By Sarah Butler.Half of universities and two-thirds of further education colleges use zero-hours contracts, freedom of information requests reveal. Universities and colleges are more than twice as likely to employ staff on controversial zero-hours contracts as other workplaces, freedom of information requests have found. More than half of the 145 UK universities and nearly two-thirds of the 275 further education colleges that responded to the requests said they used the contracts, which do not specify working hours and often give limited guarantees on conditions. The FoI requests were made by the University and College Union (UCU). Among businesses in the wider economy, according to recent research from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, just over a quarter (27%) of companies use zero-hours contracts. More...

We are pleased to announce that the 25th edition of the International Handbook of Universities (2014) has just been released.
This latest edition of the Handbook includes information on over 18,000 university-level institutions as well as information on the education systems of over 180 countries.
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With each purchase come a single-user access to the World Higher Education Database Online which is valid for one year after the publication date.
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HEFCE’s Accounts Direction to higher education institutions for 2013-14 financial statements
1. I am writing to inform you of HEFCE’s Accounts Direction to higher education institutions (HEIs) on preparing financial statements for 2013-14.
2. HEFCE’s direction is as follows.
Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting for Further and Higher Education
3. HEIs are required to follow the ‘Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting for Further and Higher Education’ (SORP), or any successor to the SORP, in the preparation of their financial statements. The latest version of the SORP (2007) is available from the Universities UK web-site.
4. In the case of an HEI that is also a company limited by guarantee, this direction is subject to the requirements of the Companies Act.
5. The financial statements shall be signed by the accountable officer and by the chair of the governing body or one other member appointed by that body.
Corporate governance and internal control
6. The voluntary Governance Code of Practice contained in the Committee of University Chairs’ ‘Guide for Members of Higher Education Governing Bodies in the UK’ (HEFCE 2009/14) recommends that HEIs report in the corporate governance statement of their annual audited financial statements that they have had regard to the code, and that where an HEI’s practices are not consistent with particular provisions of the code an explanation should be published in that statement.
7. Adopting the Committee of University Chairs’ Governance Code of Practice, with the principles of the code adapted as appropriate to each HEI’s character, is an important factor in enabling HEFCE to rely on self-regulation within HEIs and hence minimise the accountability burden.
8. HEIs are required to maintain a sound system of internal control and to ensure that the following key principles of effective risk management have been applied. Effective risk management:

• covers all risks – including those of governance, management, quality, reputation and finance – but focuses on the most important risks
• produces a balanced portfolio of risk exposure
• is based on a clearly articulated policy and approach
• requires regular monitoring and review, giving rise to action where appropriate
• needs to be managed by an identified individual and involve the demonstrable commitment of governors, academics and officers
• is integrated into normal business processes and aligned to the strategic objectives of the organisation.

9. HEIs are required to review at least annually the effectiveness of their system of internal control.
10. HEIs are required to include in their annual financial statements a statement on internal control (corporate governance). In formulating their statements, HEIs should refer to best practice guidance, including guidance from the British Universities Finance Directors Group. As a minimum these disclosures should include an account of how the following broad principles of corporate governance have been applied.

1. Identifying and managing risk should be an ongoing process linked to achieving of institutional objectives.
2. The approach to internal control should be risk-based, including an evaluation of the likelihood and impact of risks becoming a reality.
3. Review procedures must cover business, operational and compliance as well as financial risk.
4. Risk assessment and internal control should be embedded in ongoing operations.
5. The governing body or relevant committee should receive regular reports during the year on internal control and risk.
6. The principal results of risk identification, risk evaluation and the management review of their effectiveness should be reported to, and reviewed by, the governing body.
7. The governing body should acknowledge that it is responsible for ensuring that a sound system of control is maintained, and that it has reviewed the effectiveness of the above process.
8. Where appropriate, details of actions taken or proposed to deal with significant internal control issues should be set out (see Annex C).

11. HEIs are required to make a statement on corporate governance covering the period 1 August 2013 to 31 July 2014 and up to the date of approval of the audited financial statements.
Date of submission to HEFCE of audited financial statements
12. The latest date for submission of HEIs’ 2013-14 audited financial statements is 1 December 2014. Earlier submission is very welcome. Read more...

To:
Heads of HEFCE-funded further education colleges, Heads of HEFCE-funded higher education institutions, Heads of universities in Northern Ireland
Of interest to those responsible for:
Senior Management, Admissions, Planning, Finance
This document details the outcomes of a consultation on student number controls run by HEFCE from 3 May 2013 to 28 June 2013. It identifies the key points made by respondents (in their formal responses and at our consultation events) and our responses to these points, including where we have made changes to the proposals outlined in the consultation.
Show/hide contents and executive summary
Download:
Main report
Download the Student number controls: Outcomes of consultation as PDF (222 KB) | Download the Student number controls: Outcomes of consultation as MS Word (406 KB)
Annex A: Analysis of responses to consultation
Download the Annex A as PDF (468 KB) | Download the Annex A as MS Word (269 KB)
Print-friendly version with annex
Download the Print-friendly version as PDF (572 KB)
Exemptions list

By Julia Carneiro. Twenty-four-year-old Antonio Oliveira was born into a poor, mixed race family in the state of Maranhao in north-east Brazil. As a teenager he had to balance his time between school and helping his parents harvest vegetables to sell at a farmer's market, and doing other small jobs to scrape by. Until recently, he says the only prospects for those growing up in his city, Colinas, were to work with crops or to get a post at the city hall - "a mediocre job that people think is heaven," as he puts it.
But Antonio has just finished his first term studying Economic Sciences at Rio de Janeiro's prestigious Federal University (UFRJ), a dream he had nurtured since his days at a rural public school. His placement represents a radical change in the Brazilian university system. More...