- Education secretary Michael Gove has renewed his attack on 鈥渢he Blob鈥 鈥 aka the 鈥渂loated educational bureaucracy鈥 lurking in schools, local education authorities and, mostly, university education faculties. In a salvo directed at education academics who he believes were 鈥渃omplicit in under-performance in the past鈥, Mr Gove said rising school standards on his watch showed that the left-wing educational establishment is being defeated, The Guardian reported on 4 February. Taking on the role of Steve McQueen, who battled the unstoppable alien mass in the 1958 horror film of the same name, Mr Gove hinted that his victory over the Blob might result in state schools becoming as good as private ones. However, former Ofsted head Sir David Bell, vice-chancellor of the University of Reading, has suggested that Mr Gove鈥檚 enemy might be a convenient fiction. 鈥淲hile the Blob is a useful political tool in the short term, it simply might not be as deep-rooted as the education secretary believes,鈥 Sir David said on The Conversation website.
- US superstar Beyonc茅 is to become the focus of a course at Rutgers University, the Daily Mail reported on 31 January. The New Jersey institution will offer a programme, 鈥淧oliticizing Beyonc茅鈥, which will explore the pop diva鈥檚 various alter egos, such as performer, role model, fashion designer, mother and wife, the paper said. 鈥淲hile other artists are simply releasing music, she鈥檚 creating a grand narrative around her life, her career and her persona,鈥 said Kevin Allred, the doctoral student teaching the course. Students will analyse lyrics sung by the former Destiny鈥檚 Child singer 鈥 an honour already bestowed on Beyonc茅鈥檚 rapper husband by Georgetown University, which teaches 鈥淭he Sociology of Hip-Hop: The Urban Theodicy of Jay-Z鈥.
- Universities and science minister David Willetts used his response to the Finch Group鈥檚 recent reconvention to assure the sector that all was well with the UK鈥檚 open access policy (even if reality was dragging its feet about falling in line with it). In a letter to the group鈥檚 chair, Dame Janet Finch, made public on 31 January, Mr Willetts welcomes the group鈥檚 reiteration that a 鈥渃lear policy direction should be set towards support for gold open access鈥. He retains his own 鈥渟trong preference鈥 for the journal-provided form over the repository-provided green variety, but admits he is finally looking into carrying out a full cost-benefit analysis of the policy. He also urges publishers to make greater efforts to reduce universities鈥 subscription bills as their payment of open access fees increases. Despite the rest of the world鈥檚 preference for green open access, he cites the example of the Netherlands, which recently unveiled a gold-friendly policy, as proof that the argument could still be won.
- Politicians might be interested in a game doing the Westminster rounds. By typing someone鈥檚 name into Google after the word 鈥渋s鈥, they can see what people are asking about them, reports The Sunday Times鈥 Roland White on 2 February. Most intriguing is the predictive text appearing after the name of the home secretary, higher education鈥檚 current b锚te noire for her unhelpful stance on student visas (鈥淚s Theresa May turning into [model and actress] Cara Delevingne?鈥). The shadow higher education minister may be pleased about his Google results (鈥淚s Liam Byrne married?鈥), while the business secretary will be baffled by questions asked about him (鈥淚s Vince Cable a freemason?鈥). And it鈥檚 bad news for the universities and science minister, of whom people ask: 鈥淲ho is David Willetts?鈥
- The University of Strathclyde is under fire for spending 拢1.2 million on a grace-and-favour home for its principal Sir Jim McDonald. Politicians and union officials have criticised the purchase of the five-storey Glasgow townhouse as universities insist they cannot afford to improve on the 1 per cent pay offer for staff, said The Herald on 2 February. The new home, which will also be used for university events, is needed to replace the principal鈥檚 current apartment at Strathclyde鈥檚 Jordanhill campus, which is set to close this summer, a spokesman said. But Mary Senior, Scotland official at the University and College Union, said she was astonished that Strathclyde was 鈥渂uying a luxury townhouse in one of Glasgow鈥檚 plushest postcodes鈥 while 鈥減leading poverty鈥 over pay.
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