Creator
Sioux McKenna
Sioux McKenna is the director of the Centre for Postgraduate Studies at Rhodes University
International rankings don’t measure what matters
The privilege-protecting systems we use for grading universities are simply poor science
The model of PhD study at South African universities needs to change
My argument is that the doctorate hasn’t changed nearly enough because universities are essentially conservative spaces.
Class and social capital affect university students
People’s experiences of accessing and succeeding in higher education are affected by their social standing
Why developing countries are particularly vulnerable to predatory journals
Academics in the developing world have become a favourite target for these journals, and many seem to be falling into the trap
Fee scheme has to run the gauntlet
The student funding overhaul must be open to public scrutiny – as should the national budget.
The varsity ranking system is broken
It is scientifically unsound and forces institutions to act in ways that go against their best interests.
Postgrad support is essential
A course will equip supervisors with better skills – but they need institutional backup too.
Postgraduate study: Passion or peril?
Kissing your social or after-hours TV life goodbye requires absolute commitment.
Money makes the McUniversity
Academics are worth more than profits and can’t be lumped into corporate ‘staff development’ groups.
Steer clear of consultants’ conventions
Academics are being offered fantastic freebies to attend dubious conferences at luxurious venues.
A question of excellence
We need to scrutinise the ideological baggage of some favourite academic words.
Universities get a bad haircut
The Higher Education Summit in Cape Town in April addressed concerns about the poor performance of the higher education system.