With the abolition of the teaching grant for all non-STEM subjects and reforms to research grants, the whole HE sector is feeling the impacts of the scramble for the remaining cash. The main sources of funding available for most institutions are now tied to sheer student numbers (tuition fees) and a backwards, elitist research funding framework which relies almost entirely on citations in ‘top’ journals. University managers in turn have changed their strategies to reflect this new environment. Sadly this has all too often meant investing in promotion, marketing and a narrow range of well-funded research areas at the expense of teaching, innovative research and ever-increasing student rents. Continue reading →