Five month rent strike victory means cost cut and higher bursaries for London students

THE FIGHTBACK AGAINST sky-high rents at a major London university has won a multi-million pound set of concessions from management organisations through organising a rent strike.

‘UCL Cut the Rent’, at University College London, have coordinated two years of protests against the rapid escalation of rent costs in campus managed accommodation. Campaigners said the high costs were pushing young people into ever increasing debts and limiting access to higher education.

Anni Donaldson, a member of the a Strathclyde University project team which has just secured the backing of the Scottish Government, explains how the team's work aims to tackle gender-based violence on campuses

Pilot at University of Strathcylde gets boost of PS300,000 government funding

SEXUAL HARASSMENT and assault on university campuses are to be tackled by a new initiative being developed by a team at the University of Strathclyde.

The pilot project will develop a tool-kit for higher education institutions and is one of several education institutions to receive Scottish Government funding.

One in four female students had experienced unwanted sexual behaviour while at university.

Bill will support election of university management leaders

REFORMS to improve the democratic governance of Scotland's leading universities and colleges have been passed by the Scottish Parliament.

The Higher Education Governance Bill seeks to improve participation in decision making through expanding elected posts.

The result, passed by 92 votes to 17, has been welcomed by student and staff campaign organisations.

Lecturers union freedom of information requests unveil extent of pay increases to university bosses

GLASGOW CALEDONIAN and Strathclyde university bosses have topped expenses lists released by University and Colleges Union.

The figures were published by the union as part of a larger body of data, retrieved through freedom of information requests to universities across the country, which showed that university principals received some of the largest increases in pay, pension contributions and expenses in the UK for the year 2014/2015.

London students facing debt crisis and rent induced poverty - while university profits

ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY students at University College London are withholding their rent in a demand to reduce suffocating living costs by 40 per cent.

The direct action follows a 56 per cent increase in rent payments since 2009, which means young people are paying out up to PS1,100 a month just to live in university accommodation.

Proposals seek to improve governance at universities - but management group is opposed

REFORMS to the governance of higher education institutions in Scotland are necessary to improve participation in decision making, according to the Scottish Government's cabinet secretary for education.

Ahead of a Scottish Parliamentary debate today [Wednesday 28 October] on the bill, Angela Constance MSP has reiterated her support for the Higher Education Governance Bill which seeks to change how universities in Scotland are managed.

Rector of university also raises concerns over the Higher Education Governance Bill

AMERICAN whistleblower Edward Snowden, who revealed illegal digital surveillance by Western intelligence services, called on Glasgow university students to pursue human rights, civil liberties and democratic accountability during a speech delivered at the university's Freshers Week.

Snowden was speaking via video link from Moscow, where he has been granted asylum, as the Rector of the university. He was elected by over 3,000 students last year.

Academic group aims to fill gap in knowledge of land ownership issues

THE UNIVERSITIES of Dundee and Stirling have launched a new Centre for Scotland's Land Futures (CSLF), which will contribute expert research in the wake of a growing debate on land reform.

The centre, which is launched today [Thursday 20 August] under the directorship of Dr Annie Tindley, will bring together academics and interest group to investigate the ownership and use of land in Scotland.