Why university are always avoiding responsibility? And can’t be held accountable?

Universities appear to be scared of their own students.
There’s always some very left wing right-on types amongst the staff, cheering on all and every bit of wokery going.
Speakers being no platformed, Jewish students being ostracised and 18 year olds, laughingly called adults, believing men in dresses are women.

Students pay fees, that is their power. Plus many of the lecturers are young, inexperienced and barely out of University themselves.

It's not clear what is being referenced in the OP (the rape in the US?), but as usual on the subject of universities there are sweeping generalisations.

Easybee is right that now that students pay hefty fees some of them can be very entitled, and IMO people of all generations can be very entitled these days anyway. Many parents are (to my mind) over-involved in their adult children's lives, and leave as though they are in nursery - constantly checking and asking for special treatment and exemptions from things that other students have to do. Education has become a financial transaction for some, and they stand on their 'rights' far more than in the past.

The other thing is that the National Student Survey (NSS) is given so much weight. Final year students are asked to complete it, some of whom are realising that not having attended or worked hard will mean they won't get the result they think they deserve, and can be quite vindictive when they fill it in. Only the actual scores are recorded, but staff see the comments, which can show things like 'coffee too expensive' or 'too many morning lectures' have been the drivers. also, there are times when students don't realise the importance of particular modules, as they haven't worked and seen how the skills are used in their profession, so IMO it would be better to ask them, say, three years after graduation.

They can be very aware of the power the NSS has, and it completely changes the dynamics of staff/student relations. Courses (and therefore jobs) can be cut if they consistently get lower scores.

Also, of course, all of society is getting more and more divided - possibly because of deliberate misinformation and attempts to destabilise us - so political factions have agendas to push. The most obvious one recently was the trans agenda, but there are also supporters of both sides on the middle east and other issues.

I'm not aware of any research into the political leanings of university staff, but my many years of experience certainly doesn't suggest that there are always left-wing right on types cheering on all and every wokery going. Not at all.

For a moment I thought this Thread was going to be about the accusation of gang r@pe by seven men in 2024, in the elite Cornel University in the USA.

While students pay hefty fees there's no doubt that some universities are extremely inefficiently run and this is greatly to the detriment of student education and learning. Eg constant strikes leading to papers not being marked, classes online not in person. Yesterday I heard about a university not able to provide promised (and paid for) courses as lecturers' contracts had not been agreed.
How are students supposed to feel about this?

Maremia

For a moment I thought this Thread was going to be about the accusation of gang r@pe by seven men in 2024, in the elite Cornel University in the USA.

So did I. Not quite sure what it actually is about.

I thought that it was about the Cornell rapists as well.
The response of the university was appalling, I certainly wouldn't call it woke.

What specific case is s1helly actually referring to here? If someone reports racism or harassment and subsequently faces disadvantages as a result, that would be a different matter altogether in my view. I would, for the time being, view tuition fees, lecture timetables and generally dissatisfied students as separate issues.

In England, such a matter doesn’t necessarily have to end with the university. Since August 2025, specific guidelines on harassment and sexual misconduct have also been in force there. And if the complaint gets stuck in the internal process, there is still an independent body outside the university to which it can be referred.

Initially, however, such an incident still ends up with the university itself. Its own reputation is at stake here. Of course, an accused person must be treated fairly. But that doesn’t change the nature of this problem for the time being. It’s still odd, though, that the first stage of the process takes place within the university itself, of all places.

Aveline’s frustration over the fees is easier to understand. When paid face-to-face classes are constantly cancelled or promised courses simply don’t take place, at some point the question inevitably arises as to what exactly such high fees are actually being paid for.

OP is there a link to whatever you are referring to, or is this just a very general accusation with nothing to back it up??
Difficult to reply unless there is some substance to this.

Doodledog

It's not clear what is being referenced in the OP (the rape in the US?), but as usual on the subject of universities there are sweeping generalisations.

Easybee is right that now that students pay hefty fees some of them can be very entitled, and IMO people of all generations can be very entitled these days anyway. Many parents are (to my mind) over-involved in their adult children's lives, and leave as though they are in nursery - constantly checking and asking for special treatment and exemptions from things that other students have to do. Education has become a financial transaction for some, and they stand on their 'rights' far more than in the past.

The other thing is that the National Student Survey (NSS) is given so much weight. Final year students are asked to complete it, some of whom are realising that not having attended or worked hard will mean they won't get the result they think they deserve, and can be quite vindictive when they fill it in. Only the actual scores are recorded, but staff see the comments, which can show things like 'coffee too expensive' or 'too many morning lectures' have been the drivers. also, there are times when students don't realise the importance of particular modules, as they haven't worked and seen how the skills are used in their profession, so IMO it would be better to ask them, say, three years after graduation.

They can be very aware of the power the NSS has, and it completely changes the dynamics of staff/student relations. Courses (and therefore jobs) can be cut if they consistently get lower scores.

Also, of course, all of society is getting more and more divided - possibly because of deliberate misinformation and attempts to destabilise us - so political factions have agendas to push. The most obvious one recently was the trans agenda, but there are also supporters of both sides on the middle east and other issues.

I'm not aware of any research into the political leanings of university staff, but my many years of experience certainly doesn't suggest that there are always left-wing right on types cheering on all and every wokery going. Not at all.

👏👏👏👏👏

Ilovecheese

I thought that it was about the Cornell rapists as well.
The response of the university was appalling, I certainly wouldn't call it woke.

Neither would I! Nor can many Universities be judged or blamed or held to account for one Universities terrible failings.

Btw, it’s getting more than a tad boring hearing “woke” being bandied around just because action taken by someone, anyone or any group doesn’t fit one’s narrative.

It’s used far more than the word “racist”.

Perhaps we should all revisit the true meaning of both words!

nanna8

Maremia

For a moment I thought this Thread was going to be about the accusation of gang r@pe by seven men in 2024, in the elite Cornel University in the USA.

So did I. Not quite sure what it actually is about.

And I thought it was referencing the fact that the Israel air co-pilot was educated in a British university. As in, a breeding ground for radicalisation.

I agree Cossy the word woke is being used ad nauseum as are references to left wing influences in academia.
The majority of universities today are run by very conservative Deans/Principals who simply want to attract money and lay off staff. Several universities face closure and those staff still in a job toe the line in order not to be next.
The days of rocking the boat were over years ago.
Is very sad that our universities are in this state and I sincerely wish there were a few left wing people still wielding influence with our universities because then they might stand a better chance of survival.
And this I know because I have a niece who works in a university.

www.theguardian.com/education/2025/nov/25/fifty-higher-education-providers-risk-exiting-market-england-mps-told

A link to back up my post

During what I shall call ‘the great trans debate’ there were indeed very left wing ( I’m a Labour voter so I don’t mean just that btw) very loud voices coming from staff at universities as well as the easily led students calling sensible women terfs and so on and getting rid of those women lecturers where they could and no platforming anyone who held different views to themselves so yes definitely the word woke as well as the word ridiculous fits them.
There was also research done into the fact that Jewish students were getting a very hard time due to the pitchfork mentality of more easily led pro Palestine views of some staff and students.
They still are!
Those at the top in universities would rather end the job of academics than tell the students to stop it, very weak behaviour.
This may or may not be what the OP is driving at, I just assumed it was.

Maremia

For a moment I thought this Thread was going to be about the accusation of gang r@pe by seven men in 2024, in the elite Cornel University in the USA.

I wasn't sure, although I did wonder about that, too.

The details are distressing.
The assault, the lack of protection from others on that chat, the failures to investigate.
Shocking.

Aveline

While students pay hefty fees there's no doubt that some universities are extremely inefficiently run and this is greatly to the detriment of student education and learning. Eg constant strikes leading to papers not being marked, classes online not in person. Yesterday I heard about a university not able to provide promised (and paid for) courses as lecturers' contracts had not been agreed.
How are students supposed to feel about this?

I'v been on both sides of that, as not long after I left working in a university I took another MA, which was already very sparse on lectures and seminars, and around 50% of the first semester was cancelled for strikes.

I was annoyed, as I was paying a lot (no student loans if you have equivalent level qualifications, even in a different subject entirely) but I also recognised that strike action is the only way staff can make management realise that cuts to their working conditions are real and not acceptable. What else can they do? Vice chancellors have very high salaries and lots of perks such as courtesy flats, drivers and so on, yet they find constant excuses to increase workloads and cut salaries of lectures. Junior lecturers spend years on rolling contracts, expected to publish, teach, offer pastoral care and more, and all of that continues for senior lecturers who also have leadership responsibility on top.

I'm not sure about inefficiency, assuming you mean financial inefficiency - strikes often happen when cost-cutting makes life intolerable.

Oreo can you explain how feelings about trans issues put people on the Left or Right of a political spectrum.

I would say that my views are broadly left, but I am very 'gender critical', for instance, and many of my friends fit that profile too.

Doodledog

Oreo can you explain how feelings about trans issues put people on the Left or Right of a political spectrum.

I would say that my views are broadly left, but I am very 'gender critical', for instance, and many of my friends fit that profile too.

I would identify as centre left and feel the same as you Doodledog.

Can you imagine anyone with right wing views having any time for the recent trans activist nonsense?
They aren’t just people with left wing views who took up and ran with the trans movement but a certain type of socialist, am sure that Galaxy could explain better than me.

Identity politics and very left wing.

I can’t speak for Galaxy, but I think I am fairly clear about her view of this, but I’m asking you what you think. To me, being left wing is about wanting a large state and equal distribution of wealth. It has nothing to do with pretending that men can be women, which is why I am interested in why you think the two things are linked.

Our family have been and some still are lecturers and profs at universities over here. Politics were not mentioned in any serious way though we were all aware that there were various different views amongst the staff and students. Most were too busy and preoccupied with course work in their particular subjects and making the courses accurate and useful for students in their lives. I hear that the internal politics are difficult now, the ‘fun’ and ‘joy’ has gone out of teaching and learning which is a shame.