Universities worldwide are a growing target for hackers. A July 2020 report by cybersecurity company Redscan found more than 50% of UK universities recorded a data breach in the previous 12 months. More recently, a data breach has affected 444,000 users of ProctorU. Universities, including several Australian ones, use this online tool to supervise students sitting exams from […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
Universities are a juicy prize for cyber criminals. Here are 5 ways to improve their defences
#LitReview – Getting to structure, part one
If you are about to start reading for your doctorate, or are already in the reading phase, then you know that you are reading in order to: refine your research question, locate your work in the field, identify your potential contribution, and find material that helps you to plan your research and analysis. You may […] … learn more→
Academics whose institution has no post-Covid future should be laid off
The job subsidies that are in place in many countries as a result of the Covid-19 lockdowns now apply to more than 50 million workers across the world, including probably about half a million in higher education. The subsidies’ aim is a worthy one: to protect workers from a descent into poverty when their jobs […] … learn more→
For maximum Covid compliance, build bridges with students, not barriers
When college students get onto campus this autumn, they will behave as 18-24-year-olds are accustomed to. They will gather in groups – to study, to socialise and, in the case of older students, to renew acquaintances that were abruptly broken off when Covid-19 hit in March 2020, forcing campus evacuations and the completion of the […] … learn more→
Universities must redouble their international mission
The suspension of international travel during the Covid-19 pandemic has caused many to revisit confident assertions that the 21st century will be defined by smooth and unfettered global links. In an age of lockdowns, working from home and the return, in some cases, of international trade barriers, many have been tempted to predict a more […] … learn more→
Governing universities: tertiary experience no longer required
Australian universities are in dire straits. The sudden loss of international student fees due to the COVID-19 pandemic and recent court rulings of wage theft by some of our top universities have exposed the depth of these problems. The workforce is highly casualised. There is a sharp divide between senior management and academic and professional staff. On top of decades […] … learn more→
Is academic guidance sustainable at distance?
In return for the freedom to pursue the discipline they love, academics are lumbered with a wide variety of tasks, some of which are distinctly of the Marmite variety. Personal tutoring has to be near the top of that list, with some seeing it as a chore to be endured and others embracing the opportunity […] … learn more→
Does publishing tuition prices influence college choice?
The big idea A federal effort to identify less affordable colleges makes little difference in students’ decisions of which college to attend, according to my new study. The Education Department has maintained four lists of what it deems to be the nation’s priciest colleges in its online College Affordability and Transparency Center since 2011, as required by Congress. Lawmakers created […] … learn more→
What college students need to know about liability waivers for COVID-19
As college and university campuses across the United States reopen, administrators are faced with the task of protecting students while also protecting the interests of the institutions they lead. This includes reducing the risk of lawsuits. Some institutions have resorted to forcing students to sign liability waivers. What purpose do these serve and is this the […] … learn more→
2020 is a year for the history books, but not without digital archives
A seasonal change is in the air. With a minimal amount of nostalgia about the dwindling days of this unique summer, let’s turn to how we can make the most of the rest of 2020 — clearly a year for the history books. As a historian, what concerns me is: What will our history of […] … learn more→
