In the news this week: 9 October 2015

University admissions process needs complete overhaul

Responding to an article in last week's Times Higher Education looking at the problems of university admissions, UCU general secretary Sally Hunt argues that the time has come for a complete overhaul of the system. She says that allowing students to apply after they get their results would allow them to accurately make the most of their potential.

She believes it would also remove the pressure on schools to overestimate students' marks in an effort to ensure that they do not miss out on the top grades that they require. She concludes that however inconvenient this might be for some, it is time for a system that provides fairer access to universities.

Conservative Party Conference demonstration

UCU members were out in strong numbers at last Sunday's protest at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester. Sally Hunt spoke at the day's rally and told the crowd that the Tories' plans to change the trade union laws were the biggest assault on the democracy of our country.

She said: 'A bill that undermines the rights of trade unionists to organise and protect each other at work attacks every single principle of this country that we believe in.' Photos from the day are available here.

Government's terror dossier lifted whole paragraphs from "anti-Muslim" think-tank

The government's claim that at least 70 events featuring hate speakers were held on university campuses was widely reported last month. The claim was part of its media offensive to secure support for its controversial anti-terrorism measure Prevent. Queen Mary, SOAS, King's and Kingston were branded "havens for Islamic fanatics" by the Daily Telegraph, and "hotbeds" for extremists by other news outlets.

However, there was no evidence supporting the government's claims in the form of a list of events or even speakers. Times Higher Education also questioned why the government released a list of former students who had gone on to commit terrorist acts or travel to Syria to join radical groups, despite there being little or no evidence that these individuals had been radicalised while at university. It also revealed that the most inflammatory parts of the government's report were taken verbatim from a right-wing think-tank accused of pushing an anti-Muslim agenda.