One of the many and considerable pleasures of being an academic is the opportunity it affords to meet colleagues in other countries. But with the pleasure comes, if not the pain, then the shock of...
Bob Frost, a professor in the School of Information at the University of Michigan, used the legacy of his great-grandfather, the poet Robert Frost, to promote open access to information.Professor...
Alan Ryan wonders why women still appear to be losing out in academia
It is understandable that people having personal issues with university governance arrangements might want to keep out those considered ignorant of the context ("Old boys and girls should be handed...
Malcolm Gillies suggests bringing alumni on to governing bodies, but do they really have the necessary knowledge of their almae matres? From time to time I have asked current students in various...
In "Candid Cantor" (Letters, 31 March), Daniel Vulliamy misreads Brian Cantor's letter of 17 March on the Universities Superannuation Scheme and quotes him out of context. As Cantor points out, the...
The refusal of the employers to negotiate on changes to the USS and a national jobs agreement indicates a "no-compromise" position. They clearly want to take advantage of the government's...
I recently obtained a doctorate in contemporary French history, but the prospects look bleak for this "zero-hours contract" tutor. With 40,000 posts forecast to go in the sector, what career is now...
I have the privilege of working in a small institution whose staff prioritise the education of students. We receive a very small amount of research funding, yet staff here do research. Our students,...
As an independent scholar and a parent of three children, one of whom attends university, I was amazed to learn that the National Union of Students' Charter on Personal Tutors has pitched its...
The Toepfer affair at the University of Oxford ("Tainted money?", 10 March) raises important questions about the way universities handle complaints about allegedly tainted donations and also about...
Even James Ladyman, philosophy's great champion, underestimates the value of "learning to make distinctions" ("From politics to science to critical thought - 'we need philosophy'", 31 March).In...
Welcome back to James Ladyman, doughty opponent of impact assessment, staunch advocate of interest and utility. Philosophy "is vital to our future national interests"; look at the impact it can have...
Regarding "Rationalise to survive" (Letters, 17 March). The philistines aren't at the gates - they've reached Staines.Sue Powell, University of Salford
To communicate our ideas eloquently is a skill that takes practice. Dale Salwak offers advice on how to help our students write well