Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Ronald Hartz

Prof. Liz Oakley-Brown @earlymodlancs.bsky.social · 7h

I want to tell all students of the so-called 'rip-off degrees' named below that your critical thinking is important and makes valid contributions to culture and society

Without your skills, we wouldn't be able to unpack toxic discourses and do something about them

Martin Paul Eve @eve.gd · 7h

This makes me so angry. These people view all life as training for lifelong servitude/work. There's no room for interest, enjoyment, and culture in their bleak vision of education. At least she'll never be in power to see it through. Though Reform are probably worse.

Badenoch: Curb students taking "rip-off" degrees such as English. The performing arts, sociology and anthropology are among the subjects the Conservatives would like to cut

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Jo (unfunded hobbyist) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @hagenilda.bsky.social · 5h

I wrote something on my time on returning to Goldsmiths as an associate lecturer, 17 years after graduating with my first degree. It’s a plea to Frances Corner’s successor to learn from mistakes made over the last 6 years and change course. #UCU #UKHE

ucucommons.org/2025/10/06/c...

Cutting Corners: a message to the next Vice Chancellor at Goldsmiths

On 1 October 2025, a short announcement was put on Goldsmiths’ website to say that Vice Chancellor Frances Corner was stepping down with immediate effect. This came off the back of an announcement …

ucucommons.org

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Reposted by Ronald Hartz

Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 5h

In a woodcut released today the Guild of Thieves and Cutpurses declared that enforcement of regulations against Thieving and Pursecutting would ‘devastate a growth industry’ and damage the economy.

The Verge @theverge.com · May 26

Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry

Paul McCartne, Elton John and others signed an open letter.

buff.ly

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Reposted by Ronald Hartz

Simon Parker @sparkerworld.bsky.social · 5h

Kemi Badenoch wants to decide what your child is allowed to study at university & where. This is far more draconian than even the Trump higher education 'compact' but interfering in the academic curriculum to purge 'woke degrees' is a far right priority

www.timeshighereducation.com/news/badenoc...

Badenoch’s number caps plan would cut 100,000 university places

Tory leader to use conference speech to attack ‘debt trap degrees’ and pledge more money for apprenticeships

www.timeshighereducation.com

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Reposted by Ronald Hartz

Martin Paul Eve @eve.gd · 7h

This makes me so angry. These people view all life as training for lifelong servitude/work. There's no room for interest, enjoyment, and culture in their bleak vision of education. At least she'll never be in power to see it through. Though Reform are probably worse.

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Reposted by Ronald Hartz

Glen O'Hara @gsoh31.bsky.social · 1d

This is who Robert Jenrick is.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-poli...

Minister Robert Jenrick ordered painting over of child asylum unit murals - BBC News

Robert Jenrick is reported to have considered the cartoon images in the Dover centre too welcoming.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by Ronald Hartz

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 1d

'The most alarming finding from their longitudinal analysis of 2021-2025 data is that approximately 30 per cent of students now work and study for more than 50 hours per week, with around 18 per cent exceeding 60 hours weekly.'

The more you work, the more you regret your HE

The headline in this year’s HEPI/Advance HE Student Academic Experience Survey was that over two-thirds of students now undertake paid work during term time, an increase of more than 12 per cent from ...

wonkhe.com

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Reposted by Ronald Hartz

Scholars at Risk @scholarsatrisk.bsky.social · 1d

Data from the #AcademicFreedomIndex reveals declining levels of #academicfreedom across authoritarian and democratic contexts. Over the past decade, in fact, global academic freedom levels have shrunk at an accelerating pace. Read why in #Free2Think2025:
www.scholarsatrisk.org/resources/fr...

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Reposted by Ronald Hartz

Leicester UCU @leicesterucu.bsky.social · 4d

A quick overview of our industrial action:
What we are doing, why we are doing it, and how you can support us.

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David Harvie @davidharvie.bsky.social · 4d

Shaping for Mediocrity reviewed in the Morning Star.
It's particularly timely since workers at University of Leicester are right now in the midst of yet another struggle against restructuring and redundancies. @ucu.org.uk

morningstaronline.co.uk/article/orga...

Organising resistance in the university

Shaping for Mediocrity: The Cancellation of Critical Thinking at Our UniversitiesGibson Burrell, Ronald Hartz, David Harvie, Geoff Lightfoot, Simon Lilley and friends, Zer0 Books, £7.99THIS criti...

morningstaronline.co.uk

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Reposted by Ronald Hartz

Kristin Eichhorn @drkeichhorn.bsky.social · 4d

"Einige der Autor*innen sind Mitglieder des Netzwerks Wissenschaftsfreiheit. Andere sind vor allem als Anti-Woke- bzw. Anti-Trans-Aktivist*innen bekannt. Wir haben daher gute Gründe anzunehmen, dass sich eine Fachzeitschrift hier für die politische Propaganda [...] instrumentalisieren lässt".

Sophia Hohmann @soppie.bsky.social · 6d

Anti-Trans- und Anti-Woke-Narrative für den Philosophieunterricht in einer Fachzeitschrift?
Ja, das gibt es in der ZDPE 1/2025 zum Thema Social Justice. @daluc.bsky.social, @eidexmueller.bsky.social & ich besprechen ausgewählte Beiträge. 1/6

praefaktisch.de/002e/eine-au...

#Wissenschaftsfreiheit

Eine Ausgabe, viele Fragezeichen – Ein kritischer Blick auf die Ausgabe 1/2025 der Zeitschrift für Didaktik der Philosophie und Ethik (ZDPE)

Von Sophia Hohmann (Bielefeld), Daniel Lucas (Zürich) & Alex Miller-Noe (Köln) In der Ausgabe 1/25 der ZDPE fragen die Herausgeber, Frank Brosow un

praefaktisch.de

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Reposted by Ronald Hartz

Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · 4d

The situation with Blackboard - now its owner is bankrupt and it's coming under new private equity ownership and control - is serious enough the UK agency for HE tech is advising all affected universities to seek assurances regarding data security inspiringlearning.jiscinvolve.org/wp/2025/10/s...

Data protection (UK GDPR)
Obtain confirmation that Anthology will continue to meet its UK GDPR Article 28 obligations as your data processor throughout the process.
Get clarification of sub processor stability (no changes planned; if changes are anticipated, please provide advance notice and details).
Confirm that no organisational changes arising from the restructuring will alter how your personal data is accessed, processed, or transferred; if any changes are envisaged, please outline controls, locations, and safeguards.

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Reposted by Ronald Hartz

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 5d

Rocketing visa costs have forced UK research-intensive universities to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds extra to recruit international staff over the last two years—with costs at individual institutions reaching as high as £2 million a year.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

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Reposted by Ronald Hartz

ACLU @aclu.org · 5d

BREAKING: Our client Mario Guevara, an Emmy-winning journalist detained by ICE in retaliation for livestreaming law enforcement activity, will be deported tomorrow to El Salvador.

Mario and his family are being punished for his reporting. This cruelty is meant to stifle our free press.

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Ronald Hartz @ronaldhartz.bsky.social · 5d

"Auch soll sich die jeweilige Hochschule zu strengen Definitionen des Geschlechts bekennen."

www.tagesschau.de/ausland/trum...

Trump will getreue Universitäten mit Fördermitteln belohnen

US-Präsident Trump versucht, weitere Unis auf seine Linie zu bringen: Er stellt mehreren Hochschulen Gelder in Aussicht, wenn sie bestimmte Forderungen erfüllen - sie sollen etwa die Zahl ausländische...

www.tagesschau.de

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Reposted by Ronald Hartz

Chronicle of Higher Education @chronicle.com · 5d

“Everyone's so scared right now. Everyone's just trying to not get fired,” said one associate professor. “People don't go to campus as much because why would you? They shut their doors. They don't want to meet.”

Can You Say ‘Transgender’ in a Texas Tech Classroom? The Answer Is Complicated.

The provost released guidance saying state law allows it under some circumstances — then took that down.

chroni.cl

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Reposted by Ronald Hartz

Leicester UCU @leicesterucu.bsky.social · 5d

Day 4: chalk signs, an amazing teach out, and more picket dogs.
When we fight, we don't fight alone!

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Ronald Hartz @ronaldhartz.bsky.social · 5d

"All you care about is dividing us by saying words that are true and sentences that are also true."

www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/its...

It’s Extremely Divisive of You to Tell the Truth

Our nation is incredibly divided right now, and the last thing we need is someone standing up and further dividing us with statements based in fact...

www.mcsweeneys.net

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Reposted by Ronald Hartz

Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 6d

My workload has at least doubled (in terms of teaching hours, numbers of personal tutees, admin commitments etc.) since I started.

Times Higher Education (THE) @timeshighered.bsky.social · 6d

Workload is the major factor forcing academics to quit their roles, with some of the perceived benefits of working in universities actually adding to the strain, finds a new study. Juliette Rowsell reports https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/benefits-working-academia-can-add-workload-stress

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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 6d

The members of the governing council of the Royal Society are disgraceful cowards. Quite aside from the racism, misogyny, & attempts to destroy democracy, their unwillingness to take action against a man who has done so much to undermine scientific values & principles is contemptible.

Times Higher Education (THE) @timeshighered.bsky.social · 6d

The @royalsociety.org has ruled out rescinding Elon Musk’s membership of the academy over controversial comments made at an anti-immigration rally

#AcademicSky #highered

Royal Society will not expel Musk over anti-immigration comments

Not our role to ‘police the personal political opinions of individual fellows,’ says president

www.timeshighereducation.com

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Reposted by Ronald Hartz

Katherine Stiles @katherinestiles.org · 6d

🎓Higher Education🎓
Hundreds of international students accepted on courses by University College London have been left in limbo and facing thousands of pounds in costs, after the university admitted it had run out of places just days before many were due to start. #academicsky #edusky

International students left in limbo by UCL after university exceeds visa allocations

Hundreds of students accepted on courses facing costs and even deportation after being told to defer studies until 2026

www.theguardian.com

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Times Higher Education (THE) @timeshighered.bsky.social · 6d

Workload is the major factor forcing academics to quit their roles, with some of the perceived benefits of working in universities actually adding to the strain, finds a new study. Juliette Rowsell reports https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/benefits-working-academia-can-add-workload-stress

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Stephen Shapiro @stephenshapiro.bsky.social · 6d

If they capitulate, they should be boycotted.
archive.is/ycQrr

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 6d

'Almost 4,000 courses fall prey to university funding crisis, with humanities degrees hardest hit'

'Less selective universities have been most affected by the cuts, however elite universities, including those in the Russell Group, have not been immune to having to axe courses.' 1/2

The Boar

theboar.org

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Frank A. Stengel @frankstengel.bsky.social · 6d

Ein neuer Tag im deutschen Wissenschaftssystem, ein neuer Kollege, der nicht mehr da ist, weil in diesem dümmsten aller Länder gute Wissenschaftler*innen regelhaft alle paar Jahre gefeuert werden. Es ist alles so unfassbar irrational und ineffizient.

#IchbinHanna

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