A really interesting piece on reducing AI cheating in the classroom from a Professor of English and former Dean of Humanities at University of Utah. The solutions? Smaller classes, lower teaching loads for faculty, and in-person classes.

Burnham to announce plans for new North Sea oil and gas drilling - BBC News Is this yet another example that f Labour vs the people? We have just sweated through and unprecedented heatwave - with more than 1000 excess deaths - and Labour’s plan is drill baby drill How can they always be so wrong 🤷‍♀️

I gave my usual sermon on this the other day. Non-scientists look for studies that support their hypothesis. But there are studies that show almost anything if you look hard enough. Citing one or two studies isn’t research. It’s confirmation bias.

This is interesting. It seems to have become much worse since 2016.

It is pure coincidence that I said I wasn't standing for Parliament because I'd need “a million a year” to cover lost earnings, then I was given £5 million and immediately stood for election.

Exclusive: Vice-chancellor George Holmes among those arrested on suspicion of fraud. It marks an unprecedented moment in British higher education - the first time a university vice-chancellor has ever been arrested in the UK as part of a criminal investigation. manchestermill.co.uk/exclusive-vi...

'And despite much-publicised disputes around free speech on campuses – relating to issues including the conflict in the Middle East, antisemitism and trans rights – the vast majority of students in England said they felt they could speak freely.' 89.7%, up from 86.4% in 2024. Just saying. 2/3

Looking up a scholar who is a full professor at UK university and the google search term pre-filled listed this person as some man’s wife as the first search finding/most common search term. Idk. Patriarchy remains working triple time.

The Telegraph says white students are a "minority" at 27 universities. Before we panic: let's look at what the actual data says. Short 🧵

Time and again I think that THIS is the stat universities should shout, shout & shout again about. New education export data again show HE responsible for nearly three-quarters of a £37bn UK revenue source. Fund our universities! Source: explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statist...

First they came for the languages. In the hope that no one would have the words to say what was happening. 1/9🧵

You'll love this quirk of the rules. An Irish citizen living in Dublin qualifies for UK university 'home fees'. But from 2028 on, a British citizen living in Dublin is considered 'international'.

Cutting funding for nursing? On what planet did this seem like a good idea? #SaveTheNHS #UKHE

Breaking: Ministers confirm cut to Strategic Priorities Grant for universities. Teaching funding reduction will be sharply felt by some institutions, says Office for Students. Free to read. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Sunday Times investigation reports Reform leader received extensive support in year to July 2024 which was not declared on election. From "baby George" Cottrell, the author of 'How to launder money' & convicted in the US for wire fraud but seeking a Trump pardon www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

If you haven’t already it’s worth looking at these photos that tell a story of the US as it hits 250, with an intro from @sarahchurchwell.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

I love "The hierarchy of disagreement". We collectively need to learn how to argue and disagree in a kinder, more efficient way. The whole article is worth reading. If you are pressed for time just read the pyramid and laugh at the lowest stage. Source: buff.ly/2tU4hgx

My Sheffield garden meadow today. Why would anyone choose a lawn (green desert) instead?

The last three years have seen over 30,000 jobs lost in UK Higher Ed. Acting as if this doesn't grievously impact the economy, and the nation's future prospects in all areas, is, at this point, nothing short of wilful self-harm / purposeful vandalism.

The replies to this made me laugh so much. Every university….

1. Abolish OfS 2. Re-establish a HEFCE planning body 3. Bring back numbers targets I'm detail per uni 4. Restore/ increase small topup funding for expensive STEM and Medicine 5. Establish reorg fund 6. Ease student immigration controls ...Even all that will only part stabilise things I'm afraid.

I found time this morning to write down some considered ideas about how we got into this mess at UK universities. I discuss government neglect, university mismanagement, and the general problem of relying on management and strategy from the top down. johnheathershaw.substack.com/p/the-crisis...

My daughter went here, had an amazing time and got a great job after.

at the time of constant attack on UK universities I do feel its important to point out that UK university graduates are more likely to be employed than non-graduates (87% of working age grads are employed compared to 68% of nongraduates) and have a median salary more than £11k higher than nongrads

PRESS RELEASE: UCU Hallam secures major win as Sheffield Hallam University drops plans for subsidiary company. See ucuhallam.org/ezm8 for more info.

Thank goodness for a breeze today. I’m by the coast in Devon (UK) and we’ve had soaring temperatures with no breath of wind for the last few days. Good luck to everyone trying to work in sweltering workplaces…

65% of US universities drop in QS 2027 ranking. 40% of UK universities drop. 61% of China's universities rise. Who knew that sustained investment might prove advantageous and persistent policy churn prove deleterious?

What I *love* about UK Higher Education is that there is a belief in meritocracy which intentionally ignores the class system. Universities have to report on the jobs their students get after finishing their degrees and the salaries they get, as if their degree is divorced from their class ->

It’s important to remember that the current #UKHE funding model goes back ONLY to the #Cameron & #Osborne austerity of the 2010 coalition years. Shifting the burden from the state via taxes to the students themselves.

Solidarity with colleagues at the University of Exeter (and at Sussex, Hertfordshire, Northumbria, and other universities facing compulsory redundancies). This is terrible news, which may affect History and English in particular, arguably the two most important disciplines we have. #UCU #Exeter

Some reading for these grim times for UK universities - on how critical thinking and pedagogy might exist outside of these crumbling institutional structures. Richard Hall, The Dissolution of the Universities mayflybooks.org/the-dissolut...

Ultimately Starmer’s biggest miscalculation was failing to appreciate that chasing the Reform vote was far likelier to LOSE support than it ever was to gain it… Those of us who are NOT on the anti-immigrant bandwagon aren’t merely indifferent to it; we’re SICKENED and APPALLED by it.

Back from holiday today to find my favourite kind of email! We are pleased to inform you that your article has been published online in Higher Education. Kudos to my Chinese colleagues who were the driving force behind this one. Link below should be free open access: rdcu.be/foHBz

Net migration: 'The recent reduction of several hundred thousand in headline numbers may look like an achievement, but it weakens health and care services and universities.' 'It reduces GDP by around 1–2% and pushes up government debt by £10–£20b.'

The worst part is that there is extensive evidence that student evaluations are systematically biased against women, minorities, and basically anyone who isn't a straight, middle-aged, white dude. But most UK universities continue to use them as an "objective" metric against which staff are judged.

New Editorial in JGHE now online: "Where next for external examining? A view from UK higher education" www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

A long account in @lrb.co.uk by Stefan Collini of the causes of what feels like a death spiral for UK Universities. Recent estimates are that UK HE contributes >£130Bn annually to the UK economy, resulting in >750 000 jobs across all regions of the UK lordslibrary.parliament.uk/higher-educa...

'Across China, a marked rise in people driving electric vehicles has led to a drop in air pollution in many cities. As a result, fewer people are dying from pollution-related diseases.'

This BBC article states that "climate change is believed to have played a role in such hot spells as this." Let me fix it: Climate change IS making these hot spells more likely and more dangerous. Scientists have been warning of this for decades. www.bbc.com/news/article...

I don’t think it will be long before we can hold a sweepstake to discover which UK university is the one to post a final Tweet on X. Whoever it is, I am sure it will be the kind of plaudit that no university will want. 2/8

Reform UK Gone Since the Local Elections Dr David Bull has been sacked as Chair.

"According to Velloso, less than 3% of paying users actively use Copilot, even though Microsoft has pre-deployed it directly into the Windows 11 taskbar and across the Office suite." lol, lmfao

ArXiV has a new LLM policy (Screenshots with alt text so you don’t have to click through to the other place and see all the stupid responses)

Sneaking a giant screen into the flagshagger march is one of the funniest things @ledbydonkeys.org have ever done. "STAY HYDRATED" 😂🤣😂

I’m delighted to see this new study on pain in inflammatory arthritis - which many experience all of the time, even when notionally in remission. Funded by @arthritisuk.bsky.social this patient-led research can’t come soon enough. #PsoriaticArthritis

MPs on the Commons Education Committee have warned that the £925 international student levy, due in August 2028, will land on a UK university sector where 24 providers are already at risk of insolvency.

from @timeshighered.bsky.social “Attendance rates of UK university students have plummeted in the past two decades, according to a new longitudinal analysis of student satisfaction surveys, despite in-person interactions being consistently named a marker of a good academic experience.” #academicsky

'The key findings were said to be “surprisingly simple”: “a good student academic experience ultimately comes down to quality teaching, access to in person interaction with teachers and a strong sense of belonging”.' 2/3

More on the Kings-Cranfield “merger” here (if you can access): https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/kings-college-london-merge-cranfield-university #UKHE

A ”merger” between Kings and Cranfield was not one I saw coming: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/may/14/kings-college-london-to-merge-with-cranfield-university #UKHE