Editing Russell Group (section)

==History==
The Russell Group of universities was formed in 1994 by 17 British research universities – Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Imperial College London, Leeds, Liverpool, London School of Economics, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Sheffield, Southampton, University College London and Warwick, who originally met at [[Hotel Russell]] shortly before meetings of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals (now [[Universities UK]]) in nearby [[Tavistock Square]], close to the [[University of London]] buildings and, particularly, [[Senate House (University of London)|Senate House]].<ref name="bbc12312" /><ref name="guardian2012" /> With the exception of [[University of Warwick|Warwick]] (established in the 1960s), the founder members of the group were all universities or university colleges prior to World War I, including most of Britain's [[Ancient university|ancient universities]] and "[[redbrick universities]]". In 1998, Cardiff University and King's College London joined the group.<ref name="kclandcardiff">{{cite news|url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=409118|title=Do you want to be in my gang?|access-date=1 January 2013|work=Times Higher Education|date=19 November 2009|archive-date=11 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230611131444/https://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=409118|url-status=live}}</ref>

In March 2001, the Russell Group decided against selecting a preferred option for the future funding of higher education, stating that endowments, a graduate contribution, increased public funding and top-up fees should all remain options.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=158251&sectioncode=26|title=Russell Group keeps funding options open|access-date=5 September 2012|work=Times Higher Education|date=23 March 2001|archive-date=11 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230611064853/https://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=158251&sectioncode=26|url-status=live}}</ref> In December 2005, it was announced that the Russell Group would be appointing its first full-time director-general as a result of a planned expansion of its operations, including commissioning and conducting its own policy research.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=200241&sectioncode=26|title=Russell Group seeks leader to oversee its expanded role|access-date=5 September 2012|work=Times Higher Education|date=9 December 2005|archive-date=11 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230611081203/https://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=200241&sectioncode=26|url-status=live}}</ref> In November 2006, Queen's University Belfast was admitted as the twentieth member of the group.<ref name="the91106">{{cite news|url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=206624&sectioncode=26|title=Queen's gets key to Russell club door|access-date=5 September 2012|work=Times Higher Education|date=9 November 2006|archive-date=4 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404132309/https://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=206624&sectioncode=26|url-status=live}}</ref> In the same month [[Wendy Piatt]], the then deputy director in the Prime Minister's strategy unit, was announced as the group's new Director General and chief executive.<ref name="the91106" />

In March 2012, it was announced that four universities – Durham, Exeter, Queen Mary University of London; and York – would become members of the Russell Group in August of the same year.<ref name="bbc12312" /> All of the new members had previously been members of the [[1994 Group]] of British universities.<ref name="bbc12312" />

In January 2013, it was announced that the Russell Group would establish an academic board to advise the English exams watchdog [[Ofqual]] on the content of [[GCE Advanced Level (United Kingdom)|A-Levels]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=422488&c=1|title=Russell Group to advise on A-level content in post-16 shake-up|access-date=27 January 2013|work=Times Higher Education|date=23 January 2013|archive-date=13 September 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240913231512/https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news?sectioncode=26&storycode=422488&c=1|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2019, the group launched the website "Informed Choices" to advise school children on which A-level subject choices were useful for various degree courses, replacing an earlier teachers' guide of the same name from 2011 that had identified a list of "facilitating subjects'.<ref>{{cite news|work=[[Daily Telegraph]]|date=23 May 2019|title=Bright teenagers risk having university plans 'scuppered' by bad A-levels advice, Russell Group warns|author=Camilla Turner}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rsb.org.uk/images/Russell%20Group%20-%20Informed%20Choices.pdf|title=Informed choices|access-date=22 March 2023|publisher=Russell Group|archive-date=7 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307130634/https://www.rsb.org.uk/images/Russell%20Group%20-%20Informed%20Choices.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>