The opening of nominations on Monday, 19 February kicked off the beginning of the campaign season for LSESU Lent term elections. Lent term elections decide the most sought-after positions in the Union: Sabbatical officers, Part-Time Officers (PTOs), and committee positions.…
‘LSE Pay Up’ campaign holds rally
The ‘LSE Pay Up’ campaign, organised by LSE’s three trade unions: UCU, UNISON and Unite, held a rally last Wednesday as part of its attempt to increase support staff salaries. Support staff (other than senior management and academic staff; also known…
Cleaners to be brought In-House on Unequal Terms
Some cleaners at the LSE have expressed their concern over the terms of their upcoming transfer in-house from outsourcing company Noonan, agreed upon after a 10-month-long campaign and week-long strike led by cleaners of the United Voices of the World…
Theresa May Proposes Tuition Fee Review
Fulfilling a commitment made in the 2017 Conservative manifesto, Theresa May has set in motion a year-long review of higher education funding which would potentially introduce variance in undergraduate fees and loans. Currently, undergraduate degrees cost £9,250 per year –…
UCU Strikes Over Pension Cuts Begin
Industrial action over the University Superannuation Scheme began last Thursday at 61 universities in the UK. The scheme and a recent amendment to it, which covers most faculty staff in pre-1992 universities, may leave typical faculty members £10,000 a year…
“Authorship Investigation” Software to be Launched in UK
A new anti-plagiarism software which tracks down and monitors each student’s writing style, will be launched by many universities in the United Kingdom as soon as the second half of 2018. The software, named “Authorship Investigation”, is developed by Turnitin,…
Queen Mary University Staff Warned of Investigation for Low Grading
Staff at Queen Mary University of London received an email advising them that an investigation may be conducted against them if they consistently award average marks below an Upper Second (2:1) level. The staff were instructed to abide by the…
UK Research Councils Sign Declaration Against The Use of Journal Impact Factors in Evaluating Research Excellence
All seven UK Research Councils have joined others from across the globe signing the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), to protest against the use of Journal Impact Factors in assessing research quality, Times Higher Education reported on 7…
An interview with the LSE graffiti artist
I guess we first want to ask about the location. How did you choose it and why? Well, a big part of the decision was definitely convenience. I had to avoid getting caught so I chose a spot that was…
The NHS long term plan is an ambitious failure
The government correctly identifies where the NHS needs reform, but without realistic plans to increase the necessary resources, it amounts to nothing more than a fanciful wishlist The NHS long term plan announced in January is ambitious. The plan has…