Juliette Rowsell

Only 7 per cent of Northumbria staff agree to give up TPS pension University’s attempt to entice academics to abandon expensive scheme by offering generous payouts described as ‘abject failure’

Attempts to persuade staff at Northumbria University to give up TPS pension have so far fallen flat, with just 7% of staff agreeing to switch to less generous option, despite the promise of a payout www.timeshighereducation.com/news/only-7-... via @julietterowsell.bsky.social

UK higher education unions demand almost 7 per cent pay rise Employers say claim would be ‘extremely challenging’ in time of financial hardship, as annual pay talks get under way

UK higher education unions have demanded a pay rise of almost 7 per cent for a second year in a row www.timeshighereducation.com/news/uk-high... via @julietterowsell.bsky.social

Universities across the Middle East shut down amid airstrikes Governments in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain order institutions to shift to online learning after Iran launches drone and missile attacks

Universities across Middle East shut doors and move learning online as conflict erupts www.timeshighereducation.com/news/univers... via @julietterowsell.bsky.social

UK university staff: please complete our survey about redundancies Academic or professional staff, employed or unemployed, we are anxious to hear your perspectives

Have any of your colleagues recently been made redundant by a UK university? Have you? Do you fear losing your job? What has been the effect of redundancies on departmental morale? We are keen to hear your views

Jo Grady says UCU election being ‘continually misrepresented’ Union leader denies all allegations of wrongdoing at watchdog hearing, as former campaign rivals look to overturn election result

University and College Union general secretary Jo Grady has denied any wrongdoing during her 2024 victorious leadership election campaign, saying that she has been “misquoted” and “misrepresented”, reports Juliette Rowsell #HigherEd #UCU
https://ow.ly/9EOx50Ycsue

🙅 The NUS's Alex Stanley said the policy risks “putting people off doing a master’s” and “immediately puts prospective students from a writing participation background on the back foot”.

Read more to hear why reform - while needed, according to critics, - is complex.

📊 New analysis from Times Higher Education’s Courses 360 database shows the average cost of a master’s course for 2025-26 entry was £13,071. Of nearly 9,000 full-time campus-based courses analysed, 37 per cent were priced above the value of the loan

Critics have argued that the master's loan is "no longer fit for purpose" and even called it "scandalous". But why?

🥶 The repayment threshold for master's loans has been frozen since it was first introduced in 2016 at £21,000, meaning the repayment threshold is now below the minimum wage

‘Scandalous’ master’s loans ‘forgotten’ in student debt debate English system that provides funding for less than cost of third of degrees, with repayment thresholds frozen below minimum wage, ‘no longer fit for purpose’

To say there's been anger about the Plan 2 student loans recently is an understatement. But what about those who have both a Plan 2 loan and a master's loan?

www.timeshighereducation.com/news/scandal...

Jo Grady's former election rivals have applied to the trade union watchdog, the Certification Officer, over claims that she had an “unfair” advantage owing to her use of union resources during the campaign, set to be heard in a trial next week.

Read more below 👇

Thanks Rosaleen!

Sheffield strikers lose more pay for not rearranging teaching University accuses staff of ‘breach of contract’ for failing to reorganise lectures lost during recent industrial action

@sheffielducu.bsky.social accuses managers of "bullying tactics" after staff told they will face further pay deductions for not rescheduling teaching missed during industrial action www.timeshighereducation.com/news/sheffie... via @julietterowsell.bsky.social

It was a great session and a fascinating report! Thanks for sharing Matilda

Students’ firebombing of Nelson Mandela’s alma mater has raised questions about whether South Africa’s universities can break out of a cycle of corruption, underfunding and protest. They can – but only with good leadership and political will, hears Juliette Rowsell #edusky
https://ow.ly/KA4L50XQVfc

Staff fear ‘catastrophic’ impact of Nottingham ‘consolidation’ Increases to staff-student ratios could send university into a ‘death spiral’, says union leader as vice-chancellor insists institution must act now

Another day, another news story on the catastrophic choices behind Future Nottingham.

How many signs do we need that we're careening in the wrong direction?

#StopTheCuts #SaveHE

www.timeshighereducation.com/news/staff-f...

Thank you for covering this. @julietterowsell.bsky.social
@timeshighered.bsky.social

Birmingham reprimanded over management of work-related stress Investigation by Health and Safety Executive found institution ‘does not have appropriate arrangements in place’ to manage burnout among staff

Failure to adequately manage work-related stress at University of Birmingham breached health and safety regulations, watchdog rules www.timeshighereducation.com/news/birming... via @julietterowsell.bsky.social

Trans scholars being ‘pushed out of academia’, researchers warn Universities ‘afraid to be trans inclusive’ after Supreme Court ruling and OfS Sussex fine, leaving staff fearing ‘hostile environment’

Pleased to be interviewed for this much needed piece on the rising transphobia in higher education.

www.timeshighereducation.com/news/trans-s...

(Archive link: archive.is/oYqXS)

Southampton Solent staff vote to strike over pensions dispute Union members back industrial action in early 2026 as row over pensions continues, while Essex employees also launch ballot

University and College Union members at Southampton Solent University have voted to pursue strike action after the institution moved professional services staff to a subsidiary firm with a different pension scheme. Juliette Rowsell reports #academicsky #UCU
https://ow.ly/95fz50XJM6R

UCU strike ballot fails after 60 per cent of members don’t vote UK’s biggest academic union unable to pursue national industrial action over pay and job cuts after it fails to meet minimum turnout threshold

“There’s no getting away from the fact that it’s a really disappointing result and it leaves us weakened. It’s not a good place to be,” @dyfrigjones.bsky.social tells @julietterowsell.bsky.social as UCU strike ballot misses turnout threshold www.timeshighereducation.com/news/ucu-str...

"[It was] manifestly the wrong decision"

Read my coverage of the reaction, and fall out, to the "disappointing" UCU ballot result, which sources said "leaves us weakened"👇

Got any thoughts? My email is in bio, and DMs are open 📫

Northumbria to freeze pay if staff refuse TPS-USS pension switch University says moving employees from more expensive scheme will save it up to £11 million a year

Northumbria University to offer staff one-off payment of £5.8K-£10K if they switch from expensive TPS pension to USS - those who do not switch face a pay freeze www.timeshighereducation.com/news/northum... via @julietterowsell.bsky.social

Hi Mike, I'm a journalist at the Times Higher Ed and was wondering if you'd drop me a follow so I can message you for a story I'm working on?

Risk of ‘standardisation’ as ministers mull progression measures Universities would look to ‘game’ new metric for testing learning gain, critics warn, with external examination defended as ‘best we’ve got’

Reforming external examining and introducing progression measure risk standardising university curricula and treating them like schools, warn @paulashwin.bsky.social @davehitchcock.bsky.social @profstevenjones.bsky.social www.timeshighereducation.com/news/risk-st... via @julietterowsell.bsky.social

Derby letters accidentally reveal staff at risk of redundancy University reports itself to watchdog after employees receive letters with the words ‘redundancy process’ clearly visible through an envelope

The University of Derby has reported itself to the Information Commissioner’s Office after letters sent to staff accidentally revealed they were vulnerable to redundancy. Juliette Rowsell reports #edusky https://ow.ly/RWeM50Xh13S

Skills White Paper: key reforms at a glance Government commits to raising tuition fees and maintenance loans, with universities expected to deliver higher quality teaching and more specialised research in return

Government commits to raising tuition fees and maintenance loans in its Skills White Paper, with universities expected to deliver higher-quality teaching and more specialised research in return, reports Juliette Rowsell #edusky https://ow.ly/PsL050Xfga3

I went down to the student protests in London today, where there was a heavy police presence as students defied calls from Sir Keir Starmer to avoid protesting on the second anniversary of the 7 October attacks

Students defy Starmer’s call not to hold Gaza protests Hundreds gather in London despite the prime minister telling them to stay at home on the anniversary of the Hamas attacks on Israel

Hundreds of UK students have attended pro-Palestinian marches on the anniversary of the 7 October attacks in Israel, despite calls from prime minister Keir Starmer to stay away, reports Juliette Rowsell #edusky https://ow.ly/WzTU50X7QAf

Maintenance grants only for priority courses ‘deeply concerning’ Using financial incentives to influence student choice risk undermining Labour’s widening access goals, critics fear

Limiting maintenance grants only to certain courses may end up undermining Labour’s goal of widening access and puts arts, humanities, and social sciences programmes at further risk, experts warn www.timeshighereducation.com/news/mainten... via @julietterowsell.bsky.social @patrickjack.bsky.social

New chief executive of @advancehe.bsky.social Alistair Jarvis discusses university finances, #EDI pressures and plans to pivot body from ‘development to transformation’ agency. @julietterowsell.bsky.social reports www.timeshighereducation.com/news/jarvis-...