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Strike while the iron is hot Interest in bullying & harassment at Universities has been reignited by scandals at Oxford The 21 Group encourages victims of misconduct to write to their MPs We applaud MPs (of any party) who take a stand Blog posting here: 21percent.org?p=2983 @LaylaMoran

University HR personnel are 'equal opportunity bullies' If you speak out, you'll be mistreated -- even if you're emeritus "Your behaviour has created grounds for an immediate & far-reaching investigation into you" said the HR Director with a thin smile www.timeshighereducation.com/news/free-sp...

Cambridge Vice Chancellor talks to Reform Instead she should meet with student & staff to hear concerns, keep an open door for staff to report experiences & hold in-person town halls And adopt leadership style that questions motives & actions of those around her www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

How To Bankrupt a University & Break Your Staff Instead of resolving problems, HR worsen them, then outsource cost on to academics via committees & panels as well as lawyers & health services The rise and rise of University HR depts 21percent.org?p=3001

Voice of Victim "The HR Director said, 'We had a lot of unhelpful & destructive criticism in the anonymous reporting tool this term. There'll be a disciplinary, once we've identified who submitted it' "

Voice of Victim "9 months ago, the University ‘reviewed’ us ‘Just a light touch. A quick check-in, a stocktake of where we are', said the Pro-VC Yesterday, I got my redundancy letter Our entire group has been dissolved—aside from two who get to reapply for downgraded roles”

Derby University has unveiled another redundancy plan affecting ~ 550 staff Professional services are hit hardest, then academics & even some leadership roles Don't worry -- only mid-level roles No one senior The axe never swings upward, always down www.thecanary.co/long-read/20...

Real story -- who leaked confidential remarks of VC of Cambridge University? ABC of Leaks A - Leaks happen if shared purpose & trust has gone B - A leaker wants to damage reputation of a leader they dislike C - Leaky organisations sink www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Edinburgh University pays >£750,000) to Nous Group, which specialises in cuts A consultancy is paid to shield Vice Chancellor & provide the advice he wants to hear Universities often have weak & financially inept leadership so they're easy prey for Nous Group www.theferret.scot/consultancy-...

It would be nice if Chief Exec of British Academy did his job He's in charge of implementing misconduct policy He still has our complaint about Prof Hofman FBA from 2 years ago ... ... as well as Oxford sex harassment case against Prof Hewstone FBA from last month @hetanshah.bsky.social

In the news is Oxford University "Campaigners against misconduct in higher education said spate of cases warranted an independent investigation by the Equality & Human Rights Commission" And Charity Commission & Health and Safety Executive & Thames Valley police www.thetimes.com/uk/education...

Essex University is gutting staff & shutting a whole campus while pretending it’s about sustainability Management claim these “sad” decisions will strengthen the university 😲 Announcing mass redundancies before Christmas is typically cruel HR practice www.timeshighereducation.com/news/essex-c...

"What do you do if your country has a serious problem with bullying & harassment in academic research?" asks editorial in Nature Only external scrutiny will stop universities & research institutes from hiding misconduct & attacking whistleblowers nature.com/articles/d41...

Good news, but ... "These people always hang themselves if given enough rope." We have never found that to be the case, actually Bullies in academia almost always prosper

New blog posting 21percent.org?p=2793 Powerful & distressing diary entries of a victim of academic bullying in a UK university

"I Loved My Life Until … " Another bullying survivor at Cambridge University speaks out 21percent.org?p=2837 The more victims who speak out with courage, the safer we all are

It’s essential for health of Universities to foster a culture that is safe, supportive & humane This means acknowledging how power & vulnerability play out in the real world We need to stop giving endless benefit of the doubt to the powerful who bully, intimidate & harass

International student levy on Universities is opposed by everyone outside Govt Oxbridge will pass charge on, ensuring international students are drawn more exclusively from the wealthy Below this, it'll be yet another cut to university budgets, harming staff & domestic students

The PricewaterhouseCoopers University is expanding internationally while cutting jobs in Wales Cardiff University’s new Kazakhstan campus is officially registered under PwC lawyer’s email Nothing says “world-class university” like outsourcing your integrity 😉 nation.cymru/news/new-con...

Chair at Turing Institute Dr Gurr says a third-party probe found whistleblower claims had ‘no substance' Particularly convincing when half the leadership has resigned, the Charity Commission is investigating & nobody will name the ‘independent’ investigator 😉 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

University HR Directors & Heads of Legal are openly weeping & distraught Universities are one of the big users of Non Disclosure Agreements to cover up abuse & misconduct No more, it's stopping gov.uk/government/n...

Sex, Lies and Senior Faculty Professor Gropewell & Lustbridge University granted anonymity by Employment Tribunal in a sex harassment case There are no circumstances in which a university should be using public money to silence victims in this way 21percent.org?p=2819

Oxford Professor dismissed this week from Said Business School for harassment has 'previous' Soumitra Dutta stood down "abruptly" from Cornell in 2018 -- no reason given😉 Pass the harasser Who was on Dutta's appointments committee? @the1752group.bsky.social www.clearadmit.com/2018/01/john...

At Cambridge University, a vengeful Professor made baseless allegations against a whistleblower A 2 yr investigation followed It concluded that "unfortunately" there was no evidence No consequences for those who victimised a whistleblower Tribunal, 1-28 June 2026, Bury St Edmunds

The Master of St Machiavelli's College: "I can’t help you if you want to talk about bullying. Just because you've caught something nasty, why do you have to wander about breathing over everybody?" #YesMinister was partly inspired by politics at Cambridge Uni 21percent.org?p=2655

“Unfunded hobbyist research” .... Like the work of the patent officer (third class) at Bern in 1905 Which gave us one of the biggest ever breakthroughs in theoretical physics

Allegations of breach of university’s harassment policy by Head of Business School Prof Dutta upheld One of the multiple sexual harassment cases currently under investigation at University of Oxford For every case upheld, at least ten remain unpunished www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

"Vice chancellors job isn't to be liked" says Donna Whitehead, VC of University of Brighton Mission Accomplished t.co/1nHhxU6Nng

Response to latest Oxford sexual harassment scandal at Said Business School has been muted Prioritising victims & whistleblowers rather than the harasser would be a start Too much pressure from famous universities to hush SH up 21percent.org?p=2666

£40m/yr on shiny buildings, £1.5m/yr for consultants at University of Leicester Possible job losses at Education, Chemistry, Geography, Geology & Modern Languages Who needs staff or courses when you’ve got concrete & PowerPoints? Strikes begin www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicest...

One of the most rewarding things is when one of your students graduates with a PhD! Congratulations to Dr @allanlui.bsky.social! @caldaslab.bsky.social rejoices!!

Voice of Victim "Human Resources isn’t just leave, grievances or recruitment Good HR helps people flourish — and puts their mental wellbeing first My University's HR does the exact opposite It actively destroys people & research groups Nothing kills a university faster than bad HR"

Academia runs on exploitation: stringing along young researchers with low-paid, short-term contracts, selling a false hope of stability of permanent job This isn’t a career ladder—it’s a treadmill Everyone loses when young talent is chewed up like this

Deluge of Data Subject Access Requests at Cambridge University Trend suggests deep-seated cultural problems — disputes are mishandled, information withheld & the staff use data protection laws as last line of defence 21percent.org?p=2606 Action long overdue

Voice of Victim "We finally got the University to investigate the multiple allegations of sexual harassment of grad students by the Director The University offered him the choice of retiring or an investigation Guess what he chose? He's still around as an emeritus"

With several Newcastle University Council members retiring, Peridot Partners were hired to manage recruitment & deliver the usual suspects: senior execs who run everything else & won’t rock the boat Council is now “refreshed” — and exactly the same www.peridotpartners.co.uk/case-study-c...

Student complaints at Cambridge University are rising, mostly from postgrads Success rate has collapsed from 50% in 2016-2017 to 13% in 2023-2024 This raises questions about whether thresholds for upholding grievances are fair 21percent.org?p=2628

Whistleblowers lacked protection at the University of Limerick Conflicts of interest were widespread Those accused often investigated their own complaints Sounds like Cambridge University Employment Tribunal at Bury St Edmunds 1-28 June 2026 on whistleblowing www.independent.ie/irish-news/u...

REF 29 is pure Alice in Wonderland: ever more fantastical twists How can you fund fields that won’t exist by the 2030s? Having overseen collapse of University research culture, REF shouldn’t be policing it Time to cancel or boycott it Only HE grifters will benefit from it

Voice of a Victim "The law firm partner said, strictly off the record, 'Universities treat their staff like dirt. Lucky for us. HE is a cash cow. We have contracts with the big ones' Said in confidence, so shame I can’t share it … except, you know, here

Scottish University of the Year 2025’ — yet Dundee is on the brink Trophy in one hand, bankruptcy notice in the other More swingeing job cuts proposed by management, then blocked by Scottish govt No viable plan, no direction. Where does this end? www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/politics/...

Of course, they'll get away with it Just as in the 2008 financial crisis, there was no payback for the Goodwins & Applegarths Those who set @dundeeuni ablaze will be tallying up their moneybags The staff & students can only look on in disgust & incredulity www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

University Blues 21percent.org?p=2554 The scale of organised staff abuse at some Universities is becoming well-known Instead of helping people to flourish, Human Resources are often malevolent Things are changing thanks to exposure by journalists & better employment legislation from Govt

The Turing Institute now faces a whistleblower complaint citing governance chaos, wasted millions & looming collapse Staff say credibility + charitable status are on the line — while 10% face the axe Certainly not the legacy that Alan Turing deserved www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

In today’s universities, academics exist mainly to prop up administration Research? Too costly Knowledge? Too messy Teaching? Classes crammed to bring in money Bureaucracy has replaced scholarship as the function of universities — fully endorsed by senior management

UCL takes the crown in the Repression League Table, edging out Queen Mary & Bristol They also excel in failure to tackle bullying, harassment & research misconduct Where freedom of speech dies, bullying & misconduct thrive si4j.org/universityre...

At least 6 universities could go bust before 2025 freshers graduate In management speak, "a strategic consolidation of the offer" is predicted In plain English, this means shutting down courses, departments, maybe whole campuses & redundancies inews.co.uk/news/educati...

A snapshot from our survey on bullying, harassment & neglect with @forthe100.bsky.social Top of the table are Cardiff, Strathclyde, Cambridge & Dundee Universities If you've been mistreated, complete the survey here: 21percent.org?p=2571 Help bring accountability to those who run universities

The head of the WBC wants to find ways to make safer a sport where the aim is to give your opponent a serious head injury. The way to make it safer is to ban it. Fighting of any kind has no place in a civil society. www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing...