What does the future hold for university library spaces?University libraries are evolving fast. From inclusive design to sustainability, here’s how institutions can rethink spaces to support future learners and diverse needsKate Marshall
What does the UK’s spin-out ecosystem need to thrive nationwide?Despite their abundance of research and expertise, UK academic institutions lack mechanisms to encourage and incentivise movement between academia and industry, particularly within the spin-out community, writes Richard HagueRichard HagueUniversity of Nottingham
Turning skills into stories: how longitudinal skills portfolios enhance student employabilityUniversities are adopting reflective digital tools to help students connect their learning to graduate skills. Here’s what they’re doing and why it matters nowCat BaileyJisc
A guide to building lasting partnerships between students and industryHow can universities bridge the gap between students and their future employers? Bring real value to both sides with these tipsAmy Pyle, Dan RobinsonLoughborough University
Forget climate anxiety – let’s foster climate confidenceCombine research and administrative duties to tap into how students are feeling about climate change – and use your findings to help them gain the skills, and confidence, to tackle it head-onLéa Chambaudet Université Paris-Est Créteil
Cut through the noise with impactful internal communications Internal messaging needs to reach the right people and inspire action – whether that’s getting responses to a staff survey or changing recycling behaviour. Here, Kelly Hibbs explores practical strategies to build trust and clarityKelly HibbsUniversity of Southampton
Just call me Alex! Why dropping the ‘professor’ could boost students’ confidenceWhen students are allowed to address teachers by their first name, it can calm nerves and encourage even the quietest voices to join the conversationMultiple authorsThe University of Edinburgh
Campus Talks: Actions that make a real difference in the fight against climate changeFrom global finance to the laboratory, hear about two very different ways by which universities can reduce their carbon emissionsEllen Quigley, Jenna Lowe University of Cambridge, University of Liverpool
When should scientists think about trademarks?If your discovery has commercial potential, you will need to think about what to call it when it reaches the market. Here are three considerations about trademarks and protecting your intellectual propertyGreta Faccio, Marion-Sima WössnerIndependent consultant
Using comic format to make research more accessibleComic literature can make research more inclusive and engaging for those outside academic circles. Learn how to plan and create your ownChris JohnsonUniversity of Chester
How to promote your book with confidence Promoting your book or research paper requires different skills from those needed to produce it. Here’s everything you need to knowElinor PottsThe London School of Economics and Political Science
Practical ways to support university students with long CovidEducators can make it easier for students dealing with the symptoms of long Covid to continue their studies. In this video, Anne McConway explains the condition and offers strategies for safer, more welcoming classrooms for all learnersAnne McConwayCoventry University
‘Here’s what not to do’: a participatory method to develop interview skillsSee what happened when educators used role plays to dramatically demonstrate poor interview practice, encouraging students to analyse and suggest improvementsMultiple authorsThe University of East Anglia
Why mattering matters in practice education and leadership placementsMake students feel they matter in non-clinical facing placements to create the authentic and compassionate leaders the healthcare sector of the future needs. Here’s how Helen CarrCanterbury Christ Church University
The dos and don’ts of bite-sized social media contentLearn how to create honest and authentic content that showcases community and creates a sense of belonging – invaluable for both prospective and current students Amy Edwards, Sarah MarkillieUniversity of Chester
Build better doctors with programmatic assessmentProgrammatic assessment offers a better way to train doctors, making them more resilient and giving them the tools to manage their own professional development. Gozie Offiah explains how it works Gozie OffiahRCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences
How to strengthen onboarding and integration for international scientific talentWelcoming faculty from another country requires more than adding visa information to the domestic induction process. Joanna Daaboul shares how her institution helps international researchers settle into life in FranceJoanna DaaboulUniversité de Technologie de Compiègne
Don’t fear conflict in the classroom: foster respectful discussion insteadHow do we have meaningful conversations about divisive topics, while dealing with the emotions these debates may spark? Lea Sitkin outlines several strategies to give students the space to explore issues they care aboutLea SitkinUniversity of Westminster
The library’s role in reducing the attainment gapRead about strategies aimed at closing attainment gaps, such as peer mentoring, inclusive resources and academic skills training to support studentsMultiple authors
Strategic silencing: how censorship is reshaping scholarly discourseRestrictions to US databases and scholarly work mean that researchers need new approaches to navigate research absences and silences rather than the more typical information overload, writes Alison HicksAlison HicksUCL
‘This is going to hurt’: taking the pain out of group assessmentGroup assessment can be seen as unfair and unwieldy, but it also teaches essential skills such as teamwork and collaboration. We owe it to our students to frame it in a way that allows them to see its benefitsSarah Sholl, Stephen Yorkstone Edinburgh Napier University
Who’s the most sustainable? Get your students competing to be climate championsTap into your students’ interests and make climate action fun and competitive. Elliott Brown outlines howElliott BrownLoughborough University
Workforce-ready, not left behind: inclusive work-based learning for sciences studentsMany science students miss out on quality placements because of systemic barriers. Read five ways universities can embed equitable, work-based learning into non-accredited programmes and level the fieldShalinee Dhayal, Dominic Wiredu Boakye, Musarrat Maisha RezaThe University of Exeter
Three ways to address students’ climate anxietyWhile higher education has made progress with greener campuses and remote working, providing students with an education that can respond to the climate crisis will be more challenging. Here’s how educators can tackle climate anxietyRob AmosBirkbeck, University of London
Use welcome workshops to build student belongingA guide to creating induction workshops in collaboration with students – with practical tips on building student confidence and trust Sarah Hadlow
The need for integrated thinking at universities: from Covid-19 to the SDGsA joined-up approach between universities, public services and businesses – as successfully demonstrated during the pandemic – is now needed if institutions are to accelerate efforts towards the Sustainable Development GoalsAbeer HassanUniversity of the West of Scotland
Campus Talks: The complex factors that drive students’ sense of belongingAn expert in student belonging and engagement in the digital environment explains the nuances of belonging, mattering and inclusion as well as how to foster well-being in higher educationKaren GravettUniversity of Surrey
Make your Freshers’ Week activities singSongwriting sessions, treasure hunts and biscuit decorating are among the creative Freshers’ Week activities that help students build self-confidence, connect with others and ease the transition to university lifeHelen Eadon-SinkinsonUniversity of Chester
Be aware of the invisible baggage of poverty your students carryWe need to acknowledge the realities of poverty and inequality, and the trauma it leaves our students with. Here are six principles to make higher education more inclusiveJordan DonnellyUniversity of the West of Scotland
Engagement isn’t a trade-off – it’s a path to stronger researchREF 2021 placed more emphasis on impact and engagement, meaning we must no longer rely on our research to speak for itself. Read how to engage with those beyond academia to ensure your work has a greater impact on societyFlorian Bauer , Raffaello Rossi The University of Bristol
Bluetooth for better health: using tech to support student well-beingStudents can self-regulate their learning and improve their well-being by spending less time at their desks and more time moving – thanks to Bluetooth headsetsMichelle Civile, Julie Pepper The University of Exeter
Cultivating a responsible innovation mindset among future tech leaders The classroom is a perfect place to discuss the messy, real-world consequences of technological discoveries, writes Andreas Alexiou. Beyond ‘How?’, students should be asking ‘Should we…?’ and ‘What if…?’ questions around ethics and responsibilityAndreas AlexiouUniversity of Southampton
How can higher education better support international students with disabilities?Institutions need to work harder to understand international students with disabilities’ needs and challenges, and put in place more obvious and intentional communication with themCarol Evans, Maurie van den Heever, Ralph E. McKinneyUniversity of Salford, GoodX Software, Marshall University
Tackling accent bias: the ‘last acceptable form of discrimination’Accent bias undermines Black international students’ confidence and belonging in UK universities. Institutions must tackle this exclusion through awareness, training, and a proactive celebration of linguistic diversityPatrice SeuwouUniversity of Northampton
Seven questions to ask when reforming academic skills servicesWith academic skills services facing a perfect storm of challenges, many are under review. Here’s how to make sure your students’ needs are being effectively met, through seven questionsSteve Briggs, Ralitsa KantchevaUniversity of Bedfordshire
How to collaborate on eco education – and how not toWhen embedding sustainability education into the curriculum, barriers to interdisciplinary collaboration can limit progress. So, what needs to change?Aideen Foley, Dale Mineshima-Lowe Birkbeck, University of London, Parami University
How student-led research can build belonging and agency A project that hired students as co-researchers to explore inclusion and connection resulted in higher levels of agency and belonging. Here, the academics behind the scheme share what they learntJen Coleman, Vicki McDermott-ThompsonThe University of East Anglia
How inclusive design can transform student well-being: a spiritual perspectiveIntegrate the sacred into the secular by making interfaith spaces inclusive for all. Here’s howYusuf KaplanUniversity of Westminster
Creativity is buffering: why curiosity struggles in a world obsessed with certaintyCreative work demands exploration and uncertainty, but students today have been conditioned to expect fixed outcomes and instant answers. David Thompson explores how that mindset is stalling curiosity and what educators can do to restore itDavid ThompsonUniversity of Lincoln
To foster belonging, make a cultural shiftHere’s how to hone your EDI practices and make your university an anti-discriminatory institution Denise ColesLoughborough University
The power of partnerships in preventing regional talent drainHow one university collaborated with another institution and local employers to address region-specific skills gaps and retain graduates locally – plus advice for others looking to do the sameHanna Hopkinson
How a collaborative portfolio review can help faculties streamline their teaching offeringHow one school fostered cross-team collaboration to conduct a portfolio review and the lessons those involved learned along the wayTheresa Mercer , Multiple authorsCranfield University
How to overcome ‘forum fatigue’ with activities that students enjoyWhile online forums have been shown to boost learning and retention, if ‘forum fatigue’ sets in, students disengage. Here, Emilie Rutledge proposes a way to design activities that are most likely to elicit student participation Emilie RutledgeThe Open University
Campus Talks: The secrets of effective policy engagement – from two academics who have worked in governmentTwo academics who are steeped in policy expertise, having worked in government in the UK and US, share practical insights on what works when trying to get research before the eyes of decision-makersDavid R. Garcia, Michael SandersArizona State University, King’s College London
‘What I learned when students walked out of my AI class’Chris Hogg found the question of using AI to create art troubled his students deeply. Here’s how the moment led to deeper understanding for both student and educator Chris HoggRoyal Holloway, University of London
Reimagining connection and communication for Gen Z studentsGeneration Z students relate, communicate and build belonging in ways shaped by digital fluency, disrupted in-person learning and evolving social norms. This gives educators an opportunity to rethink how they teachGary F. Fisher, Dean FidoUniversity of Derby
Graduate apprenticeship students are facing a perfect mental health stormGraduate apprenticeships are booming, but the pressure of holding a full-time job while working towards a degree can take a toll on apprentices’ mental health. Here’s what universities and employers can doGary Gillon, Alan MacDonaldUniversity of the West of Scotland
How to succeed as a green leaderSmall projects, broad buy-in, leadership-level commitment and consistent attention to energy, waste and water all add up to a more sustainable campus. Here’s how a UK university turned its climate awareness aroundAndrew Church, Toby MaloyUniversity of Bedfordshire
How to choose the right industry partnersDeveloping long-term, successful industry partnerships starts by choosing the right one. Here’s how to do itAndy ColleyBirkbeck, University of London
Enhance students’ employability with career storytellingTeach your students how to articulate their career narrative and communicate their skills to potential employersLucy Gill-Simmen, Maria SimosiRoyal Holloway, University of London
