Author
Alec Charles
Press, PR & Comms Officer, QAA
Our regular round-up of the past week's media coverage of higher education highlights some of the sector figures recognised in the King's Birthday Honours, news of a big rise in AI-facilitated academic misconduct (and of research suggesting AI use makes us stupid), the publication of new guidance on freedom of speech, and an impassioned call for the vision of Nye Bevan to save UK HE.
It's an Honour
14 June: The Gazette & Herald reports that Dr Amanda Wilcox, former PVC at York St John, has been awarded an MBE, and current University Secretary at Durham. The Edinburgh News reports that Karen Valerie Watt, lately Chief Executive Officer at the Scottish Funding Council, has received an OBE. Others named in the King's Birthday Honours list include: Professor Sarah Greer, Winchester VC (CBE), Professor Jane Longmore, former Chichester VC (CBE), Philip Walker, Chair of Council at Roehampton (CBE), Wayne Campbell, former Academic Registrar at York (OBE), Professor Lynn Dobbs, former London Met VC (OBE), Professor Hanifa Shah, Birmingham City PVC (OBE), Grant Ritchie, Associate Director at the College Development Network (OBE), Nick Hillman, Director of HEPI (OBE), John Evans, former CEO of Cornwall College Group (OBE), Verity Hancock, former Principal of Leicester College (OBE), Rajit Singh, Vice Principal at Hull College (OBE), Eric Brownlie, former Assistant Principal at Glasgow Clyde College (MBE), Professor Rachel O'Reilly, Birmingham's PVC Research (MBE) and Stewart Ross, Leeds's Deputy COO (MBE). The news of sector honours is also covered by HEPI, THE, RPN and FE Week. Congratulations to all!
Artificial Intelligence
15 June: A Guardian investigation finds "almost 7,000 proven cases of cheating" using AI – and adds that "experts says these are tip of the iceberg".
17 June: Birkbeck's Craig Reeves writes to The Guardian: "A sector sea change is under way, with some institutions publicly adopting proper exams (maligned as old-fashioned, rote-learning, unrealistic etc) that test what students can actually do themselves. Institutions that are resistant to ripping off the plaster of convenient yet compromised assessments will, I'll wager, have to someday explain themselves to a public inquiry."
17 June: Declaring that "using AI makes you stupid", the Telegraph covers the publication of research which shows that "artificial intelligence is making people less intelligent by hampering the development of critical thinking" – as well as memory and language skills.
17 June: Surrey's Tulsi Suchak and Matt Spick tell University World News of an "explosion in big-data-based research by bad actors using AI".
18 June: THE reports that AI has resulted in a massive increase in the use of hyperbole in the vocabulary of academic research publications.
19 June: As part of a new collection of essays on entrepreneurial leadership published by HEPI, Abertay VC Liz Bacon writes: "AI transforms teaching by simplifying lesson planning, research and content creation. It can design inclusive assessments and provide initial grading insights. It can develop thought-provoking challenges and debates, potentially participating as a class member to ensure all angles of a debate are discussed." Meanwhile, Wonkhe's Livia Scott and Debbie McVitty advocate the use of AI in interpreting student feedback.
Access & Success
13 June: The Social Market Foundation's Dani Payne tells HEPI about a social mobility framework promoting local educational and employment opportunities, the use of research to support local needs, and civic leadership roles for providers.
16 June: The Association for Learning Technology interviews Zoë Chapman, author of The Access to Higher Education Handbook.
16 June: Blogging for HEPI, Lancaster's Professor Paul Ashwin argues that higher education should maintain its focus on offering access to "structured bodies of knowledge" to avoid a two-tier system in which students of "mass" HE providers are afforded only opportunities for the development of generic skills.
17 June: The Daily Record reports on a widening of the HE participation gap in Scotland. The Scottish Daily Express carries Labour claims that the SNP's promise to close this gap "lies in tatters".
18 June: UCL's Paul Martin tells Wonkhe about the causes and consequences of ethnicity-related awarding gaps.
20 June: Arden University's Gail Archibald tells Wonkhe that providers should take "a systematic approach to inclusivity" by "uncovering the hidden curriculum" – and that "assessing and adapting inclusive practices in light of the changing external environment is key".
Apprenticeships
17 June: FE Week covers the Sutton Trust's claims that apprenticeship provision is "riddled with poor quality training" and suffers an "excessive" reliance on online delivery. THE highlights the Trust's concerns that degree apprenticeships "often displace other forms of training and have narrowed rather than widened participation". Wonkhe's daily briefing notes that "the charity concludes that degree apprenticeships for young people should continue to be levy-funded, but that lower-level apprenticeships potentially should not be". It adds that education minister Janet Daby has reassured the Commons that level 6 apprenticeships remain a "core part of our offer".
17 June: The Pembrokeshire Herald reports that the National Training Federation for Wales is calling on ministers to increase investment in the nation's apprenticeship programme, following news of a recent 15 per cent drop in apprenticeship starts.
Financial Crisis
14 June: UUK's Vivienne Stern tells HEPI: "We have an emerging conviction that universities can and should collaborate more – both to be more efficient and to be more effective in their collective mission."
16 June: KCL VC Shitij Kapur tells RPN that the HE sector needs a minister with "a passion for universities" to prevent provider bankruptcies – a figure he calls "the next Aneurin Bevan".
17 June: Newcastle University's Professor Nick Megoran tells THE that "there is a crucial parameter that typically gets overlooked in universities' cost-benefit calculations precisely because it is hard to figure reliably in a spreadsheet – and that is reputation". Coventry VC Professor John Latham tells the same publication: "Reserves are there for a rainy day and it's been pouring outside for about a year and a half now. A number of institutions have been using what reserves they've got waiting for the government to do something… You can't rely on the government to fund change." Meanwhile, Wonkhe's daily briefing reports: "Education questions in the House of Commons saw Lib Dem universities spokesperson Ian Sollom ask the government to confirm the existence and nature of the 'secret bailouts' to universities referenced by Philip Augar in a Financial Times article in May. Education secretary Bridget Phillipson limited her response to saying that 'these sensitive issues are best dealt with properly and seriously through the Office for Students'."
18 June: Blogging for HEPI, Consulting AM's Peter Ainsworth argues that the responsibility for issuing student loans should be held by HEIs, in order to give the "a direct, long-term stake in the earnings success of their graduates".
18 June: The Mail reports that Colleges Scotland's Angela Cox has told MSPs that years of underinvestment have left Scottish colleges in a "fragile" state.
19 June: THE and RPN cover the findings of a survey which suggests that a quarter of university leaders believe their institutions will need a "complete overhaul" to survive the financial crisis.
20 June: The Tony Blair Institute's Alexander Iosad tells THE that universities "must embrace AI" in order to survive the sector's financial crisis.
Free Speech
19 June: As it publishes its new guidance on freedom of speech, the Office for Student's Arif Ahmed tells THE: “It's essential that universities keep in mind that there is a very high bar for restricting lawful speech…In all cases universities must have particular regard for the importance of freedom of speech... Equally, they can and should take steps to address harassing speech on campus.” BBC News stresses the message that "students should be ready to be shocked and offended at university". The Guardian highlights the prohibition of "blanket bans on student protests". The Times says that new OfS guidance tells universities "to cut ties with countries blocking free speech". Wonkhe's Jim Dickinson observes that "fans of reputation management will be disappointed to learn… that a social media policy requiring staff to not to post material that is 'unnecessarily critical', coupled with a strong but lawful pop at the provider's employment practices in a public post on social media, would represent a 'protect' policy breach".
International Relations
13 June: The PIE covers a global student recruitment report which places the UK first for demand. It also carries comments from former minister Rory Stewart that any British government will prioritize reductions in net migration.
16 June: The Scotsman, The Courier and BBC News report that the University of Aberdeen has been granted permission by the Indian government to progress its proposals open a campus in Mumbai in September 2026. The story is also covered by The Times of India and the Indian Express, which also reports on the approval of the University of York's plans to launch a branch campus in the city – a story also carried by BBC News.
18 June: Politics Home reveals a sharp fall in the number of UK students looking to study in the United States.
19 June: HEPI, the FT, The Independent and the Mail report that 61 per cent of the UK's ranked institutions (54 providers) have dropped in the QS global league table. The Times notes that this has led to a renewed sector plea for increased funding – as "the financial crisis in universities has hit Britain's global reputation for education".
19 June: The PIE reveals that Wales is achieving the UK's greatest growth in international student numbers.
19 June: Wonkhe's Michael Salmon notes that a report from the Tony Blair Institute recommends that "policy objectives on immigration and university funding should be considered alongside each other" – but that "a notable rebound in summer recruitment will complicate the argument that TBI wants to make, and that the sector wants to make, that fixing home student funding can't be put off any longer". Meanwhile, David Kernohan observes in Wonkhe that we "don't have a clue" about the incomes from, or costs of, TNE.
20 June: THE highlights the TBI report's concern that post-92 institutions – which underpin local economic prosperity – would be "hardest hit" by further student visa restrictions.
Governance
16 June: Wonkhe takes a deep dive into governance, with AHUA's Ben Vulliamy arguing that it needs greater imagination in order to meet contemporary challenges. Debbie McVitty supposes that governance should properly balance the tensions between an institution's academic interests and its business imperatives, while Jim Dickinson considers the potential benefits of faculty-level governance.
Professional Services
16 June: THE asks whether hybrid and remote working practices are putting professional services staff at increased risk of mental health issues.
In Media Res
17 July: Blogging for Wonkhe, Bournemouth's Richard Wallis and Crista van Raalte challenge some of the myths that have sprung up around the value of media degrees to the screen industries.
With thanks to all our friends and colleagues who report on higher education across the UK.