Tom Williams

Has student-centred teaching gone too far? Marketisation and the pandemic pushed student preferences to the top of every university’s teaching and learning agenda. But should those preferences be acted on even if they risk undermining educatio...

Student preferences have risen to the top of every university’s teaching and learning agenda. But should they be acted on even if they risk undermining educational outcomes? @julietterowsell.bsky.social reports

USS chief executive paid close to £1 million in first full year Carol Young’s salary boosted by bonus and buy-out clause as fund gears up for 2026 valuation

Chief executive of Universities Superannuation Scheme paid a cool £937K for her first full year in office, annual report reveals www.timeshighereducation.com/news/uss-chi... via @twilliamsthe.bsky.social

US scholars want UK jobs but some university roles ‘hard to fill’ Applications for professional service posts decline as appeal of working in universities ‘fades’, but academics face more competition than ever

US scholars want UK jobs but some university roles ‘hard to fill’

#highered #EduSky

Flinders ‘comes of age’ as two other Adelaide universities merge Being odd one out from a celebrated merger makes it ‘easier to differentiate’, while conferring the ‘mantle of seniority’, says vice-chancellor

Flinders ‘comes of age’ as two other Adelaide universities merge

#highered #EduSky

‘Disappointing’ LLE changes ‘unambitious’, says Birkbeck v-c Lack of details on institutional eligibility for new student funding scheme brings more uncertainty to providers, according to Sally Wheeler

Labour’s changes to England’s Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) are “disappointing” and “unambitious”, says Birkbeck v-c www.timeshighereducation.com/news/disappo... via @helenpacker.bsky.social

Fee levy funds should be ‘used to tackle participation gaps’ Using money raised from international fees could help support most disadvantaged to attend university, finds inquiry

Use revenue from international student levy to support disadvantaged students to attend UK universities, says concluding report of @upp-foundation.bsky.social widening participation inquiry www.timeshighereducation.com/news/fee-lev...

Have chatbots killed the student essay? This year’s marking season has confirmed for many academics that, less than three years since the launch of ChatGPT, AI use by students has become so rife that their submitted writing is no longer a r...

AI use among students has become so rife that submitted writing is no longer a reliable indicator of what they have learned. Where do things go from here? Three scholars have their say: www.timeshighereducation.com/depth/have-c...

More jobs at risk as universities gear up to fight student levy Domestic student places and essential courses face axe as plan to tax international tuition fees could prove to be ‘final nail in a coffin’ for some institutions

Initially dismissed as 'never going to happen', the idea of a levy on international student fees doesn't seem to be going away. Here @helenpacker.bsky.social reports on the potential impact, and what vice-chancellors are trying to do to resist it www.timeshighereducation.com/news/more-jo...

Are private colleges dragging down the reputation of UK HE? The OfS’ recent imposition of its first fines over franchised provision highlighted what some regard as the dark underbelly of UK higher education. But is there really a significant problem in the for...

Are private colleges dragging down the reputation of UK HE? www.timeshighereducation.com/depth/are-pr...

Graduate visa should be reduced to 18 months, says White Paper New levy on income from international students proposed as government outlines wide-ranging changes to immigration system

New levy on income from international students proposed as government outlines wide-ranging changes to immigration system www.timeshighereducation.com/news/graduat...

Student visa crackdown won’t bring political victory, Labour told Universities mount fightback against further restrictions on international students, emphasising their role in growing the economy and lack of public support for new measures

UK universities are mounting a last-ditch effort to sway policymakers ahead of the imminent publication of a new White Paper that many fear will propose further restrictions on international students, @helenpacker.bsky.social reports www.timeshighereducation.com/news/student...

Will Coventry University sink itself in quest for reinvention? Institution known for innovation and risk-taking faces doubts over its future but is still planning new ways to do things differently

Long known as one of the post-92 success stories, Coventry has been left exposed by recent government policy changes to the point where there are doubts over its future - will further reinvention help it recover? www.timeshighereducation.com/news/will-co...

Scholars hope Harvard defiance spurs wider pushback against Trump University’s refusal to concede to demands over protests and DEI despite risk of ‘grave consequences’ has led to renewed optimism among staff

“This could be the start of, not only for higher education but for civil society, a pushback on what the Trump administration was doing,” says one Harvard scholar on this week’s developments www.timeshighereducation.com/news/scholar...

Panel of experts brought in to help rescue University of Dundee Alan Langlands to chair taskforce set up to look at teaching and research offer of stricken institution

A group of experts has been drafted in by the Scottish government to help the University of Dundee recover from its perilous financial situation. @twilliamsthe.bsky.social reports
#AcademicSky #EduSky

Efforts to halt student deportations risk Trump ‘retaliation’ Institutions scramble to quell ‘panic’ caused by visa revocations, while seeking to avoid incurring wrath of regime intent on cutting funding

US universities are quietly trying to find ways to protect their students from the threat of deportation, without risking being targeted by the Trump administration @patrickjack.bsky.social www.timeshighereducation.com/news/efforts...

Apprenticeship funding indecision a ‘headache’ for universities ‘Lingering doubts’ over future of higher-level opportunities adds to anxiety for institutions that have become more financially reliant on levy money

Uncertainty over whether the government will go ahead with proposed changes to English apprenticeship funding is “another headache” for university leaders, writes @helenpacker.bsky.social www.timeshighereducation.com/news/apprent...

Most universities still use online exams despite cheating fears Seven in 10 institutions allow students to take remote tests unsupervised, casting doubt on ‘validity’ of degrees, study finds

UK universities’ continued use of remote online examinations without supervision poses a grave threat to the integrity of undergraduate assessment, argues a new study www.timeshighereducation.com/news/most-un...

Is the sun setting on blue-sky EU research funding? Discussions about the shape of the next framework programme, due to begin in 2028, are already under way. But the European Commission’s deafening silence is stoking fears that it wants to refocus rese...

Discussions about the shape of Horizon Europe's successor are already under way. But the European Commission’s deafening silence is stoking fears that it wants to refocus research funding on short-term industrial competitiveness www.timeshighereducation.com/depth/sun-se...

Recruiting US scholars can protect ‘threatened research’ – rector Universities should offer opportunities to US talent because it can ‘prevent fruitful lines of enquiry from being abruptly cut off’, says head of leading European institution

“It’s not so much about trying to attract the best US researchers to Brussels but trying to prevent fruitful lines of research from being abruptly cut off” www.timeshighereducation.com/news/recruit...

Universities face free speech ‘uncertainties’ after Sussex ruling OfS defends ‘thorough’ investigation that legal expert says leaves institutions ‘without clear guidance’

OfS defends ‘thorough’ investigation that legal expert says leaves institutions ‘without clear guidance’ www.timeshighereducation.com/news/univers...

An academic who grew tired of “tedious and boring” conferences because the same authors were presenting multiple papers decided to look into what’s going on: www.timeshighereducation.com/news/tedious...

Sussex hit with record OfS fine after ‘free speech breaches’ Vice-chancellor calls regulator’s investigation ‘Kafkaesque’ as probe into departure of Kathleen Stock finally concludes

A £585k fine issued by the OfS to the University of Sussex has prompted a huge row: “The way the OfS has conducted this investigation has been completely unacceptable, its findings are egregious and concocted,” said v-c Sasha Roseneil www.timeshighereducation.com/news/sussex-...

Influx of ‘unfunded students’ feared at New Zealand universities Tally of unsubsidised students could reach thousands, representative body warns, after enrolments surpass projections

A rise in enrolments is usually a good thing - but not when the funding doesn't keep up. New Zealand universities predict they will have 4,200 extra students this year, with little extra subsidy to compensate www.timeshighereducation.com/news/influx-...

Go-slow internal research fraud probes ‘avoid external scrutiny’ Institutions taking ‘as long as they like’ over investigations to protect reputations, according to Australian research integrity campaigner

Australian universities accused of purposefully taking 'as long as they like' over investigations into potential research fraud, in order to avoid external scrutiny www.timeshighereducation.com/news/go-slow...

Vetting call over ‘asshole’ PhD examiners, ‘trial-by-fire’ vivas Survey of UK doctoral examiners reveals disquiet over problematic PhD examiners keen to initiate emotionally charged intellectual exchanges

“I was surprised by the language used by respondents, but it suggests it is an emotive topic,” the report’s author told us www.timeshighereducation.com/news/vetting...

Dozens of providers seek extension to English accounts deadline The deadline for most 2023-24 financial accounts was the end of December

Dozens of higher education institutions have appealed to the English regulator for permission to publish their accounts late www.timeshighereducation.com/news/dozens-... via @patrickjack.bsky.social

What could the rise of the AfD mean for German universities? With its Trump-style promise to smash woke ideology on campus, Germany’s far-right populist party is widely seen as a threat by academics. And with even the country’s mainstream parties promising litt...

With its Trump-style promise to smash woke ideology on campus, Germany’s far-right populist party is widely seen as a threat by academics. Ahead of this weekend's election, Emily Dixon looks at what's in store for universities www.timeshighereducation.com/features/wha... @timeshighered.bsky.social

Class size increases ‘inevitable’ amid financial crisis, say v-cs Lecturers fear rising staff-student ratios will exacerbate ‘gulf’ between elite institutions and the rest, and create unmanageable workloads

V-cs see increasing staff-student ratios on courses as one of few means to cut costs of teaching but lecturers fear unmanageable workloads and an increased gulf in quality. @julietterowsell.bsky.social reports www.timeshighereducation.com/news/class-s... @timeshighered.bsky.social

Faculty shortages restrict growth at India’s top business schools Indian Institutes of Management need stronger PhD pipeline and ability to match international salaries, says sector leader

Indian Institutes of Management need stronger PhD pipeline and ability to match international salaries, sector leader tells @helenpacker.bsky.social www.timeshighereducation.com/news/faculty... @timeshighered.bsky.social

New Norwegian minister urged to review controversial language law Rectors want more flexibility over rules that mandate international researchers and teaching staff to learn Norwegian

Rectors want more flexibility over rules that mandate international researchers and teaching staff to learn Norwegian www.timeshighereducation.com/news/new-nor...