More than 20% of British Universities are slowly dying. They are post-92 institutions who have seen their recruitment numbers fall every year since 2011. And to read the Guardian and the Times Higher, you’d think this was due to factors beyond their control.

Research can be a lonely pursuit, but to you, the researcher, your project is fascinating – why wouldn’t you want to sing its virtues and curiosities from the rooftops?

The university sector seems confused about what is meant by safeguarding, and how far universities should go to ‘take care’ of their students. The debate seems to be taking us beyond the letter of the law to make campuses as safe as possible for students who choose to invest their time, future life prospects and future debt with us.

‘Shopping around’ this coming weekend is fine if you’re in the market for a new phone or holiday. But it’s not good enough in a market which you’ve never experienced before, which is going to cost you £50,000 +, which is going to absorb three years of your life, and which it will take the rest of your working life to pay for.

A seriously depressing article appeared in the Sunday Times last weekend (22nd July) on how a number of British universities are resorting to desperation tactics in order to attract the brightest students. This in a year when the number of student applicants is down to its lowest level in a decade.

Are teaching excellence awards and badges just for the feel-good factor, or are they vital information for students to hone their consumer persona and ‘wise choice’ skills?