Higher
Get the latest on UK higher education, with news from universities, research institutions, and sector regulators. Topics include student life, tuition fees, academic policy, and institutional strategy.
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Dec- 2025 -5 December
Staff at Northumbria to be balloted over pension plan dispute
Staff at Northumbria University will be balloted for strike action over plans they say would pressure employees to leave the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. The industrial action vote opens on 15 December and closes on 23 January. The ballot follows a branch meeting last month in which University and College Union…
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5 December
OfS launches investigation into University of Greater Manchester
The Office for Students (OfS)has opened an investigation into the University of Greater Manchester to assess whether its governance arrangements meet regulatory requirements set out in the higher education framework. The regulator said it will consider whether the university’s governing documents uphold the public interest governance principles and whether management…
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3 December
UCU condemns Uni of Essex plan to cut 400 jobs and close Southend campus
The University and College Union has criticised the University of Essex after the institution outlined plans to cut 400 jobs and close its Southend campus next year. In an email to staff, the vice-chancellor confirmed proposals to remove 200 academic posts during the current academic year and 200 professional services…
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2 December
OfS proposes plans to simplify rules for further education colleges
The Office for Students (OfS) has outlined plans to simplify how it regulates further education colleges in England by removing some requirements that overlap with Department for Education (DfE) oversight. The regulator has opened a consultation on the proposed changes, which focus on reducing duplication while maintaining protections for students…
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Nov- 2025 -28 November
Staff at 33 colleges to strike in January over pay and conditions dispute
Staff at 33 colleges in England are due to strike for three days in January after members of the University and College Union (UCU) voted to take industrial action over pay and working conditions. The union said stoppages are set for 14, 15 and 16 January, at the start of…
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26 November
USW appoints new vice-chancellor and chief executive
The University of South Wales has announced the appointment of professor Osama Khan as its new vice-chancellor and chief executive, effective from May 2026 after moving from Aston University. Professor Khan is currently deputy vice-chancellor (academic) at Aston University. He has held senior posts focused on curriculum development, student experience,…
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25 November
Imperial College staff to begin strike action over real-terms pay cuts
Staff at Imperial College London have begun four days of strike action today (25 November) in a dispute over pay, with the University and College Union (UCU) claiming the institution has imposed a real-terms cut while pressing ahead with major capital spending. The full strike days will run from Tuesday…
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24 November
Unis ‘receiving £6.4bn less’ a year for teaching than a decade ago
English universities are receiving £6.4bn a year less in real terms for teaching home students than a decade ago, according to new analysis from Universities UK. Taking 2015–16 as the baseline, the study shows the teaching ‘unit of resource’ – combining tuition fees and direct government grants – has failed…
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21 November
Uni finances under pressure despite higher student recruitment, OfS finds
University finances remain under pressure despite higher student recruitment this autumn, according to new analysis from the Office for Students (OfS). The latest report updates the OfS’s annual financial sustainability report, which was published in May 2025, and takes into account early information about the number of UK and international students…
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19 November
UCU members at 32 colleges back strike action in England-wide ballot
The University and College Union (UCU) has called on college bosses to start negotiating as college staff at 32 institutions have voted to strike after backing industrial action over pay and working conditions.Around 90% of participating staff supported strikes in a ballot held across England. Ballots were conducted locally, and…
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