Prof Debby Cotton
@profdcotton.bsky.social
Dean of Research and Knowledge Exchange at Plymouth Marjon University, UK. Interested in all things HE. Sustainability education and behaviour change researcher. Accidental AI expert. NTF.
Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton
🚨BREAKING: Steve Bannon said Tuesday that the federal government is planning to send Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to patrol polling stations during this year’s midterm elections. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
Steve Bannon says ICE will ‘surround the polls’ as Trump doubles down on taking over elections
Trump doubled down on his comments to nationalize voting Tuesday during an Oval Office press conference. “If you think about it, a state is an agent for the federal government in elections,” Trump sai...
www.democracydocket.com
February 4, 2026 at 5:33 PM
🚨BREAKING: Steve Bannon said Tuesday that the federal government is planning to send Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to patrol polling stations during this year’s midterm elections. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton
Mergers and closures:
UK universities, 2026
UK universities, 2026
February 4, 2026 at 9:15 AM
Mergers and closures:
UK universities, 2026
UK universities, 2026
Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton
Excellent article but stark reminder that for all the perceptions of universities as ivory towers for elites, they are actually vital hubs in towns n cities supporting local businesses and providing key services as well as education….
‘If I think about what this means, I want to cry’: what happens when a city loses its university?
When Essex University’s Southend campus opened, it was a message of hope for a ‘left behind’ UK seaside town. Its closure will be felt far beyond its 800 students, some of whom will not get their degr...
www.theguardian.com
February 4, 2026 at 8:12 AM
Excellent article but stark reminder that for all the perceptions of universities as ivory towers for elites, they are actually vital hubs in towns n cities supporting local businesses and providing key services as well as education….
Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton
"I'd love to play their calls to Rachel Reeves."
Do callers Elliot and Kieran illustrate the implicit unfairness of the student loan system? @benkentish.bsky.social thinks so.
Do callers Elliot and Kieran illustrate the implicit unfairness of the student loan system? @benkentish.bsky.social thinks so.
January 29, 2026 at 5:26 PM
"I'd love to play their calls to Rachel Reeves."
Do callers Elliot and Kieran illustrate the implicit unfairness of the student loan system? @benkentish.bsky.social thinks so.
Do callers Elliot and Kieran illustrate the implicit unfairness of the student loan system? @benkentish.bsky.social thinks so.
Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton
My experience is that this model results in old, white men getting all the research time while young women and scholars of colour end up being pushed into the teaching-heavy roles.
January 30, 2026 at 5:14 PM
My experience is that this model results in old, white men getting all the research time while young women and scholars of colour end up being pushed into the teaching-heavy roles.
Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton
'We likely require fewer academics with research in their remit, but those that do need greater time allocated, and must be subject to a strategic research management regime'.
I remain very sceptical/negative about the medium- and long-turn impacts of separating research and teaching. 1/2
I remain very sceptical/negative about the medium- and long-turn impacts of separating research and teaching. 1/2
For Everything to Stay the Same, Everything Must Change
... a riposte to academic nostalgia
profserious.substack.com
January 30, 2026 at 5:11 PM
'We likely require fewer academics with research in their remit, but those that do need greater time allocated, and must be subject to a strategic research management regime'.
I remain very sceptical/negative about the medium- and long-turn impacts of separating research and teaching. 1/2
I remain very sceptical/negative about the medium- and long-turn impacts of separating research and teaching. 1/2
Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton
Education is a public good.
The cost should be met from general, progressive taxation, not dumped on the shoulders of these and future generations
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
The cost should be met from general, progressive taxation, not dumped on the shoulders of these and future generations
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
‘I work as a doctor in the NHS – I’ll never be able to pay back my student loan’
Taking out a student loan was once seen as an investment in your future. But as graduates face soaring rates of inflation, they say the loans are leaving them ‘locked’ into debt
www.independent.co.uk
February 1, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Education is a public good.
The cost should be met from general, progressive taxation, not dumped on the shoulders of these and future generations
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
The cost should be met from general, progressive taxation, not dumped on the shoulders of these and future generations
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
What does sustainability education look like when economic survival, inequality, and decolonisation shape the classroom? New paper on ESD in South African business & economics education.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Sustainability in business and economics education in South African universities: Whose agenda is it?
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has become increasingly significant in business and economics disciplines due to their focus on production…
www.sciencedirect.com
February 2, 2026 at 9:21 AM
What does sustainability education look like when economic survival, inequality, and decolonisation shape the classroom? New paper on ESD in South African business & economics education.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton
At last, the issue of student loans is properly hitting national politics.
Momentum is building among backbench Labour MPs to force action on student loans
Options include 0% interest rates, raising repayment thresholds and monthly payments so students aren't forced into overdrafts
MPs said to be "spooked" by possible Reform policy offer
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
Options include 0% interest rates, raising repayment thresholds and monthly payments so students aren't forced into overdrafts
MPs said to be "spooked" by possible Reform policy offer
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
Young Labour MPs team up to force chancellor’s hand on st...
Backbenchers hope to overturn chancellor’s change to scheme that could burden graduates with above-inflation interest rate increases
observer.co.uk
February 1, 2026 at 7:51 AM
At last, the issue of student loans is properly hitting national politics.
Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton
In so many ways - student loans that take 9% of your marginal income without ever being paid off, higher rate tax threshold freezes, mortgage and housing costs - we have seen the return of the "squeezed middle".
A huge political opportunity/risk.
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
A huge political opportunity/risk.
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
Young Labour MPs team up to force chancellor’s hand on st...
Backbenchers hope to overturn chancellor’s change to scheme that could burden graduates with above-inflation interest rate increases
observer.co.uk
February 1, 2026 at 8:28 AM
In so many ways - student loans that take 9% of your marginal income without ever being paid off, higher rate tax threshold freezes, mortgage and housing costs - we have seen the return of the "squeezed middle".
A huge political opportunity/risk.
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
A huge political opportunity/risk.
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton
Completely unsustainable and makes Rachel Reeves’s comments earlier this week even more objectionable.
This is absolutely shocking. Something has to be done about this appalling situation in which so many now find themselves. The government needs to act
February 1, 2026 at 8:38 AM
Completely unsustainable and makes Rachel Reeves’s comments earlier this week even more objectionable.
Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton
Happy February!
Welcome to most underrated and fastest improving month. You start in the depths of winter and end waking up in the light to the sound of birds singing, to the sight of snowdrops, daffodils and early blossom in the trees
#BigFebruary
Welcome to most underrated and fastest improving month. You start in the depths of winter and end waking up in the light to the sound of birds singing, to the sight of snowdrops, daffodils and early blossom in the trees
#BigFebruary
February 1, 2026 at 8:18 AM
Happy February!
Welcome to most underrated and fastest improving month. You start in the depths of winter and end waking up in the light to the sound of birds singing, to the sight of snowdrops, daffodils and early blossom in the trees
#BigFebruary
Welcome to most underrated and fastest improving month. You start in the depths of winter and end waking up in the light to the sound of birds singing, to the sight of snowdrops, daffodils and early blossom in the trees
#BigFebruary
Will it ever stop raining? # WelcomeToDevon
January 29, 2026 at 10:04 PM
Will it ever stop raining? # WelcomeToDevon
Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton
Amongst other things, this is deeply disingenuous wording. The letter states (as positive framing?) that "curiosity-driven research will be the largest component of UKRI's portfolio over the SR period"
Yet the majority of that bucket (61%) is QR funding. This is really conflating two very 1/2
Yet the majority of that bucket (61%) is QR funding. This is really conflating two very 1/2
In UK astro news, the Executive Chair of our funding council #STFC, Prof Michele Dougherty, has written to the community. TL;DR: skint. Bad times ahead for UK astro, particle physics, facilities etc 🧪🔭
January 28, 2026 at 9:35 PM
Amongst other things, this is deeply disingenuous wording. The letter states (as positive framing?) that "curiosity-driven research will be the largest component of UKRI's portfolio over the SR period"
Yet the majority of that bucket (61%) is QR funding. This is really conflating two very 1/2
Yet the majority of that bucket (61%) is QR funding. This is really conflating two very 1/2
Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton
Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton
I show this sign to people I manage at work. It's just as applicable to humans and their bodies as it is to anything else.
January 28, 2026 at 3:07 PM
I show this sign to people I manage at work. It's just as applicable to humans and their bodies as it is to anything else.
Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton
Your reminder:
£20 billion is the cost of cancelling all student loans
£10 billion is the annual cost of abolishing tuition fees
£90 billion is the lost tax revenue because of Brexit
£20 billion is the cost of cancelling all student loans
£10 billion is the annual cost of abolishing tuition fees
£90 billion is the lost tax revenue because of Brexit
January 29, 2026 at 9:02 AM
Your reminder:
£20 billion is the cost of cancelling all student loans
£10 billion is the annual cost of abolishing tuition fees
£90 billion is the lost tax revenue because of Brexit
£20 billion is the cost of cancelling all student loans
£10 billion is the annual cost of abolishing tuition fees
£90 billion is the lost tax revenue because of Brexit
Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton
It’s time to abolish tuition fees and cancel student debt.
Education is a public good, not a commodity.
Education is a public good, not a commodity.
January 29, 2026 at 6:40 PM
It’s time to abolish tuition fees and cancel student debt.
Education is a public good, not a commodity.
Education is a public good, not a commodity.
Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton
In that case: Can all the people across society who didn’t go to university give all the benefits of university research and local economic activity back please.
January 29, 2026 at 6:54 PM
In that case: Can all the people across society who didn’t go to university give all the benefits of university research and local economic activity back please.
Finding a lot of the news very stressful at the moment. If you’re like me, please accept this quick reminder to breathe… Here’s a cute photo of a cat to help you.
January 28, 2026 at 9:41 PM
Finding a lot of the news very stressful at the moment. If you’re like me, please accept this quick reminder to breathe… Here’s a cute photo of a cat to help you.
Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton
Get serious about Socials in 2026
I'm running a free online session to guide you through the world of TikTok.
Discover how researchers are using videos to increase their reach profile & impact. Organised by CDICE. Open to UK university research staff & PhD students www.cdice.ac.uk/events/tiktok/
I'm running a free online session to guide you through the world of TikTok.
Discover how researchers are using videos to increase their reach profile & impact. Organised by CDICE. Open to UK university research staff & PhD students www.cdice.ac.uk/events/tiktok/
January 27, 2026 at 10:12 AM
Get serious about Socials in 2026
I'm running a free online session to guide you through the world of TikTok.
Discover how researchers are using videos to increase their reach profile & impact. Organised by CDICE. Open to UK university research staff & PhD students www.cdice.ac.uk/events/tiktok/
I'm running a free online session to guide you through the world of TikTok.
Discover how researchers are using videos to increase their reach profile & impact. Organised by CDICE. Open to UK university research staff & PhD students www.cdice.ac.uk/events/tiktok/
Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton
Universities of Sheffield, Lancaster and Surrey latest to opt out of new Elsevier deal
https://www.europesays.com/uk/725355/
Three more UK universities have confirmed they are not taking subscriptions to Elsevier journals, with one Russell Group…#uk #news #uknews
https://www.europesays.com/uk/725355/
Three more UK universities have confirmed they are not taking subscriptions to Elsevier journals, with one Russell Group…#uk #news #uknews
Universities of Sheffield, Lancaster and Surrey latest to opt out of new Elsevier deal - United Kingdom
Three more UK universities have confirmed they are not taking subscriptions to Elsevier journals, with one Russell Group institution hitting out at the
www.europesays.com
January 28, 2026 at 2:00 AM
Universities of Sheffield, Lancaster and Surrey latest to opt out of new Elsevier deal
https://www.europesays.com/uk/725355/
Three more UK universities have confirmed they are not taking subscriptions to Elsevier journals, with one Russell Group…#uk #news #uknews
https://www.europesays.com/uk/725355/
Three more UK universities have confirmed they are not taking subscriptions to Elsevier journals, with one Russell Group…#uk #news #uknews
Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton
British Library placements for doctoral students at UK universities: www.bl.uk/services/res...
Good opportunity to spend focused months at the BL. One of these is 'Describing the British Library’s Illustrated and Illuminated Incunabula'!
Deadline's 27 February.
Good opportunity to spend focused months at the BL. One of these is 'Describing the British Library’s Illustrated and Illuminated Incunabula'!
Deadline's 27 February.
PhD placement scheme
Our annual placement scheme offers doctoral researchers from all disciplines the chance to develop and apply skills and expertise outside the university sector.
www.bl.uk
January 28, 2026 at 2:24 PM
British Library placements for doctoral students at UK universities: www.bl.uk/services/res...
Good opportunity to spend focused months at the BL. One of these is 'Describing the British Library’s Illustrated and Illuminated Incunabula'!
Deadline's 27 February.
Good opportunity to spend focused months at the BL. One of these is 'Describing the British Library’s Illustrated and Illuminated Incunabula'!
Deadline's 27 February.
Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton
BILLY BRAGG - CITY OF HEROES
YouTube video by Billy Bragg
www.youtube.com
January 26, 2026 at 10:42 PM