The 2023 TEF submissions have been published but, as Jim Dickinson and David Kernohan observed on WonkHE, “there’s no way any human is going to read all of them”. I have however read the institutional narratives from the 14 English members of University Alliance (16 of the UK’s leading professional and technical universities) and have […]
It’s been another whirlwind year for the higher education sector – and a successful one for the Alliance. These are my reflections on a few of the stand-out moments from 2023. 1. ‘Must do better’: the House of Lord’s Industry and Regulators Committee reviews the OfS We kicked off the year by working with our […]
University Alliance have responded to the consultation for the People, Culture and Environment element of the Research Excellence Framework. See the full submission here.
The University Alliance Teaching & Learning network have released their report: What works? Supporting student progression and attainment through sustainable inclusive assessment practices. Seven institutions from the network, led by Teesside University, carried out the research project to identify which inclusive assessment policies and practices implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic could be applied in a […]
Employability is an individual matter. It requires each student to embrace their professional development and to access the support and opportunities our universities provide. Unfortunately, many students leave it too late, assuming employability is a set of skills they can acquire at some point before they graduate. However, academics and other staff responsible for employability […]
If you ask any UK Vice Chancellor what’s keeping them awake at night, it’s highly likely to be the financial sustainability of their institution and the wider sector. Years of frozen funding coupled with rising costs are inevitably taking their toll across all four nations. University leaders are also increasingly worried about the impact the cost-of-living crisis […]
Universities are faced with rising costs and shrinking margins, and the challenges are many. Student attraction and retention remains a priority, amid an everchanging mix of domestic and international students. There is no doubt the competition for international and other highly sought-after students has been heightened by COVID, and the ability to manage profitability through […]
Ahead of party conference season, a coalition of creative and higher education organisations have launched their Creative Education Manifesto, calling on all political parties to commit collectively to restoring creative arts education. The manifesto contains eight key asks which, if actioned, the coalition argues will help protect the critical talent pipeline that feeds the UK’s […]
In July 2024, following the election of a new Labour government, University Alliance has published an updated publication Let’s Get Technical: The First 100 Days. This sets out our recommendations for the government’s first 100 days in office, and in the long-term. In a new publication, University Alliance has set out a range of impactful priority […]
The House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee has today released a report on their inquiry into the Higher Education regulator the Office for Students (OfS). The inquiry followed calls for a review into the Office for Students earlier this year by a coalition of university mission groups, including University Alliance. The report, entitled “Must […]
