News and Investigations

The investigations team spend anywhere between two weeks and six months researching, interviewing, and writing the very best investigations into life at UCL. The section has covered everything from the recent UCL decision to leave Stonewall to sexual harassment and commercialisation.

If you have something you believe is worth investigating or want to get a story published, contact us via email at investigations@cheesegratermagazine.org or via the anonymous submissions form. 
Down Your Union: New Sabbs in Focus

Down Your Union: New Sabbs in Focus

By way of introducing readers to the new sabbatical leadership at the Students’ Union, The Cheese Grater has taken the great risk...
Kiss goodbye to the Main Quad until 2026, says UCL

Kiss goodbye to the Main Quad until 2026, says UCL

In a blog post titled ‘Improving experience and accessibility for our campus’ central spaces’, the University has announced its p...
No free speech for UCL’s outsourced workforce

No free speech for UCL’s outsourced workforce

Despite his repeated claims that the ‘right to protest, debate, and challenging ideas is fundamental to our role as a university’...
Access denied: UCL fails disabled student on graduation day

Access denied: UCL fails disabled student on graduation day

At the Faculty of Arts and Humanities graduation on Tuesday (3 September), one student was forced to receive their degree certifi...
KCL and SOAS sack new sabbs over support for Palestine

KCL and SOAS sack new sabbs over support for Palestine

In the past week, three newly elected sabbatical officers across two University of London institutions have been barred from taki...
Did you know you have rights? The Tenant Fees Act 2019 says you do!

Did you know you have rights? The Tenant Fees Act 2019 says you do!

Malvika Murkumbi, Investigations EditorRenting in London is a battlefield. Every flat is at least two of the following: r...
UCL set to evict Pro-Palestine encampment

UCL set to evict Pro-Palestine encampment

The President and Provost Michael Spence sent another blast email to every UCL student earlier today (15 July) to let us know that...
Cheese Grater Journalist Makes Sabb Cry In Meeting

Cheese Grater Journalist Makes Sabb Cry In Meeting

Nick MiaoActivities and Engagement Officer Aria Shi, right, pictured tearing up during Questions to Officers at the final...
‘This is Not Business as Usual’: UCL Stands for Justice Escalate Protests as University Fails to Meet Demands

‘This is Not Business as Usual’: UCL Stands for Justice Escalate Protests as University Fails to Meet Demands

Palestinian activists at UCL Stands for Justice (SFJ), a student-led coalition, have escalated their protests, disrupting awards ...
Rats, Floods, ‘Fermented Pineapple Juice’: the Trials and Tribulations of UCL Estates

Rats, Floods, ‘Fermented Pineapple Juice’: the Trials and Tribulations of UCL Estates

Robert Delaney, Malvika Murkumbi, Mayra Nassef, and Andrea BidnicA year in student accommodation is a rite of passage for mos...
A ‘Culture of Overwork and Abuse’: Years after the first Complaints, the Mistreatment of Post Graduate Teacher Assistants continues

A ‘Culture of Overwork and Abuse’: Years after the first Complaints, the Mistreatment of Post Graduate Teacher Assistants continues

Andrea Bidnic, Malvika Murkumbi and Mayra Nassef In 2017, The Cheese Grater published an article titled “Teaching on the...
Life in the Encampment

Life in the Encampment

Robert Delaney*On the request of the interviewee, their name has been changed to Ramallah19On the 20th May The Cheese...
‘I am happy to accept further training is needed’: UCL ‘Report + Support’ and their self-admitted negligence

‘I am happy to accept further training is needed’: UCL ‘Report + Support’ and their self-admitted negligence

Rebekah WrightContent warning: discussions of sexual assault and rapeAll the people in this article have been given pseud...
The Jeremy Bentham Room Occupation: Highlighting UCL’s role in the Suppression of the Palestinian People

The Jeremy Bentham Room Occupation: Highlighting UCL’s role in the Suppression of the Palestinian People

Sirjan Narang and Robert Delaney UCL Action for Palestine (AFP), a Palestinian advocacy group not affiliated with the St...
The Bleak Reality of UCL History Department’s Redundancy Crisis

The Bleak Reality of UCL History Department’s Redundancy Crisis

Robert Delaney Higher education is in a bad place. Those reading who were at UCL last year know exactly what I mean. Mar...
The Provost’s Record on LGBTQ+ Support Sinks to a New Low

The Provost’s Record on LGBTQ+ Support Sinks to a New Low

Rebekah WrightN.B. The Cheese Grater has reached out to Michael Spence’s Office for comment, but is yet to hear back from the...
Unfair Gordon Square: The Problems with Accessibility at UCL

Unfair Gordon Square: The Problems with Accessibility at UCL

Finley Littlefair, Yash Zodgekar, Emma Begley-Collier, and Sirjan NarangFrom the picture-perfect Portico to the houses lining...
‘Union Funding Barely Keeps Us Afloat’: UCL Water Polo and the SU

‘Union Funding Barely Keeps Us Afloat’: UCL Water Polo and the SU

Robert DelaneyThe first rule of water polo is to keep your head above the water. Yet, the UCL Water Polo Club is struggling t...
Inside the SU Deep State

Inside the SU Deep State

Nick MiaoSabbatical Officers at Students’ Union UCL (SU) are elected in cross-campus elections once a year to represent the s...
Case closed: A Testimony to the Failure of UCL ‘Report + Support’

Case closed: A Testimony to the Failure of UCL ‘Report + Support’

Mads Brown and Zhenya RobinsonContent warning: discussions of sexual assault and mental illness [‘Report + Support’]...
TERF out Transphobia: The IOE and “Academic Freedom”

TERF out Transphobia: The IOE and “Academic Freedom”

Mads BrownStudents have finally had enough of the transphobic rhetoric which runs rife at UCL. On Friday 24th November, the c...
University College Hospital and the Met Police Fail to “Treat Homeless People Like Human Beings”

University College Hospital and the Met Police Fail to “Treat Homeless People Like Human Beings”

Mayra Nassef, Ishita Jainer and Malvika MurkumbiOn 13 November, the Metropolitan Police, in conjunction with University Colle...
‘Too Lazy to be Energetic’: An Honest Guide to the SU

‘Too Lazy to be Energetic’: An Honest Guide to the SU

Nick MiaoThe Students’ Union prides itself on being a student-led, student-owned organisation. But how much do you, the stude...
UCL v. Security Staff: Echoes of Exploitation Ignored by Student Apathy

UCL v. Security Staff: Echoes of Exploitation Ignored by Student Apathy

Rusheen Bansal“They're hiring new people when employees are losing hours.” On December 4, spirited chants reverberat...
2000 Yen, a Watch, and a Few Laptops: Unlocking the Secrets of UCL’s ‘Lacklustre’ Accommodation Security

2000 Yen, a Watch, and a Few Laptops: Unlocking the Secrets of UCL’s ‘Lacklustre’ Accommodation Security

Andrea Bidnic, Adnan Bader and Rebekah WrightEvery year, thousands of bright-eyed new students take the obligatory pre-univer...
“Complicity in Genocide”: Students Call for UCL’s Support of Gaza

“Complicity in Genocide”: Students Call for UCL’s Support of Gaza

Mads Brown, Rebekah Wright and Shaza HafezOn Friday the 17th November, UCL’s main quad was crammed with over two hundred stud...
“Painting the Town Orange”: Just Stop Oil, UCL and Fossil Fuel Investment

“Painting the Town Orange”: Just Stop Oil, UCL and Fossil Fuel Investment

Paige Johnson, Yash Zodgekar, Ary Ris-Luamhain and Rebekah WrightThis October, Just Stop Oil (JSO) marked another destination...
Rental Roulette: UCL’s Rising Prices and the Student Accommodation Crisis

Rental Roulette: UCL’s Rising Prices and the Student Accommodation Crisis

Rebekah Wright and Nick MiaoTo protect anonymity, some interviewees in this article have been given pseudonyms from the music...
The Aftermath of UCL’s Decision to Reject Stonewall

The Aftermath of UCL’s Decision to Reject Stonewall

Lily Park and Daniel HardingUCL’s refusal to continue working with Stonewall, despite being over a year ago now, still poses ...
Exploitation and Inequality: The Plight of UCL’s Outsourced Security Staff

Exploitation and Inequality: The Plight of UCL’s Outsourced Security Staff

Andrea Bidnic, Mads Brown & Lily ParkIn a statement made in November, UCL claimed outsourced security staff were “employe...
Nightmare at Gower Street! How Negligence and Administration Errors Pushed One Student to the Brink

Nightmare at Gower Street! How Negligence and Administration Errors Pushed One Student to the Brink

Anna Maria Papaoikonomou & Neil MajithiaIf you’ve ever had to change your modules, inquire about extenuating circumstance...
Cost of Greed Crisis: UCU’s Persisting Strike Action

Cost of Greed Crisis: UCU’s Persisting Strike Action

Zhenya Robinson & Finley LittlefairOn the 24th, 25th and 30th of November, universities saw the biggest strike turnout ...
InEffective UnAltruism: The Problem with UCL’s Effective Altruism Society

InEffective UnAltruism: The Problem with UCL’s Effective Altruism Society

Thais Jones & Aniela BichotThe first time a student hears the term “Effective Altruism”, they tend to assume the best. An...
Umair Mehmood, The Underdog Story: How QR Codes Led to Welfare Wednesdays

Umair Mehmood, The Underdog Story: How QR Codes Led to Welfare Wednesdays

Vivianne Zhang WeiLack of awareness about the Students' Union elections is a persistent problem at UCL, but one candidate in ...
Chun Buckets Everywhere: How Initiation Ceremonies Ruin the Freshers Experience

Chun Buckets Everywhere: How Initiation Ceremonies Ruin the Freshers Experience

Neil Majithia and Elettra PlatiFour years ago, the UCL Students’ Union acted on its ban of initiations and disaffiliated Men’...
One Pending Street: Communication Failures Worsen Accommodation Delays at UCL East

One Pending Street: Communication Failures Worsen Accommodation Delays at UCL East

​​Rebekah Wright, Thais Jones, Samir Ismail and Nandini AgarwalTo protect anonymity, some names have been replaced with ...
The Bartlett: Architects of Bullying & Intimidation

The Bartlett: Architects of Bullying & Intimidation

Zhenya Robinson and Samir Ismail   UCL’s Bartlett School of Architecture (BSA) has consistently ranked amongst...
Open Season on The Student Centre: The Lack of Security & Support at UCL

Open Season on The Student Centre: The Lack of Security & Support at UCL

Samir Ismail, Investigations EditorThe Student Centre is a study spot frequented by most UCL students. It is common knowledge tha...
The Story of How Rape Went Unpunished At UCL

The Story of How Rape Went Unpunished At UCL

*Content warning: this article details a real case of sexual violenceFor the purposes of the victim’s privacy, this article us...
UCL’s Response to Sexual Misconduct Remains Riddled with Loopholes

UCL’s Response to Sexual Misconduct Remains Riddled with Loopholes

*Trigger Warning: this article contains mentions of sexual assault and harassment “Before a system like Report and Support exi...
UCL East: Flowery Promises Conceal Costly Commercialisation

UCL East: Flowery Promises Conceal Costly Commercialisation

As UCL prepares to open its new campus, questions arise over its true purpose and value to Bloomsbury’s current students. In 2...
Violated, Harassed, Ignored: Abuse in Halls by UCL Security Guards

Violated, Harassed, Ignored: Abuse in Halls by UCL Security Guards

“[He] leaned over the desk and sniffed [me] in three places, typically where you put perfume.” Content Warning: The following ...
The Story Behind UCL’s Rejection of Stonewall

The Story Behind UCL’s Rejection of Stonewall

Note: The Academic Board Agenda and materials discussed in the December 10th meeting were made available by UCL via a FOI request ...
No Report, No Support: How UCL Fails Victims of Racism

No Report, No Support: How UCL Fails Victims of Racism

“It was obvious that this was someone that has never had to be around black people their entire life”In early November, employ...
Student solidarity, or lack thereof? A guide to SU politics

Student solidarity, or lack thereof? A guide to SU politics

On December 1st, thirty-odd students convened in a rented basement room in the Building Centre on Store Street for an open forum w...
The Past, Present and Future of Strike Action

The Past, Present and Future of Strike Action

Do you think your working conditions are adequate? “No! I’m sending this email at 23:59 In February 2018, Jason Murugesu and Pete...
Race To The Bottom: UCL’s Commercialisation Comes At A Cost

Race To The Bottom: UCL’s Commercialisation Comes At A Cost

British universities are in the midst of a transformation. Higher education institutions are competing, like enterprises in consum...
The Cheese Grater Interviews Dr Michael Spence

The Cheese Grater Interviews Dr Michael Spence

In February 2020, Sophia Robinson from The Cheese Grater Magazine interviewed Dr Michael Spence, UCL’s new Provost. Among other th...
UCL’s Role in Human Rights Abuses in the Middle East

UCL’s Role in Human Rights Abuses in the Middle East

In December 2012, the UCL Students’ Union (SU) voted to take steps to cease UCL’s complicity with the occupation of the West Bank,...
Student Support Whilst Studying Abroad: Is UCL Doing Enough?

Student Support Whilst Studying Abroad: Is UCL Doing Enough?

Students on study abroad programmes have always had to deal with a unique set of challenges, such as visa complications, communica...
Academia and air travel: how sustainable is UCL?

Academia and air travel: how sustainable is UCL?

By Juliette Grieve & Riddhi KanetkarDespite a growing awareness towards tackling the climate crisis, many UK universitie...
Leaked recording highlights UCL’s disability discrimination problem

Leaked recording highlights UCL’s disability discrimination problem

By Rob Davidson & Stephanie Frank“I wasn't expecting just full ableism in front of my face” The member of staff res...
How Effective was UCL’s UberEats Voucher Programme?

How Effective was UCL’s UberEats Voucher Programme?

For first year students in accommodation, self-isolation has been a fundamental part of the freshers’ experience. While some have ...
Workers demand furlough after being compelled to work in non-essential buildings at UCL

Workers demand furlough after being compelled to work in non-essential buildings at UCL

Although Sadiq Khan declared COVID-19 to be a ‘major incident’ in London, many workers are still being compelled to provide cleani...
University of London rent strikers voice their concerns 

University of London rent strikers voice their concerns 

By Riddhi Kanetkar In December 2020, amidst growing cases of COVID-19, students across UK universities started organising ...
Decolonising the divided: how anti-racist is UCL?

Decolonising the divided: how anti-racist is UCL?

In January 2018, it was discovered that the (now) ex-Honorary UCL Professor, James Thompson, was holding the controversial London ...
The ethics behind the endowment: UCL’s relationship with the Sackler Trust

The ethics behind the endowment: UCL’s relationship with the Sackler Trust

Sophia RobinsonAdditional Reporting by: Min Jing and Stephanie Frank.In 2019, UCL launched the new Institute of ...
Module mayhem marks the start of another academic year

Module mayhem marks the start of another academic year

“I was rejected from a module because it was “full”, despite having already attended a seminar on the first day.” 2020 marks the ...
Victory for University of London workers after years of protests

Victory for University of London workers after years of protests

Outsourced cleaners working at the University of London had been long embroiled in protests to secure better labour rights. Outsou...
Why we need the 93% Club at UCL

Why we need the 93% Club at UCL

It is no secret that state-school students have faced, and continue to face, significant barriers when accessing higher education ...
The ‘high risk’ of working in UCL Halls of Residence during the spread of COVID-19

The ‘high risk’ of working in UCL Halls of Residence during the spread of COVID-19

Recently, UCL students received an email that condemned a case of ‘exceptionally poor behaviour’ in Schafer House, which resulted ...
“If it weren’t for my parents, I would have dropped out.” Deaf first year student left with little support from UCL

“If it weren’t for my parents, I would have dropped out.” Deaf first year student left with little support from UCL

Daniel is a deaf first year student who  started studying at UCL in September, however by the end of first term he was already clo...
UCL Cares? Disabled Students’ Network report reveals bleak treatment of  students

UCL Cares? Disabled Students’ Network report reveals bleak treatment of students

On January 20th, UCL Disabled Students’ Network published a report detailing the issues surrounding disabilities at UCL, containin...
Open Letter From the Disabled Students’ Network

Open Letter From the Disabled Students’ Network

Dear Provost,Six weeks ago the UCL Disabled Students’ Network released a report based on the testimonies of 33 d...
What exactly is the Not Cool Club? In conversation with the club’s president

What exactly is the Not Cool Club? In conversation with the club’s president

The Not Cool Club at UCL has gained a lot of traction. All around campus the walls are covered in black and yellow posters promoti...
Administrative Globetrotting

Administrative Globetrotting

Our internship provider friends at Come On Out Japan (COOJ) have been at it again. COOJ have been promoting their Global English C...
UCL Has Lost The Goodwill of Its Staff

UCL Has Lost The Goodwill of Its Staff

The Cheese Grater in conversation with Josh Hollands The Cheese Grater Magazine has spoken with Josh Hollands, a UCL Teaching fel...
UCU Academics Strike Explained

UCU Academics Strike Explained

At the end of October, a majority of UCU (University and College Union) members voted in favour of strike actions, which have begu...
The burden of Late Summer Assessments on students

The burden of Late Summer Assessments on students

Summer 2019 marked the second year in which UCL conducted Late Summer Assessments (LSAs) - the stated aim of them being “...to imp...
“The risk of internalising your own inferiority”: In conversation with two black female academics at UCL

“The risk of internalising your own inferiority”: In conversation with two black female academics at UCL

As of 2016-17, only twenty five black women were documented to be working as professors in the UK. In light of a report published ...
Strikes to end outsourcing of UCL cleaners, porters, and security workers

Strikes to end outsourcing of UCL cleaners, porters, and security workers

Despite being one of the wealthiest universities in the country, UCL implements some of the worst terms and conditions for its out...
UCL’s ambiguous approach to Disabled Students’ Allowance

UCL’s ambiguous approach to Disabled Students’ Allowance

In 2014 the minister for Universities and Science, David Willets, announced changes to the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) whic...
Students with disabilities excluded from UCL libraries

Students with disabilities excluded from UCL libraries

It is a commonly acknowledged fact amongst UCL’s student population that library facilities leave a lot to be desired. But, whilst...
Will the Eugenics Inquiry learn from past mistakes?

Will the Eugenics Inquiry learn from past mistakes?

At a town hall meeting on 1 March, students and staff came together to debate and testify to UCL’s complex relationship with eugen...
UCLove plagued by suicide threats

UCLove plagued by suicide threats

Content warning: mentions of suicide, depression, anxiety, self-harm and eating disorders, but no detailed or graphic descriptions...
Academics against outsourcing boycott Senate House

Academics against outsourcing boycott Senate House

Campaigners from the Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB) are stepping up efforts to end outsourcing at the University of L...
Election balls

Election balls

Adverts on social media, a ball pit in South Cloisters, and a promise of £500 to the society with the highest percentage of voting...
Union Council bans iPads for sabbatical elections

Union Council bans iPads for sabbatical elections

Voting opened today in elections for Union sabbatical and part-time officers. This year will be the first in which campaigners are...
A brief history of Eugenics

A brief history of Eugenics

UCL is finally facing up to its past. An inquiry has been convened to investigate UCL’s history of eugenics and make recommendatio...
Academics oppose GRA reform

Academics oppose GRA reform

'Academic Freedom' or something more? Six UCL academics were among the signatories of an October 2018 letter published in The Gua...
UCL shifts blame for unpaid security staff

UCL shifts blame for unpaid security staff

Last November, UCL switched security contractors from CIS to Axis. The roster of security officers at UCL has changed little, but ...
UCL may adopt IHRA definition rejected by Students’ Union

UCL may adopt IHRA definition rejected by Students’ Union

At a heated Union members’ meeting on Monday 21 January, students voted by a margin of 212 to 78 to reject the adoption of the Int...
Has scrapping hardship bursary disadvantaged UCL’s worst-off students?

Has scrapping hardship bursary disadvantaged UCL’s worst-off students?

In a year when UCL accommodations are less accessible to the most financially insecure students due to the scrapping of the Accom...
UCL shirks responsibility for internship from hell

UCL shirks responsibility for internship from hell

A report has been passed to The Cheese Grater alleging serious safeguarding failures on an internship attended by over 10 UCL st...
Homophobia and transphobia at Glittoris

Homophobia and transphobia at Glittoris

Glittoris, the Student Union’s flagship LGBT+ club night, has come under fire this term after a series of homophobic and transpho...
Socialist Workers Party secretly run student society

Socialist Workers Party secretly run student society

The Cheese Grater can exclusively reveal that UCL Socialist Worker Student Society (SWSS), affiliated to the Socialist Workers Par...
Why is UCL’s WiFi so bad?

Why is UCL’s WiFi so bad?

This academic year, it has often been impossible for students to access WiFi in UCL libraries. Though eduroam functioned fine befo...
Why are lectures being held at the Royal National Hotel?

Why are lectures being held at the Royal National Hotel?

Room bookings in 'still bad' shocker. Quelle surprise, UCL facilities have proven insufficient, and students are bearing the brunt...
UCL blames computer glitch for degree certificate blunder

UCL blames computer glitch for degree certificate blunder

It has been revealed to The Cheese Grater that a number of students at UCL have had their names listed incorrectly on official rec...
Low-paid Senate House workers hung out to dry

Low-paid Senate House workers hung out to dry

Activists are back at Senate House after UoL reverses outsourcing decision. The University of London has reneged on its promise t...
Democracy Officer wants lower turnout threshold for union meetings

Democracy Officer wants lower turnout threshold for union meetings

On 11 October, at the most recent general assembly of SU UCL (not, under any circumstances, to be called ‘suckle’ -ed.), Democracy...
Keeping it casual: UCL outsource temporary staff to Unitemps

Keeping it casual: UCL outsource temporary staff to Unitemps

From September 2018, UCL will outsource employment of temporary workers to an external agency, Unitemps in a move which UCU repres...
Inside the Panopticon: UCL surveillance creates a hostile environment for Tier 4 students

Inside the Panopticon: UCL surveillance creates a hostile environment for Tier 4 students

Recent changes to the attendance monitoring policy for Tier 4 students in several UCL faculties are generating opposition from sta...
Exams at the ExCel: Where were all the examiners this year?

Exams at the ExCel: Where were all the examiners this year?

This year, instead of being dotted around London in weird conference rooms and dingy church basements, UCL's summer exams were all...
Inheriting Galton: The people working to make UCL less racist

Inheriting Galton: The people working to make UCL less racist

“If we had Muslims or people of colour holding the same conference ... we would have seen counter-terrorism police on our doorstep...
Seven Things We Learned from UCL Spin Doctor’s Crazy Rant That Got Him Fired

Seven Things We Learned from UCL Spin Doctor’s Crazy Rant That Got Him Fired

In a bitter twist to the short reign of Charles Hymas (he was hired last April), UCL's now former Head of Media Relations leaves t...
Here’s How Many Societies Opted-Out of The Union’s Shambolic Online Elections

Here’s How Many Societies Opted-Out of The Union’s Shambolic Online Elections

The controversial plan to move AGMs online appears to have been much ado about nothing, with the majority of UCL’s 268 societies o...
We Talked To Striking Lecturers Standing In The Cold

We Talked To Striking Lecturers Standing In The Cold

It’s hardly the weather for the picket line.All around campus, small pockets of UCL academics are picketing as part of the nat...
How UCL Risked The Immigration Status of Vice Wardens For Years

How UCL Risked The Immigration Status of Vice Wardens For Years

Earlier this year, an international student and former vice-warden of UCL accommodation shared her story with The Cheese Grater. H...
Voting shambles

Voting shambles

In the first successful SU UCL General Assembly for four years, the Union was saddened to discover that their electronic voting ma...
The Fight For The Heart of UCL

The Fight For The Heart of UCL

A battle is raging at UCL, one that will define the very nature of the university for decades to come.It all came to a head th...
Second Time’s The Charm For Ex-IDF Speaker

Second Time’s The Charm For Ex-IDF Speaker

Back in 2016, UCL won international news coverage when an event with Hen Mazzig, hosted by UCL Friends of Israel, was disrupted by...
Online society elections will now be opt-out

Online society elections will now be opt-out

Tonight at an Emergency Council Meeting, the debate over whether President and Treasurer elections for societies should go online ...
iPad debate heats up first successful General Assembly in four years

iPad debate heats up first successful General Assembly in four years

In a historic night for the Union, Tuesday's General Assembly was the first since 2014 to which enough people showed up for the me...
Here Are Five Shocking Sexist & Racist Tweets By UCL Professor Who Hosted Eugenics Conference

Here Are Five Shocking Sexist & Racist Tweets By UCL Professor Who Hosted Eugenics Conference

This morning, London Student published an exposé into the London Conference of Intelligence that has been hosted by UCL for the la...
Daily Mail sensationalises UCL fundraising

Daily Mail sensationalises UCL fundraising

A series of articles in the Daily Mail accuse various universities, including UCL, of using wealth screening companies to target a...
Exorbitant student accomodation at UCL East

Exorbitant student accomodation at UCL East

UCL East students will face central London prices for accommodation in decidedly-not-central London.The primary justification ...
Why did only 160 students turn up to that much-hyped General Assembly?

Why did only 160 students turn up to that much-hyped General Assembly?

For the fourth year running, last Tuesday’s promised Union General Assembly never took place, because too few students turned up. ...
“Zero Tolerance is just a marketing scheme”: Union hypocrisy fails sexual assault victims

“Zero Tolerance is just a marketing scheme”: Union hypocrisy fails sexual assault victims

“They make you run around in circles until you give up.”Imagine having a drink with a friend in Phineas. All around are po...
One Man Protest for Anti-Zionist Speakers

One Man Protest for Anti-Zionist Speakers

Although The Times wrote last week that “hundreds of students have protested against University College London’s decision to host ...
Geography Department sorry for sexist PowerPoint slide

Geography Department sorry for sexist PowerPoint slide

Some lecture slides are impossible to decipher, some contain poor puns, and then there are those which are simply tone deaf.Th...
Why exactly did UCLU need a rebrand?

Why exactly did UCLU need a rebrand?

This summer, the dull purple of UCLU was replaced with the ghastly orange of Students Union UCL, also “not known as” SUUCL.The...
Inquiry finds UCL should have stopped its star-scientist killing patients

Inquiry finds UCL should have stopped its star-scientist killing patients

It's a story we've all heard before: boy-meets-girl; Faustus-meets-Devil; university-meets-murderous scientist.Earlier this mo...
Why UCL’s NUS referendum was a sham

Why UCL’s NUS referendum was a sham

This evening, the results for UCL's NUS referendum were announced, though you'd be hard-pressed to find a student who actually kne...
Sheikh It Off: Inside UCL’s Decision To Leave Qatar

Sheikh It Off: Inside UCL’s Decision To Leave Qatar

Since its inception in 2012, UCL’s campus in Qatar has been a running sore for UCL management.This will come to an end in 2020...
Here’s how much UCL made in library fines last year

Here’s how much UCL made in library fines last year

For some weird reason, we all like to one up each other when talking about how much debt we are in to the library. But, as with al...
Don’t know what UCL East is? Here’s An Explainer

Don’t know what UCL East is? Here’s An Explainer

As students enjoyed a break over the summer, work continued apace on UCL's new campus in Stratford, East London — six miles from B...
Breaking News: No Bad News About Bloomsbury

Breaking News: No Bad News About Bloomsbury

The Cheese Grater is thrilled to reveal that we don’t need to write an article about Bloomsbury Theatre’s renovation as it is surp...
Only 22% of UCL’s Highest Earners Are Women

Only 22% of UCL’s Highest Earners Are Women

"UCL was the first university in the UK to admit women" - surely this has been forced down every fresher’s throat by now? What the...
The Inside Story of Cut the Rent This Year

The Inside Story of Cut the Rent This Year

With significantly fewer students on rent strike this year, how did the student group Cut the Rent achieve such an impressive vict...
Union 15p Card Charge Killed Off

Union 15p Card Charge Killed Off

The Cheese Grater can exclusively reveal that purchases made under £5 at Union bars and cafes will no longer be subject to card su...
NUS referendum scheduled for October

NUS referendum scheduled for October

Students' Union UCL (previously known as UCLU) will hold a referendum this October on whether it wants to remain a part of the NUS...
The indomitable ISoc election machine

The indomitable ISoc election machine

UCL know that there is one person who guarantees electoral success: the President of the Islamic Society (ISoc). In this year’s sp...
Exam timetable delayed, approximately no-one surprised

Exam timetable delayed, approximately no-one surprised

For those who still have questions about whether water is wet and whether or not the Pope is Catholic, it may come as a shock to l...
UCLU attempt to clean house

UCLU attempt to clean house

Conflict erupted at the March Union Council meeting, as plans were revealed to cut the hours of UCLU’s contracted cleaners by 30% ...
The tragic story of how UCL fails victims of sexual assault

The tragic story of how UCL fails victims of sexual assault

“They push you around the system until you give up. There is no system to help”.These are the words of a UCL medical student w...
Zero hours, agency workers and rodents: investigation reveals Sodexo staff concerns

Zero hours, agency workers and rodents: investigation reveals Sodexo staff concerns

An anonymous letter criticising Sodexo’s management staff, seen by The Cheese Grater, purportedly sent by an employee, has raised ...
Jurassic Arth: Dinosaur Provost backpedals on fossil fuel divestment

Jurassic Arth: Dinosaur Provost backpedals on fossil fuel divestment

With the Fossil Free UCL divestment campaign seemingly gaining momentum, Provost Michael Arthur and co. are deliberately dragging ...
NSS: No Student Say

NSS: No Student Say

In the face of a national campaign encouraging students to boycott the National Student Survey (NSS), which measures the student s...
UCL spend millions patching up failing facilities to accommodate rising student numbers

UCL spend millions patching up failing facilities to accommodate rising student numbers

UCL provost Michael Arthur has revealed at the latest Academic Board meeting that student numbers will rise by “2% or so” again th...
Senior Academics Revolt Against Management

Senior Academics Revolt Against Management

A covert group of senior academics are plotting a staff revolt over worries that UCL East is endangering the university’s futu...
Teaching on the cheap: UCL’s exploitation of teaching assistants revealed

Teaching on the cheap: UCL’s exploitation of teaching assistants revealed

A UCLU report, released this past week, has laid bare the unfair and exploitative conditions postgraduate teaching assistants (PGT...
Bloomsbury Theatre Updates

Bloomsbury Theatre Updates

At last, there is more news of the much-missed Bloomsbury Theatre, as students were finally briefed on the Bloomsbury renovation c...
UCL, I Just Need Some Space

UCL, I Just Need Some Space

UCL is spending over £1 million pounds on short term solutions in an attempt to solve the College’s impending facilities crisis. S...
UCL cuts bursaries, loans to make up the shortfall

UCL cuts bursaries, loans to make up the shortfall

The slowly wilting corpse of The Independent had a splash this week courtesy of everyone's favourite rent renegades UCL Cut The Re...
Living the High Life: College’s unaccountable pay and perks criticised.

Living the High Life: College’s unaccountable pay and perks criticised.

When Provost Professor Michael Arthur crossed the Watford gap from his tenure at Leeds, The Cheese Grater reported that his hotel ...
The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises

Vice Provost Rex Knight clashes with students as UCL Cut The Rent protests escalate. The Cheese Grater has already said it once ...
Spotlight on… Rex Knight

Spotlight on… Rex Knight

Who exactly is the man that students love to hate?Among left-wing and activist circles at UCL, no name inspires quite as much ...
Declining Student Experience Threatens to Hit UCL Where it Hurts – in the Wallet

Declining Student Experience Threatens to Hit UCL Where it Hurts – in the Wallet

If you’ve seen the six foot tall billboards around UCL encouraging final year students to take part in the National Student Su...
Final Curtain for the Bloomsbury Theatre?

Final Curtain for the Bloomsbury Theatre?

“Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, prevent musical theatre from harmonising by taking a sledgehammer to their dreams.” -...
Eugenics heading for a eulogy

Eugenics heading for a eulogy

Will UCL find the courage to examine its murky past?A member of the UCL academic board has revealed that they suspect that the...
North Korean sympathiser on UCL’s academic board?

North Korean sympathiser on UCL’s academic board?

North Korea is “very egalitarian” and a “democracy from the bottom”, and Stalin’s rule in the USSR was marked by “popular apprecia...
Violence between police and protestors over Senate House occupation

Violence between police and protestors over Senate House occupation

Bloomsbury streets were stained with blood as protestors clashed with police during demonstrations. What began with the occupation...
Violent Arrest in ULU

Violent Arrest in ULU

A young woman was dragged by police from the ULU Cafe this lunchtime as shocked students looked on and tried to remonstrate wi...
Interview with the Provost Malcolm Grant

Interview with the Provost Malcolm Grant

What were the biggest issues you faced when you first became Provost of UCL ten years ago?Number one was that the budget was...
ULU to close but Chessum resolute: “This is not the end”

ULU to close but Chessum resolute: “This is not the end”

The University of London’s Council, made up of the Vice Chancellors of 18 London universities, this morning voted in favour of shu...
Wolves at the Door for ULU

Wolves at the Door for ULU

Senior managers and academics within the University of London are proposing the closure of the University of London Union (ULU). ...
UCL Council Treasurer Sits on Costa Coffee Board

UCL Council Treasurer Sits on Costa Coffee Board

Last month's CG (CG37) revealed that up to ten new cafés will open on campus, and that, going on previous choices, these are likel...
Misogynist Runs for UCLU Women’s Officer

Misogynist Runs for UCLU Women’s Officer

[Note: this post contains descriptions of violence against women.]UCLU’s newly created full-time Women’s Officer position has...
Hey, Big Spender!: new provost’s expensive tastes

Hey, Big Spender!: new provost’s expensive tastes

The incoming UCL Provost has expensive tastes. In the last six years, Professor Michael Arthur, who will replace Professor Malcolm...

RIP Pi Newspaper (2007-2012)

In an email sent this morning to all members Pi's president outlined proposals to scrap Pi Newspaper, merging some of its content ...
UCL Confessions’ Dark Side

UCL Confessions’ Dark Side

[Trigger warning: the following post contains description of sexual violence.]‘UCL confessions’ – a Facebook page featuring an...
“Fuck off, or you are going to have a war on your hands”

“Fuck off, or you are going to have a war on your hands”

UCL's proposal to build a £1bn "university quarter" in Stratford was passed by a Newham council meeting tonight, much to the anger...
Marauding on Oxford Street

Marauding on Oxford Street

Leaving the samba bands and banners of the main TUC "march for a future that works" at Trafalgar Square at about 2 o clock, we joi...
Careers Fair Disrupted by Anti-Arms Trade Activists

Careers Fair Disrupted by Anti-Arms Trade Activists

About five or six activists turned up at the engineering careers fair in the Jeremy Bentham room this evening attempting to block ...
Why Were Newham Complaints Not Heard for Eleven Days?

Why Were Newham Complaints Not Heard for Eleven Days?

For background on this story, see CG34 (March 2012) and the September 2012 Welcome Issue.Warren Lubin, chair of the Carpenter...
Referenda Close

Referenda Close

UCL Union rejects 'No Confidence in Malcolm Grant', becomes pro-choice and will decide international policy through member’s meeti...
Censor This

Censor This

James Skuse and Amy Evans are at it again.Student Activities Officer Amy Evans has attempted to censor Cheese Grater reporting...