Are student references just smoke and mirrors? Allowing access to study engagement data would provide employers with more useful insights into a graduate’s character, argues Chris Moore By Chris Moore 17 August
One-size-fits-all A-level system is failing students and universities More grade boundaries and tiered exams that challenge top students would be welcomed by universities, says Mary Curnock Cook By Mary Curnock Cook 15 August
Swimming club helps scholars fight rising tide of managerialism Communal leisure activities can have a big impact on campus life, paper argues By Matthew Reisz 15 August
All universities need to be both local and global Calls for newer institutions to ‘know their place’ fail to understand the need to engage both with surrounding communities and major international challenges, argues Keith Burnett By Keith Burnett 14 August
Don’t leave us out of A-level reform debate, say universities It may already be too late to rethink assessments ahead of next admissions cycle, expert warns By Anna McKie 13 August
‘Good progress’ on research excellence framework panel diversity Female representation now proportionate to UK academia as a whole, even if ethnic minorities still fall short By Chris Havergal 12 August
Archaic examination culture of UK universities must be reformed The use of examinations when other more sophisticated real-world assessment is available seems increasingly strange, says Craig Mahoney By Craig Mahoney 12 August
Octopus aims to grasp ‘publishing revolution science needs’ Creator of ‘fast, free, fair’ platform hopes to help researchers shift away from journals and ‘increase meritocracy’ By John Morgan 12 August
London university ‘determined to re-energise’ Ruskin College Staff at troubled and historic institution ‘relieved’ by last-minute reprieve, and hopeful that institution’s traditions will live on By Matthew Reisz 11 August
UKRI open access policy: a revolution in scholarly communication? Sector relishing support for wider dissemination of scholarship but takes issue with some of the details By Anna McKie 11 August
UKRI’s support for green open access is the right way forward New guidelines have rightly rejected publisher claims that gold is the only sustainable path for open access, say Stephen Eglen and Rupert Gatti By Stephen Eglen 11 August
Elite UK universities take lion’s share of bump in recruitment Highly selective institutions’ recruitment of English school-leavers up 31 per cent year-on-year, as medical students offered incentives to transfer By Anna McKie 10 August