Eighty per cent of Northumbria’s union members back strike action
Staff at Northumbria University have voted for strike action, with 80 per cent of UCU members in favour, and students are being told to expect teaching cancellations. That is the fourth university this month to move towards industrial action. If your teaching is cancelled, universities are obliged to consider the effect on assessment. Extensions and academic support covers asking.
More than 300 academics accuse the Education Secretary of failing on free speech
Over 300 academics have criticised Bridget Phillipson for delaying measures against what they describe as cancel culture on campus. The Office for Students’ free speech duties are already in force for students and societies; the argument here is about the further protections for academics that were paused, and whether the delay has left staff exposed.
£22.7m for new student accommodation in York
Developers have secured £22.7 million to build purpose-built student accommodation in York, promising high sustainability standards and a 2027 opening. New supply takes two to three years to arrive, so this affects the students who are currently in sixth form rather than anyone signing a contract this spring — but York is one of the cities where the shortage is most acute.
Where to work when the library is full
A guide to study spaces beyond the main library for the second term, when everyone who skipped the first term arrives at once. The general principle holds everywhere: departmental libraries, postgraduate spaces open to all, and the cafés that tolerate a laptop for three hours are all less crowded than the building everyone heads to. Where to study beyond the library covers finding them.