Universities Scotland has welcomed the publication of exam results across the country in what has been a very challenging time for school and college learners. Today’s UCAS data show: An increase in the entry rate of Scottish domiciled 18-year-olds going to university at 28% (an increase from 26.4% in 2020). A 12% increase in Scottish-domiciled…
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Universities Scotland welcomes SFC’s Report on Widening Access 2019-20
Universities Scotland have welcomed the publication of the Report on Widening Access 2019-20 by the sector’s funding body, the Scottish Funding Council. The report states that: 16.4% of full-time first-degree entrants to university were from an SIMD20 background. This is an increase from 15.9% in 2018-19. This means that universities have met the Commission on…
Universities Scotland responds to SFC’s Coherence and Sustainability Review
Universities Scotland has welcomed the publication of Coherence and Sustainability: A review of Tertiary Education and Research by the sector’s funding body, the Scottish Funding Council. The report makes a number of recommendations for the Scottish Government to consider. The report was commissioned by the Scottish Government in June 2020 with Universities Scotland responding to…
New report demonstrates roles of universities in supporting Scotland’s recovery
A new report has detailed the critical social and economic contribution universities are expected to make to Scotland’s recovery over the next five years. The report, Getting Results for Scotland, based on analysis by the National Centre for Entrepreneurship in Education (NCEE) and published by Universities Scotland, highlights examples of how universities in Scotland are…
Time to lift COVID restrictions on research
Scotland’s 19 universities are asking that the Scottish Government address an anomaly in the route-map out of COVID restrictions, which means that academics doing research in laboratories must still work at two metres distance from each other, in stark contrast to most other sectors of the economy which have been operating at one metre or…
University leaders call for urgent clarity on plans for next academic year as new data shows high levels of student anxiety and fears about progression
The Principals of Scotland’s universities have called on the Scottish Government to provide clarity within the next fortnight on the arrangements for in-person teaching when the next academic year starts. The call comes as new polling data of over 500 students at Scotland’s universities shows that: 73 per cent feel the restrictions on in-person learning…
Universities welcome show of strength in new world rankings
Universities Scotland has welcomed new global rankings which rates the sector in Scotland as one of the best in the world. The global rankings demonstrate Scotland’s strength in research with many universities bettering their scores from last year. The QS World University Rankings 2022, which evaluates over 1300 universities worldwide, sees six Scottish universities improve…
Universities Scotland welcome ‘Universities and Scotland’ report from Scottish Affairs Committee
The report, which comes at a time which is described by the committee as a “perfect storm” for universities as long-term public underfunding of the sector meet the impact of both COVID-19 and Brexit. Reacting to the publication of the Scottish Affairs Committee report, ‘Universities and Scotland’, Universities Scotland Director Alastair Sim said: “This report…
Universities Scotland response to SFC publication of additional and indicative funding allocations
Responding to the publication of the Scottish Funding Council’s additional funding allocations for 2020/21 and indicative allocations for 2021/22, Universities Scotland Director Alastair Sim said: “Universities welcome the increased resources allocated today by the Scottish Funding Council. The additional funding for 2020/21 is recognition of the work universities have done to support students through the pandemic….
UCAS data cause for assurance in value of Scottish higher education
New data released by the university admissions service UCAS serves as a cause for optimism in the Scottish higher education sector. The January Equal Consideration Deadline 2021 data, published by UCAS on Thursday 18 February, show: Positive widening access statistics. Continued increase in applicants from the most disadvantaged background with a 15% increase (1,100 people)…