The number of white people involved in the protests against the killing of George Floyd has been heartening. It echoes the words of sympathy that I often hear in university corridors about the discrimination that faculty of colour face, and I don’t doubt that it is genuine. But words are not nearly enough. Faculty of […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
I’m working 50 unpaid hours a week and I fear for my job
The ‘later on’ PhD
It not unusual to think about the PhD as a seamless pathway from undergraduate to Grad School with maybe a Masters in between. But not all PhDers do go straight through. Many work, often for quite a long time, before they begin a doctorate. Some of these ’later-on’ doctorates are also undertaken part-time. People who do doctorates after […] … learn more→
5 reasons Chinese students may stop studying in the US
Nearly 400,000 Chinese students were enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities in 2019 – more than one-third of the country’s international students. A sharp decline in the number of these students would spell financial trouble for U.S. colleges and universities, given that Chinese students spend US$15 billion in tuition payments. Their departure could also result in higher tuition for U.S. […] … learn more→
Why Australian degree cost increases will hit women hardest
The Australian federal government’s proposed increase in the cost of studying humanities and communications degrees at Australian universities has stirred much debate. One aspect that should not be overlooked is that these changes will disproportionately affect women. Under the proposed changes, student contributions for social science, communications and humanities (not including English and psychology) will increase […] … learn more→
Closing off university access is the essence of levelling down
“Talent is spread evenly, opportunity is not.” This is a phrase we often hear nowadays. It was first used in my foreword to the Department for Education’s social mobility strategy in 2017. It was a statement of strategy, not just of fact, and a successful plan on social mobility needs to address both issues, not […] … learn more→
5 tips on writing better university assignments
University life comes with its share of challenges. One of these is writing longer assignments that require higher information, communication and critical thinking skills than what you might have been used to in high school. Here are five tips to help you get ahead. 1. Use all available sources of information Beyond instructions and deadlines, lecturers make […] … learn more→
How Universities can cut back on parking needs
Parking space is a major concern for many universities. You want to enroll more students in your school, but you only have a limited amount of space to work with. If you enroll too many students, and they all decide to drive to campus, you’ll quickly run out of parking space and create traffic jams. […] … learn more→
Why diversity training on campus is likely to disappoint
U.S. colleges and universities will be embracing diversity training with renewed vigor this fall. In response to the killing of George Floyd, the massive Black Lives Matter protests and pressure from students, dozens of colleges and universities have made public commitments to new anti-racism initiatives. The University of Florida will require all students, faculty and staff to undergo training on “racism, inclusion […] … learn more→
Rich academic, poor academic? Making an academic living in Covid times
Many people – me included – start their career in the so called academic hunger games ‘gig economy’. It’s common to try to cobble together some kind of living wage from multiple jobs – most of them paid by the hour or extremely short contracts. Some people call this a ‘portfolio career’: but this always seems to […] … learn more→
How to start your literature review
Thinking of starting a doctorate? Already deep into PhDing and worried about the literature work? Well, when it comes to working with literatures, the old saying that there’s more than one way to skin a cat might be ugly, but it contains an important truth. There is no one best way to do a literature review. But […] … learn more→
