Extra time for everyone, not just those who declare a condition
Glasgow Caledonian University trialled giving every student extra time in exams on some modules, after a sharp rise in students declaring a disability or a mental health condition made the individual-adjustment system unworkable. It is the first UK trial of the argument that if most people need longer, the paper is mistimed rather than the students impaired. Extensions and academic support covers what adjustments you can ask for now.
Disclosure of disability is rising, but the culture has not moved with it
More students than ever declare a disability, yet Wonkhe argues it remains an “absent presence” in university life — support is delivered through individual adjustments negotiated one at a time, rather than through teaching designed to work for everyone. If you are negotiating adjustments, get them in writing from the disability service and sent to the department, because the department is where they break down.
Pressure on the Cambridge college recruiting at private schools
An internal memo shows Trinity Hall’s policy was framed as avoiding the marginalisation of privately educated applicants, and the college is now being urged to drop what critics call an immoral recruitment drive. The substance for applicants is unchanged — admissions decisions are made on the application — but the row is a fair guide to how one college thinks about who it is for.
Coventry reports a £59 million deficit
Coventry University’s annual accounts show a £59 million deficit for 2024/25, with management saying its cost-saving plans are on track. Deficits of this size are followed by course reviews and staff reductions rather than by anything a student is told directly, so the accounts are worth reading if your department has felt thinner this year.