- Unions have called another nationwide strike for 3聽December as part of a pay battle with higher education employers. As on 31聽October, the University and College Union, Unite and Unison are all set to take industrial action over a 鈥渄isparaging鈥 1聽per cent pay offer, but this time they will be joined by the Educational Institute of Scotland. UCU staff are currently working to contract, although it has emerged that two institutions 鈥 Newcastle University and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David 鈥 have warned employees that they could be docked pay if they refuse to work unpaid overtime. However, both universities have insisted that pay would not be deducted unless there had been a聽鈥渃lear breach鈥 of employment contracts.
- Two dressing-up incidents provided new entries for the 鈥渨hen student humour goes wrong鈥 genre. The University of York鈥檚 Conservative Association cancelled its annual fox hunt themed pub crawl, involving men dressed as hunters and women as foxes, after the Vegetarian and Vegan Society encouraged protesters to object using red paint, The Press reported on 8聽November. Meanwhile two female students caused consternation when they entered a fancy dress competition at a Chester nightclub. While some might think that reason enough to question their taste, the two University of Chester undergraduates dressed as the Twin Towers being hit by aeroplanes 鈥 and won first prize. Amber Langford and Annie Collinge, both聽19, 鈥渉ad modelled their costumes on the North and South Tower wreathed in flames and with victims jumping from windows鈥, the Daily Mail reported on 6聽November. The university and Chester Students鈥 Union said they had 鈥渂egun an urgent investigation with a view to taking the necessary action鈥.
- As the cost of living continues to rise, a ray of financial sunshine has broken through: health secretary Jeremy Hunt could make 拢17聽million from the sale of Hotcourses, the online courses directory he founded 17 years ago. The proposed sale to a private equity firm would value the company at about 拢35聽million, 罢丑别听骋耻补谤诲颈补苍 reported on 8聽November. Mr Hunt stepped down as a director in 2009, but still holds 49聽per cent of Hotcourses via a blind trust, which means he has no day-to-day control over his stake, the newspaper said. 鈥淥ne of Hotcourses鈥 biggest contracts is a deal to run a聽website for the British Council, promoting courses in the UK,鈥 it聽added. While home secretary Theresa May cracks down on overseas students, at least someone in the Cabinet understands the economic benefits they bring.
- The Guardian noted sniffily that Mr Hunt was educated at Charterhouse school and the University of Oxford 鈥 the type of background that Sir John Major highlighted in comments about social class. The Daily Telegraph reported on 10聽November that the former Conservative prime minister had told party activists that the 鈥渦pper echelons of power鈥re held overwhelmingly by the privately educated or the affluent middle class. To me from my background, I find that truly shocking.鈥 While Sir John blamed the Labour government for the 鈥渃ollapse in social mobility鈥, his comments 鈥渨ill be seen as a challenge to the Eton-educated [David] Cameron who has faced repeated criticism for surrounding himself with advisers and ministers from a similar background鈥, the Telegraph said.
- David Nutt, who was sacked as a government drugs adviser after a policy clash in 2009, is developing a drug that 鈥渕imics the effect of alcohol without creating a hangover鈥, The Daily Telegraph reported on 12聽November. Professor Nutt, who is Edmond J. Safra professor of neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London, went on BBC Radio 4鈥檚 Today programme to urge the government to give 鈥渁n explicit recommendation鈥 in support of the drug to encourage investment in his research. The drug, which can be blocked immediately by an antidote, could reduce alcohol-related illnesses, he argued. 鈥淚鈥檝e done the prototype experiments myself. I鈥檝e been inebriated and then it鈥檚 been reversed by the antagonist,鈥 said the man once dubbed by the press as 鈥淭he Nutty Professor鈥.
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