Responding to the announcement from the Scottish Government on the return of students to university, a spokesperson for Universities Scotland said: “In light of the high prevalence of the virus across the country, it is appropriate that there should be an increased staggering of the return of students to campus. We look forward to receiving…
News
Professor Gerry McCormac recognised with a knighthood
Universities Scotland’s Convener, Professor Gerry McCormac, has been recognised with a knighthood in the Queen’s New Year Honours for his extraordinary public service. Professor Sir Gerry McCormac, who has been Principal at the University of Stirling since 2010, was given the honour in recognition of his services to higher education and to the economy. Professor…
Response to Ministerial Statement on January return
Responding to the Ministerial Statement by John Swinney, the Deputy First Minister to the Scottish Parliament, Alastair Sim, Director of Universities Scotland said: “Today’s announcement affirms the importance of students having access to in-person learning and support next term. We believe this is important for students’ learning, welfare and retention. “The requirement for a staggered…
Inconclusive Spending Review makes January budget critical for Scottish HE
The UK Government Spending Review announced on Wednesday (25 November 2020) has made January’s Scottish Government budget a critical event for Scottish higher education. The Scottish block grant will increase by an additional £2.4bn in 2021/22 as a result of core and COVID-19 expenditure. Within UK Government spending priorities, an extra £400 million expenditure per…
New guidance published to help universities tackle racial harassment on campus
Our sister organisation Universities UK (UUK) has today [24 November 2020] published a series of recommendations aimed at supporting universities to tackle racial harassment in higher education. Tackling Racial Harassment in Higher Education is the product of an advisory group convened by UUK in October last year and responds to many of the recommendations in…
Universities Scotland respond to Ministerial Statement on Supporting Students to Return Home Safely at the End of Term
Responding to the Ministerial Statement on Supporting Students to Return Home Safely at the End of Term from the Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, Richard Lochhead MSP and after coordination between the four governments of the United Kingdom, Alastair Sim, Director of Universities Scotland said: “Student welfare has guided our decision making…
Universities Scotland responds to the Scottish Government’s new Inward Investment Plan
Responding to the publication of Shaping Scotland’s Economy, Alastair Sim, Universities Scotland Director, said: “We’re pleased to see the report recognise higher education’s important role in attracting inward investment into Scotland. Bar London, Scotland has been the top performing nation or region of the UK in attracting inward investment for each of the past seven years and…
Universities Scotland response to Scotland’s Strategic Framework
Responding to the Scottish Government’s new Strategic Framework and five-tiered approach to managing COVID-19, a spokesperson for Universities Scotland said: “Students, staff and universities need as much clarity as its possible to give in a global pandemic so we’ll take full opportunity of this very short period of consultation to work with Government to define…
Principals respond to additional Scottish Government guidance on student households
The Scottish Government has today (Sunday 27 September) issued further guidance relating to the application of the restrictions on household visits, as it applies to students living in university accommodation. The guidance on visits home follows the new restriction, announced by the First Minister last week, that the general public should refrain from indoor visits…
We asked more of students than is asked of anyone else; a group we know is caring, responsible and socially minded
Our Director, Alastair Sim, explains the context to our announcements relating to student socialisation and the management of COVID-19 over recent days: “This weekend, we asked all students not to go out to pubs, restaurants and cafes. It was a request, not a ban. It was never a ban. But we know it was a…