Tough financial times

The pressure on university finances hits the mainstream media

For many universities, today will mark the first day in earnest of the new academic year. While some institutions will open their doors in the coming weeks, others will be preparing to begin the imminent registration of hundreds and thousands of new students, and the mass return of thousands more.

It comes off the back of what has been a sombre weekend for many. And, as new Universities UK chief executive Vivienne Stern wrote for our Sunday Reading column at the weekend, yesterday’s state funeral concluded what has been an eventful few weeks in British public affairs. We have “a new king, a new prime minister, new secretaries of state, new ministers, new advisers and the expectation of an emergency budget that will attempt to soften the impact of a severe economic crisis”.