outcomes, Super Thursday elections
April
- 25 April – HE White Paper, New NUS president, ruling against Home Office buried, EU referendum, BIS job cuts
- 18 April – NUS Conference, Lord Stern’s review of the REF, human capital report
- 11 April – Institute of Fiscal Studies report, beginning of EU referendum period, REF consultation response
March
- 21 March – HEFCE’s new quality assessment
- 14 March – New HE bill in Queen’s Speech, Budget, Hazelkorn review
- 7 March – Government grant letter to HEFCE, International Women’s Day, purdah approaches
February
- 29 February – TEF and HE quality arrangements, Stern Review, Northern Ireland funding squeeze
- 22 February – EU Referendum, Budget countdown, student numbers cap
- 15 February – Social mobility, Innovate UK merger
- 8 February – University governance in Scotland, UUK & HEA clash, Referendum date set, DLHE
- 1 February – Social mobility, sector agency wars, spring slow down, Green Paper and SUs
January
- 25 January – FOIA under attack, Higher Education Commission report, Diamond Review
- 18 January – Green Paper response, Wonkhe & Minerva research into university governance, maintenance grants
- 11 January – Green Paper, student demands
2015
December
- 14 December – Green Paper, UCAS End of Cycle, Diamond Review
- 7 December – Green Paper approaching, REF, BIS Select Committee
November
- 30 November – Government Spending Review
- 23 November – Government Spending Review, Green Paper debate continues
- 16 November – Part-time study, Nurse Review
- 9 November – Green Paper, Modi to visit UK, CGHE opens, Science and Technology Select Committee calls for increased funding
- 2 November – Details of the upcoming Green Paper
October
- 26 October – Green Paper, Home Secretary meets with The Russell Group, deadline to respond to BIS Select Committee’s inquiry, Research Councils Together, name blind applications
- 19 October – Policy Exchange report, Xi Jinping visits UK universities, Higher Education (Information) Bill
- 12 October – Green Paper, Remain campaign launched, graduate repayment freeze, SNP conference
- 5 October – Conservative Party Conference, BIS2020, Green Paper
September
- 28 September – Labour Party Conference, HEFCE consultation into NSS, TEF, NUS takes government to court
- 14 September – Jeremy Corbyn, TEF, QS World Rankings
- 7 September – VC conference, Jeremy Corbyn, sexual assault on campus
July
- 27 July – UUK comes out for Remain, Antony McClaran leaves QAA
- 20 July – New guidance for extremism on campus, DLHE
- 13 July – Budget shockwaves, student cap abolished
- 6 July – Emergency Budget, review of metrics for HEFCE
June
- 29 June – HEFCE consultation on quality assessment in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; budget negotiations
- 22 June – Jo Johnson speech, DHLE, Cameron to present demands for Britain renegotiation of EU membership
- 15 June – Plans to cut maintenance grants, university governance in Scotland, quality debate cranks on
- 8 June – Quality reforms, incoming cuts
- 1 June – British Council’s annual conference, league tables