Liesbeth Corens
@onslies.bsky.social
Historian: mobility & recordkeeping of #earlymodern Catholic minorities. Book: confessional mobility and English Catholics in Early Modern Europe. Also grumpy about the state of UK Higher Education so likely to talk about how it is being failed...(She/Her)
Pinned
Liesbeth Corens
@onslies.bsky.social
· Nov 10
About me: I'm really interested in how (Catholic) minorities persevere.
Confessional Mobility: oxford.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.1093...
Archives & Information: britishacademy.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.5871...
Social History: academic.oup.com/past/issue/2...
Confessional Mobility: oxford.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.1093...
Archives & Information: britishacademy.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.5871...
Social History: academic.oup.com/past/issue/2...
I've been worried for years that UK Higher Education is on the path of Australia (not the US), just a year or two behind. But if we could get a committee like this to outline the harm caused by centralisation, reliance on external consultants, and consequent failures of prioritisation I'm all in.
'All states and territories in Australia should review the legislation underpinning universities “to ensure the primacy of public research and education”, a Senate committee has said.'
Very relevant to UK. 1/3
Very relevant to UK. 1/3
Australian universities ‘must put research and education first’.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-aust...
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-aust...
December 15, 2025 at 4:34 PM
I've been worried for years that UK Higher Education is on the path of Australia (not the US), just a year or two behind. But if we could get a committee like this to outline the harm caused by centralisation, reliance on external consultants, and consequent failures of prioritisation I'm all in.
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
please note p4 note 4 where two specific Colleges within the uni are called out for poor mangement and p5 where possible further breaches are mentioned and there is a threat of further inspections.
December 14, 2025 at 12:45 PM
please note p4 note 4 where two specific Colleges within the uni are called out for poor mangement and p5 where possible further breaches are mentioned and there is a threat of further inspections.
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
HEEEEEEEY guess whose employer has had official notice of contravention from the Health & Safety Executive for systematically failing to monitor and manage work place stress??? Happy xmas all!
drive.google.com/file/d/1L1sl...
drive.google.com/file/d/1L1sl...
Notification of Contravention letter- University of Birmingham - Final Draft 11.12.25.pdf
drive.google.com
December 14, 2025 at 12:41 PM
HEEEEEEEY guess whose employer has had official notice of contravention from the Health & Safety Executive for systematically failing to monitor and manage work place stress??? Happy xmas all!
drive.google.com/file/d/1L1sl...
drive.google.com/file/d/1L1sl...
‼️‼️
HEEEEEEEY guess whose employer has had official notice of contravention from the Health & Safety Executive for systematically failing to monitor and manage work place stress??? Happy xmas all!
drive.google.com/file/d/1L1sl...
drive.google.com/file/d/1L1sl...
Notification of Contravention letter- University of Birmingham - Final Draft 11.12.25.pdf
drive.google.com
December 14, 2025 at 12:46 PM
‼️‼️
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
This is the #poem I read at end of my resignation - it will be in the follow up collection to Ice Cream for a Broken Tooth , most likely called Let The Quiet Ones Rise
flapjackpress.co.uk/shop/ice-cre...
flapjackpress.co.uk/shop/ice-cre...
December 14, 2025 at 11:58 AM
This is the #poem I read at end of my resignation - it will be in the follow up collection to Ice Cream for a Broken Tooth , most likely called Let The Quiet Ones Rise
flapjackpress.co.uk/shop/ice-cre...
flapjackpress.co.uk/shop/ice-cre...
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
Very sad that I felt I had no choice but to resign from The Infinite Monkey Cage - a victory for the transphobes and other bigots - I did it because so much of the media has chosen to believe the kind and empathetic people are a fiction - they are real and so often unrepresented.
December 13, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Very sad that I felt I had no choice but to resign from The Infinite Monkey Cage - a victory for the transphobes and other bigots - I did it because so much of the media has chosen to believe the kind and empathetic people are a fiction - they are real and so often unrepresented.
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
One argument I used to make to my students about why it was important to learn history (and historical thinking) is that someone was always going to be trying to tell you things were natural or had always been this way and that you needed to be able to see that as an exercise of power.
December 7, 2025 at 10:09 PM
One argument I used to make to my students about why it was important to learn history (and historical thinking) is that someone was always going to be trying to tell you things were natural or had always been this way and that you needed to be able to see that as an exercise of power.
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
This @universityofessex.bsky.social, by the way: www.ft.com/content/2cdd....
The university that had been established to transform the region & society, swiftly dropping the programmes for widening participation the moment finances are tight. They were in the middle in 2024, what happened?
The university that had been established to transform the region & society, swiftly dropping the programmes for widening participation the moment finances are tight. They were in the middle in 2024, what happened?
December 9, 2025 at 3:29 PM
This @universityofessex.bsky.social, by the way: www.ft.com/content/2cdd....
The university that had been established to transform the region & society, swiftly dropping the programmes for widening participation the moment finances are tight. They were in the middle in 2024, what happened?
The university that had been established to transform the region & society, swiftly dropping the programmes for widening participation the moment finances are tight. They were in the middle in 2024, what happened?
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
Thinking about Tressie McMillan Cottom’s ”education gospel” and how the survival of higher education depends on our faith in it. Years of portraying universities as broken and treacherous and then crushing students with debt has fray the faith.
(Though the US and UK have key differences too)
(Though the US and UK have key differences too)
When will this crisis get any attention whatsoever!? A THOUSAND ACADEMIC STAFF AT ONE INSTITUTION SERVED REDUNDANCY RISK NOTICES! And that's not counting what's surely being visited on professional services staff too. This is an economic catastrophe, to say nothing of the intellectual catastrophe!
Ongoing decimation of British universities part 252:
Apx. 1000 academic staff at University of Essex just received formal ‘risk of redundancy’ letters via email.
Please share @ucuessex.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk
Apx. 1000 academic staff at University of Essex just received formal ‘risk of redundancy’ letters via email.
Please share @ucuessex.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk
December 11, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Thinking about Tressie McMillan Cottom’s ”education gospel” and how the survival of higher education depends on our faith in it. Years of portraying universities as broken and treacherous and then crushing students with debt has fray the faith.
(Though the US and UK have key differences too)
(Though the US and UK have key differences too)
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
Ongoing decimation of British universities part 252:
Apx. 1000 academic staff at University of Essex just received formal ‘risk of redundancy’ letters via email.
Please share @ucuessex.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk
Apx. 1000 academic staff at University of Essex just received formal ‘risk of redundancy’ letters via email.
Please share @ucuessex.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk
December 11, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Ongoing decimation of British universities part 252:
Apx. 1000 academic staff at University of Essex just received formal ‘risk of redundancy’ letters via email.
Please share @ucuessex.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk
Apx. 1000 academic staff at University of Essex just received formal ‘risk of redundancy’ letters via email.
Please share @ucuessex.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
Absolutely infuriating. One of the most important research institutions of the world and its employees aren’t afforded the bare minimum, despite doing extraordinary work in awful conditions since the 2023 cyberattack.
British Library staff asked for a decent pay. Instead they got ‘a few money-saving present ideas’, such as ‘consider not giving presents this holiday season’. They are on strike this week. I wrote about it for @lrb.co.uk. www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/de...
Anna Aslanyan | On the Picket Line
On Monday morning, more than a hundred people formed a picket line outside one of the entrances to the British Library...
www.lrb.co.uk
December 14, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Absolutely infuriating. One of the most important research institutions of the world and its employees aren’t afforded the bare minimum, despite doing extraordinary work in awful conditions since the 2023 cyberattack.
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
‘A sound archivist told me he and his colleagues could earn more in the private sector but they work here for less pay because “we believe in what we do.”’
Anna Aslanyan on the picket line at the British Library, from the blog.
www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/de...
Anna Aslanyan on the picket line at the British Library, from the blog.
www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/de...
Anna Aslanyan | On the Picket Line
On Monday morning, more than a hundred people formed a picket line outside one of the entrances to the British Library...
www.lrb.co.uk
December 11, 2025 at 12:10 PM
‘A sound archivist told me he and his colleagues could earn more in the private sector but they work here for less pay because “we believe in what we do.”’
Anna Aslanyan on the picket line at the British Library, from the blog.
www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/de...
Anna Aslanyan on the picket line at the British Library, from the blog.
www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/de...
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
One of the reasons that emergence of ‘cold spots’ of subject provision matters: 52% of 18 year olds from the most disadvantaged backgrounds (the most deprived quintile in the Indices of Multiple Deprivation) plan to live at home when they go the university
www.thetimes.com/article/22cc...
www.thetimes.com/article/22cc...
Nearly a third of university 18-year-olds will live at home
According to figures from Ucas, a record 89,510 18-year-olds with university offers plan to live at home when they begin their studies this autumn
www.thetimes.com
December 10, 2025 at 9:23 PM
One of the reasons that emergence of ‘cold spots’ of subject provision matters: 52% of 18 year olds from the most disadvantaged backgrounds (the most deprived quintile in the Indices of Multiple Deprivation) plan to live at home when they go the university
www.thetimes.com/article/22cc...
www.thetimes.com/article/22cc...
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
Hey @ucu.org.uk, can we please have a national strategy on how to deal with these chancers? Because they're finding very gullible victims in our managers all over #UKHE, and their short-term money grabbing is causing long-term structural harm.
The consultancy Nous takes hundreds of thousands of pounds from universities, leaves the exact same path of destruction everywhere, and keeps trying to avoid transparent contracts.
We’re urgently need control over consultancy spent in #UKHE, @bphillipsonmp.bsky.social
We’re urgently need control over consultancy spent in #UKHE, @bphillipsonmp.bsky.social
‘Nousferatu’: the notorious consultancy advising Edinburgh uni amid 'huge' cuts
Scotland’s largest university has turned to Nous Group at the same time as it is making savings that could lead to nearly 2,000 job losses. Staff say they were misled about the extent of its work.
www.theferret.scot
November 30, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Hey @ucu.org.uk, can we please have a national strategy on how to deal with these chancers? Because they're finding very gullible victims in our managers all over #UKHE, and their short-term money grabbing is causing long-term structural harm.
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
'Coventry is a great example' should have set off all the alarm bells.
Nous grab data, give the same generic powerpoint, know that cutting programmes doesn't reduce cost but do it anyway because it looks like 'tough decisions', & staff can't challenge because we're not given access to the data.
Nous grab data, give the same generic powerpoint, know that cutting programmes doesn't reduce cost but do it anyway because it looks like 'tough decisions', & staff can't challenge because we're not given access to the data.
November 30, 2025 at 12:15 PM
'Coventry is a great example' should have set off all the alarm bells.
Nous grab data, give the same generic powerpoint, know that cutting programmes doesn't reduce cost but do it anyway because it looks like 'tough decisions', & staff can't challenge because we're not given access to the data.
Nous grab data, give the same generic powerpoint, know that cutting programmes doesn't reduce cost but do it anyway because it looks like 'tough decisions', & staff can't challenge because we're not given access to the data.
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
Bookish Holiday Fun and Games For... YOU!
Now in its sixth year, for this #NewberryLibrary Advent Calendar, we'll play around with the collection! Cards, Board Games, Puzzles, Gambling...
What's up first?
CHESS!
December 1 (1/24)
Here's last year's extra-shiny offering:
bsky.app/profile/drka...
Now in its sixth year, for this #NewberryLibrary Advent Calendar, we'll play around with the collection! Cards, Board Games, Puzzles, Gambling...
What's up first?
CHESS!
December 1 (1/24)
Here's last year's extra-shiny offering:
bsky.app/profile/drka...
December 1, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Bookish Holiday Fun and Games For... YOU!
Now in its sixth year, for this #NewberryLibrary Advent Calendar, we'll play around with the collection! Cards, Board Games, Puzzles, Gambling...
What's up first?
CHESS!
December 1 (1/24)
Here's last year's extra-shiny offering:
bsky.app/profile/drka...
Now in its sixth year, for this #NewberryLibrary Advent Calendar, we'll play around with the collection! Cards, Board Games, Puzzles, Gambling...
What's up first?
CHESS!
December 1 (1/24)
Here's last year's extra-shiny offering:
bsky.app/profile/drka...
Also, miss me with your 'not realistic' language, as this crop of managers has been the ones who handed absolutely absurd projections of student growth (and thus projected fee income) to the Office for Students, and then used that to take out equally absurd loans.
But supposedly the realistic ones are those consultants that swoop in smash everything, grab their ludicrous fee & run before we can see the consequences of their reduction of what is a complex ecosystem to a silly table of Stuff To Cut.
They're the ones with the easy story & the gullible audience
They're the ones with the easy story & the gullible audience
December 9, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Also, miss me with your 'not realistic' language, as this crop of managers has been the ones who handed absolutely absurd projections of student growth (and thus projected fee income) to the Office for Students, and then used that to take out equally absurd loans.
We've asked that here -- "what is an example of Nous *improving matters*" -- and no answer. Because the structures are so set up that nobody ever sees the Nous guys, and all the meetings are so stage managed that some can speak to managers, and then need to feed down without further knowledge.
If it has EVER WORKED, someone would give the faculty who ask these questions in every single damn meeting right before the next knife goes in an example of a school this saved. Instead, the consultant/administrative/business class insists it does with no examples of how or where and when.
December 9, 2025 at 5:02 PM
We've asked that here -- "what is an example of Nous *improving matters*" -- and no answer. Because the structures are so set up that nobody ever sees the Nous guys, and all the meetings are so stage managed that some can speak to managers, and then need to feed down without further knowledge.
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
If it has EVER WORKED, someone would give the faculty who ask these questions in every single damn meeting right before the next knife goes in an example of a school this saved. Instead, the consultant/administrative/business class insists it does with no examples of how or where and when.
December 9, 2025 at 4:56 PM
If it has EVER WORKED, someone would give the faculty who ask these questions in every single damn meeting right before the next knife goes in an example of a school this saved. Instead, the consultant/administrative/business class insists it does with no examples of how or where and when.
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
IT NEVER WORKS. NEVER. EVER. NEVER WORKS. IT HAS NEVER WORKED. AUSTERITY LEADS TO ENROLLMENT COLLAPSE LEAVES TO UNIVERSITY CLOSURE. EVERY TIME. ALWAYS.
December 9, 2025 at 4:55 PM
IT NEVER WORKS. NEVER. EVER. NEVER WORKS. IT HAS NEVER WORKED. AUSTERITY LEADS TO ENROLLMENT COLLAPSE LEAVES TO UNIVERSITY CLOSURE. EVERY TIME. ALWAYS.
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
Expensive silence though, as that Freedom of Information request last Autumn showed: uk-highereducation.neocities.org
December 9, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Expensive silence though, as that Freedom of Information request last Autumn showed: uk-highereducation.neocities.org
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
Charmed by a university's social media actually amplifying the contribution of one of theirs to this (excellent!) piece. Here people have been told off for talking to the FT...
Assistant professor Joshua Brown comments on UK universities’ growing reliance on unregulated agencies—now responsible for two-thirds of overseas student recruitment.
Read more: https://www.ft.com/content/3f496166-4292-46af-b690-114a4d2b3fd0
Read more: https://www.ft.com/content/3f496166-4292-46af-b690-114a4d2b3fd0
The shadow economy behind the international student boom
A lucrative revenue stream for universities has led to an industry of unregulated agents now under scrutiny for making lofty promises
www.ft.com
December 9, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Charmed by a university's social media actually amplifying the contribution of one of theirs to this (excellent!) piece. Here people have been told off for talking to the FT...
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
Funny that. Funny that. Because, guess what, the FIRST thing the Principal did when he came in in 2017 was to drastically shrink student bursaries. Our students had to occupy the octagon for weeks on end to get him to reason -- excellent webpage still up.
Almost as if he'll take any excuse?
Almost as if he'll take any excuse?
December 9, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Funny that. Funny that. Because, guess what, the FIRST thing the Principal did when he came in in 2017 was to drastically shrink student bursaries. Our students had to occupy the octagon for weeks on end to get him to reason -- excellent webpage still up.
Almost as if he'll take any excuse?
Almost as if he'll take any excuse?
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
'It’s not the role of the Commons Library to make policy recommendations – it provides background information to inform parliamentary debates and committee hearings. But it is difficult to imagine that anyone could read this document and conclude that students are adequately supported.' (DK) 2/2
The value of student maintenance support
How have student maintenance support levels changed over time? What support are students eligible for this and next academic year, is it enough and how much are their parents meant to contribute?
commonslibrary.parliament.uk
December 9, 2025 at 4:54 PM
'It’s not the role of the Commons Library to make policy recommendations – it provides background information to inform parliamentary debates and committee hearings. But it is difficult to imagine that anyone could read this document and conclude that students are adequately supported.' (DK) 2/2
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
MOVABLE TOYS!
This pair of 18th c. religious prints are literally interchangable. Nice to see a 1626 Rubens painting of the Assumption of the Virgin) in the mix! #NewberryLibrary (Case folio NE958.3.F7 M68 1700z)
i-share-nby.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01...
December 5 (5/24)
#AdventCalendar
This pair of 18th c. religious prints are literally interchangable. Nice to see a 1626 Rubens painting of the Assumption of the Virgin) in the mix! #NewberryLibrary (Case folio NE958.3.F7 M68 1700z)
i-share-nby.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01...
December 5 (5/24)
#AdventCalendar
December 5, 2025 at 3:35 PM
MOVABLE TOYS!
This pair of 18th c. religious prints are literally interchangable. Nice to see a 1626 Rubens painting of the Assumption of the Virgin) in the mix! #NewberryLibrary (Case folio NE958.3.F7 M68 1700z)
i-share-nby.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01...
December 5 (5/24)
#AdventCalendar
This pair of 18th c. religious prints are literally interchangable. Nice to see a 1626 Rubens painting of the Assumption of the Virgin) in the mix! #NewberryLibrary (Case folio NE958.3.F7 M68 1700z)
i-share-nby.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01...
December 5 (5/24)
#AdventCalendar