- Few academics hit the headlines like the London Metropolitan University lecturer jailed for helping her 鈥済angster鈥 boyfriend escape after he and two others 鈥渆xecuted鈥 a rival drug dealer. Rachel Kenehan, reported to have taught sociology and psychology at London Met, was described by a judge as a 鈥済angster鈥檚 moll鈥. She was found guilty at Winchester Crown Court of assisting offenders, conspiracy to supply class A drugs and perverting the course of public justice, the London Evening Standard reported on 3聽March. Kenehan 鈥渟uffered a 鈥榮pectacular fall from grace鈥 after she became 鈥榠nfatuated鈥 with Pierre Lewis who she met while carrying out charitable mentoring work for young offenders鈥, the newspaper said. Sentencing her to three and a half years in prison, Mr Justice Keith referred to Kenehan鈥檚 as yet uncompleted PhD 鈥 in criminology 鈥 and hoped she could 鈥渙ne day return to the field of criminology in which you have so much to contribute, with the advantage of the new perspective you will have, having seen the system in operation from the inside鈥.
- 鈥淲orking-class children must be taught to think and act like the middle classes if they are to get into the best universities and top professions.鈥 So ran the聽Daily Telegraph interpretation of a blog by Peter Brant, the head of policy at the government鈥檚 Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, in a front page story on 3聽March. Mr Brant noted that other bloggers have identified barriers for disadvantaged youngsters such as 鈥渄ifferences between working and middle-class lifestyles (eg, food, restaurants, clothes)鈥. He added: 鈥淚t seems likely that worries about 鈥榥ot fitting in鈥 will be one reason why highly able children from less well-off backgrounds are less likely to apply to the most selective universities.鈥 A background of grammar school and the University of Cambridge, before going straight into government, suggests that Mr Brant probably never had a problem fitting in.
- So many scholars strive for evidence that their ideas are recognised beyond the academy. They might rejoice when policymakers take up their research, or when a television documentary fires an audience with enthusiasm for their field. But for cosmologist Stephen Hawking, wider recognition has recently come from 鈥渘ine revellers dressed as Bananaman鈥, who were out on a stag do. Chris Hallam and his friends persuaded Professor Hawking to stop for a picture during their night out, the Cambridge News reported on 3聽March. 鈥淭he picture was popular on Facebook, with one user declaring it 鈥榯he best thing I鈥檝e ever seen鈥,鈥 the newspaper added.
- Guardian columnist Aditya Chakrabortty likened 鈥渇at cat鈥 vice-chancellors to bankers 鈥渢roughing for bonuses鈥 on 4聽March, drawing on analysis of pay packets by 探花视频. 鈥淚n good times, they justify mega-pay as the going rate for 鈥榯alent鈥. In bad times, they just take the cash鈥nd as with the City, higher education鈥檚 new elite now receive repeated pleas from Vince Cable to rein in their excesses,鈥 he wrote. But while 鈥淐EOs of public companies are answerable to their shareholders and customers鈥, there is no such accountability for vice-chancellors, Mr Chakrabortty added, urging that 鈥渟enior management remuneration reports should be published before their discussion鈥. In the face of criticism by ministers, anger from university staff given below-inflation pay rises and scathing national newspaper coverage, there is one natural response from universities: even bigger pay rises for vice-chancellors next year.
- Hanif Kureishi seemed like such a happy-go-lucky chap when interviewed by THE in November after his appointment as professor at Kingston University (鈥淚 can鈥檛 believe you can鈥檛 think of better questions than this, dude, I聽really can鈥檛鈥). But his sunny disposition does not always shine through, judging by comments at The Independent Bath Literature Festival. The author reportedly said of his writing students: 鈥淚t鈥檚 probably 99.9 per cent who are not talented and the little bit that is left is talent.鈥 He also said it would be 鈥渕adness鈥 to start as a writer by spending thousands on an MA in creative writing and that most writing teachers 鈥渁re going to teach you stuff that is a waste of time鈥, The Independent reported on 4 March. A聽Kingston spokesperson said that Professor Kureishi was teaching an 鈥渆xtremely demanding and valuable course鈥.
Register to continue
Why register?
- Registration is free and only takes a moment
- Once registered, you can read 3 articles a month
- Sign up for our newsletter
Subscribe
Or subscribe for unlimited access to:
- Unlimited access to news, views, insights & reviews
- Digital editions
- Digital access to 罢贬贰鈥檚 university and college rankings analysis
Already registered or a current subscriber?
Please or to read this article.