UK universities have increasingly had to speak the language of ‘impact’, which has become another addition to the sector’s lexicon of buzzwords. For researchers, the REF exercise is about much more than just impact: it has become an important frame for discussion. A recent report commissioned by the British Academy…
The 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) outcomes were announced on 28 September 2023, figure 1. At that time, just over 20 per cent of provider ratings were still ‘pending’ as they were being finalised by the TEF panel. The OfS website advised that these ratings will be updated when the…
As I was leaving home to attend a recent HEPI roundtable event, my A-level-year-daughter asked where I was heading. On learning about the focus of the discussion, we chatted about the use of Generative AI tools amongst her peer group, and she wondered why my contemporaries were so flustered by…
The story of the massification of higher education – whereby we have seen around 3% of 18-year-olds going to university in the 50’s, up to over a third in 2023 – is often the subject of debate. With such a growth in scale, it is right that our sector and…
Breaches in student academic integrity include, but are not exclusive to, acts such as cheating, plagiarism, and others which gain an unfair advantage over other students. Previously, the problem was persistent but manageable for the academic world. However, emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and sophisticated search algorithms have…
Miners would famously take a canary below ground with them as a form of early warning signal. What would the equivalent indicator look like in higher education, where several commentators are concerned about the potential impact of recent changes to immigration policy in the UK? Various challenges, such as post-study…
Josh Freeman’s fascinating new HEPI Policy Note produced in association with Kortext found that more than half of students have used generative AI for assessments. The note, packed full of information about the amazing opportunity afforded by AI, suggested that despite the headline, fewer than 5% of students ‘are likely…
Introduction and main findings A country characterised by low growth and entrenched inequality. This is how a recent report by the Resolution Foundation summarised the UK. It’s for this reason that increasing prosperity in an equitable manner is a key challenge facing policymakers across the nation in upcoming years. For…
Yesterday we focussed on the story so far for the OfS. It has been troubled, but the course can be corrected. Today we set out some steps that can be taken to find common ground and a create regulatory environment that is accepted by all but beholden to none. 1…
Public debate is focused on what might happen after the General Election. Change is in the air, and everyone wants a piece of it. Will higher education be high up the list for reform? Unlikely, with health, the economy, and global security in the top spots. The Office for Students’…