Edinburgh staff announce a marking and assessment boycott
The University of Edinburgh has emailed students announcing a marking and assessment boycott amid the dispute over budget cuts. Marking boycotts are the most disruptive form of industrial action for students because they delay results and can hold up graduation. Ask now what the university’s contingency is: whether degrees will be classified on completed work, and what happens to anyone with a job offer conditional on a result.
Ulster University cuts 450 jobs
Ulster University has told staff it will cut 450 jobs, with a 90-day consultation, as international revenue falls. It is the largest single cut announced this term and the clearest illustration of what a 30 per cent fall in international enrolments produces. Students there should expect module changes and should ask their department what is being taught out.
Is the admissions system fit for purpose?
With UCAS consulting on changes, the Sutton Trust asks what the consultation leaves out: how personal statements advantage well-coached applicants, how predicted grades misfire for disadvantaged students, and how little the system tells applicants about what a course is actually like. Anyone applying next cycle has a stake in the answer.
An opposition spokesperson sets out a long-term plan
The Liberal Democrat spokesperson for universities argues for a settlement that funds teaching properly rather than another adjustment to loan terms. It is the second worked proposal from that party this year and, with a parliamentary inquiry under way, part of the argument that will decide what students borrow from 2027.