I work in a glass box. In higher education, as elsewhere, the cultural barriers to workplace progression for women, often referred to as the glass ceiling, are well reported. The glass floor of the box, one the other hand, is less common, and stems from my discipline – law. In legal education there tends to […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
The glass box: a law teacher’s experience of structural discrimination
College sued for “stealing” students from another school
When it comes to sportsball players, colleges “steal” star athletes from each other on a regular basis, at least when it’s time to grab incoming freshmen. It’s little different than in professional sports, which often bid for available players. It’s funny to use the word “steal,” of course, but I can certainly understand how people […] … learn more→
An academic’s guide to writing well
Academics are often accused of writing unreadable, jargon-laden prose. This is unfair. In my experience, academic writers are almost never wilfully obscure, and write perfectly well. But it is true that academic writing can feel uncongenial and effortful to read. We don’t do it on purpose. Most of us would love to write in a […] … learn more→
University campuses and buildings must remain public places
The entrance to a university often hints at the kind of education it offers. In his memoir, Imagined Life, Richard Hoggart described how “goodwill breathed from the bricks” of the bustling main lobby of Goldsmiths, University of London. It was, he said, a place where “intense vitality [was] felt the moment you crossed the threshold […] … learn more→
Why we should give prejudiced students a voice in the classroom
In the space of a few years, Britain’s political landscape has changed. Now, generally, young people are proportionately more likely to have socially liberal and socialist views, and want to remain part of the EU. Meanwhile, older demographics proportionately voted for Brexit, and were said to be largely responsible for voting the Conservatives into office in 2017. This polarisation was […] … learn more→
Rethinking university rankings: we need to talk about quality (and inequality) of teaching
Each year the release of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings generates a great deal of interest, excitement – and debate. This year all eyes are on China which, according to the 2018 rankings, “steps up its ascent” as “East closes in on West”. China’s Tsinghua University in 22nd place has overtaken all of its other […] … learn more→
University rankings: how do they compare and what do they mean for students?
University rankings can be highly influential. They can help prospective students to narrow down their choice of institution and, of course, they also give universities something to brag about. The UK’s elite institutions, Oxford and Cambridge, continue to occupy the top two posts in the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings And many other UK universities […] … learn more→
To decolonise the university is to democratise the university
The backlash against the University of Manchester students who recently overwrote a mural of Kipling’s If, once voted the UK’s favourite poem, with the civil rights activist Maya Angelou’s Still I Rise was predictably fierce. “Liberal fascism” and “outrageous cultural vandalism” were some of the more pointed attacks on this latest incarnation of the drive […] … learn more→
Rough and ready: the fast and lean route to a PhD
My friend Tim’s PhD had been four years in the making when he finally dropped out. His decision followed a meeting with his supervisor: the culmination of almost six months of work preparing a further draft chapter of his thesis. Only at this point did he learn that his supervisor did not approve of the […] … learn more→
Work smarter, finish faster: winning strategies for completing a PhD
Decades ago, we sat in the library as graduate students, staring at shelves of books and thinking: “If only we understood all the knowledge sitting on just one shelf, what power that would be.” Today, we try to convince ourselves that such daydreaming was not naive. Of course, there are people who love to learn, […] … learn more→
