Wonkhe Mondays
Wonkhe Mondays is delivered to tens of thousands of people from across UK higher education every Monday morning before work. It sets the agenda for the week – everything you need to know about what’s going on in UK HE policy in the week ahead plus key developments from the past seven days analysed.
As well the latest analysis, the Briefing features a round-up of news and articles from Wonkhe that you may have missed and gives a full listing of events, reports, deadlines, and parliamentary activity (including devolved parliaments) that are expected in the coming week. If you like this briefing, you may also be interested in Wonkhe Daily which keeps you up to date all through the week.
Problems subscribing? Email: briefing@wonkhe.com
Briefing archive
2020
February
- 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!