More students using it, fewer confident in their own work
Student use of AI has risen to a record high while self-reported academic confidence, critical thinking and fluency decline, according to new figures. The causal direction is unproven and the correlation is worth taking seriously: the tool that removes the difficulty also removes the practice. It follows research showing disadvantaged students use it to finish work while better-off peers use it to learn. Academic misconduct covers the rules.
A new vice-chancellor at a university in crisis
Goldsmiths has appointed Joanna Newman, currently deputy vice-chancellor at SOAS, to take up the post in September — weeks after its outgoing leadership warned of a cash crisis by August 2027 and staff began indefinite strike action. New leadership at a struggling institution usually means a fresh restructuring plan, which students should expect to see in the autumn.
Sustainability rankings, with a British university top of 1,646
Manchester has topped the Times Higher Education sustainability rankings of 1,646 universities globally, with other Russell Group institutions spread widely below it. Sustainability rankings measure institutional commitments and research as much as campus practice, so the student-facing test remains simpler: whether the buildings are warm, the food is affordable and the bins get sorted.