Edinburgh staff to strike for 25 days from the start of term
Staff at the University of Edinburgh will strike for 25 days between 28 September and 30 October, covering Welcome Week and the first month of teaching. UCU Scotland called the action after the university refused to rule out compulsory redundancies in a plan to cut £140 million and around 1,800 jobs. The university says it cannot know in advance which staff will take part, and has told students to work on the basis that teaching continues. If your classes are affected, ask early about extensions and academic support.
Teaching a student in England costs more than the fee they pay
KPMG has costed teaching in England at an average of £12,317 per student per year against the £9,790 fee, ranging from £19,986 for medicine, dentistry and veterinary science down to £9,475 for law. Staff spending has risen 14 per cent since 2019 while prices rose 41.2 per cent, which is the arithmetic behind closed courses and bigger seminar groups. It is also the argument ministers will meet whenever fees are next reviewed. Student finance explained covers what you actually pay.
Still no legal duty of care from your university
Universities in England have no statutory duty of care towards students, and HEPI set out how three ministers have described that differently since 2023 — Robert Halfon, then Janet Daby, then Josh MacAlister in January. What is left is a common law duty that courts decide case by case, after harm has happened, which campaigners want Parliament to define in advance instead. Nothing changes today: support is what your university offers rather than what it owes. What to ask for.
Oxford and Cambridge out of the top three in the new Times guide
The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2027 puts St Andrews first, LSE second and Imperial third, with Cambridge fourth and Oxford fifth — only the second time in 33 years that neither has made the top three. Durham dropped from third to sixth after its graduate employment rate fell from 88.8 to 82.8 per cent. The table weighs continuation rates, entry tariffs and the share of students getting a first or 2:1.
Crowding at a Liverpool freshers event
Students at a Freshers’ Week night at Electrik Warehouse in Liverpool on 14 September described being crushed during a meet-and-greet with the TikTok creator Shoshi, with some saying the fire exits should have been opened. The venue says it was well below capacity, that people briefly gathered in one area, and that entry was paused while the area cleared. No injuries were reported. Worth knowing where the exits are before a packed PA set — going out safely.