The importance of higher education for the growth and development of society is generally accepted. But openness and access to education for all is essential to maximise its benefits. Leaders in higher education must be ready to examine what it will take to achieve this. What do we mean by open access? Higher education should […] … learn more→

#AcWriMo2020, like all of its predecessors, works on the assumption that giving priority to writing during this one month of November sets up, or re-sets, a regular writing habit. #AcWriMo also suggests that you set writing goals and make sure that you are held accountable for them. Writing goals vary. Writing goals generally are of five […] … learn more→

To borrow a well-known aphorism, one of the first casualties of a pandemic is the truth. More precisely, the bending of language by university managers to suit their desired goals in the face of Covid-19 is where the line between truth and falsehood has been blurred. Language matters in a pandemic because it can have […] … learn more→

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of psychological and verbal abuse. If this article causes you any distress, please seek support.  There is a form of privilege that we try not to speak about. Society knows this privilege and often casts woeful eyes and aching hearts to those without it but, in academia and science, we cover […] … learn more→

Students enter university as young adults embarking on a new life. Hazing rituals are meant to be a lighthearted initiation into university life that breaks down barriers between seniors and freshers and prepares the newcomers for their future. But hazing can be a terrifying ordeal. Many practices associated with being initiated by other students are cruel […] … learn more→

As an educational ethicist, I research teachers’ ethical obligations. These can include their personal ethics such as protecting students from harm, respect for justice and truth, and professional norms like social conformity, collegial loyalty and personal well-being. Moral tensions in schools can come about when certain categories of norms conflict with each other. For example, sometimes […] … learn more→

Those unfamiliar with the details of the US Constitution may have been surprised to learn last week that the “electoral college” is not an academic unit within American universities. In fact, the campus is a dubious place from which to project outcomes of campaigns in national politics. It brings to mind the fool’s errand attributed […] … learn more→

What goals does what we call inclusive writing pursue? Essentially, this writing aims to make women more visible, by explicitly indicating their presence, and to end the supposed domination of the grammatical masculine. On the linguistic and sociolinguistic level, we can distinguish three aspects which inform us about the treatment that the school should reserve for […] … learn more→

Universities are increasingly being challenged over their responses to racial, gender and class inequality. As a result, even those reluctant to admit that they perpetuate discrimination are at last trying to do something about it. Yet certain issues remain largely undiscussed. The wake-up call has been loudest about black and ethnic minority (BAME) school-leavers, who […] … learn more→

An online “proctor” who can survey a student’s home and manipulate the mouse on their computer as the student takes an exam. A remote-learning platform that takes face scans and voiceprints of students. Virtual classrooms where strangers can pop up out of the blue and see who’s in class. These three unnerving scenarios are not hypothetical. Rather, they stand as stark, real-life examples […] … learn more→