Wonkhe Mondays
Wonkhe Mondays is our agenda-setting briefing – everything you need to know about what’s going on in UK higher education. 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
2021
January
- 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