The French Review didn’t confirm a “free speech crisis” in Australian universities. But nor did its report last year confirm free speech was “alive and well”, as Universities Australia would have it. In many university policies the report found vague language, which could rule out voicing a view deemed offensive. Most universities have updated their policies in […] … learn more→

The postgraduate scholarship process is a tedious business for everyone. But it is a living nightmare for working-class students. Specifically, it is a nightmare in which you’re being chased by a ravenous monster – who bears an uncanny resemblance to both your landlord and your university bursar – while searching desperately for one of the […] … learn more→

When it comes to the digital divide, often the focus is on how lack of internet service and basic technology will hurt students’ academic performance. This is particularly true during the pandemic, when most schools are operating online. But as a STEM educator at one of the nation’s elite historically Black colleges, I see another negative effect of the […] … learn more→

Australian universities are diverse places. They are a mix of students, staff and communities from different demographic backgrounds. This is not true of the people who run universities. Higher education leaders tend to have backgrounds that are “WEIRD”: Western, educated, industrialised, rich and democratic. In 2018, of the 699 governing council roles across Australia’s 41 universities, 94% […] … learn more→

When you have just left college or university, it can be challenging to know what opportunities are out there for you and how you can get them. Although 2020 may seem like it has a drought of opportunity available to graduates, this is not the case, and there are still many steps that you can […] … learn more→

The road to being a successful nurse is extensive and long, but one with a high reward. Before you can become a successful nurse, you must first achieve your nursing certifications. If you are in nursing school or considering applying, then you must take care of yourself just as much as you plan on caring […] … learn more→

The heads of English further and higher education institutions recently received one of the most extraordinary and disturbing letters ever written to them by a secretary of state for education. On 9 October, Gavin Williamson emailed all such institutions – both public and private – under the purview of the Department for Education to “ask” […] … learn more→

Academic writing is generally intended to be persuasive. The writer – let’s say that’s us – wants to put a proposition to the reader, and convince them that what we have presented is credible. Our writing is worth taking seriously because it has something serious, or interesting, or important to say. Most academic writers don’t […] … learn more→

The health risks posed by COVID-19 mean most Canadian university classes are online this year. As a result, some students will write exams online via remote proctoring platforms that surveil their activities. These tools go by names like ProctorU, Examity, Respondus and Proctorio, among others. Designed by for-profit tech startups, they monitor students’ laptops, tablets or phones during the course of an exam. […] … learn more→

The rapid shift to remote learning has demonstrated that it’s no longer enough for academics to prioritise research and scholarly publication above their teaching responsibilities. Today’s diverse students need much more interaction with their professors inside and outside class. They also need more extensive feedback on their academic performance. If our institutions of higher learning […] … learn more→