Nearly three in four eligible young adults have not had a first MenB dose
England. The UK Health Security Agency says 212,000 young people have had a first dose of the one-off MenB vaccine, and that almost three quarters of last year’s school year 13 have not. The offer also covers under-25s starting university or living in further education accommodation for the first time this autumn. Two doses are needed, at least 28 days apart, from a pharmacy or the NHS website — one more piece of start-of-term health admin alongside registering with a GP.
Turnitin’s plan to use submitted essays on AI is postponed, not dropped
The change to Turnitin’s user agreement that would have let student work be used for improving or developing AI tools is put back to September 2027 and is being redrafted with the universities’ IT association, so nothing changes this academic year. Southampton is leaving the service after 2026-27, Sussex has gone and East Anglia says it will follow. The current agreement already takes a perpetual, royalty-free, irrevocable licence covering improvement of the service, so ask your students’ union what your submitted work is licensed for.
Scottish universities forecast a tighter year despite more public money
Scotland. The Scottish Funding Council’s annual report, published on 1 October, puts the sector’s operating surplus at £90.6 million in 2024-25, down to a forecast £36.8m in 2026-27, with ten universities expecting a deficit that year. It points to slower tuition fee growth, smaller research grants and higher staff costs, and warns that flat funding from 2027 would push institutions towards voluntary redundancy schemes and away from capital projects. Your students’ union will know what your university is planning.
Research Professional News, 1 October
Colouring on a phone eased stress as much as pencils and paper
A University of Southampton study asked nearly 300 students to do at least six mindful colouring sessions over a fortnight, half on paper and half in an app. Both groups reported lower stress, anxiety and depression and better mindfulness, and those who started with the lowest wellbeing improved most. The researchers describe it as low-cost and workable rather than a replacement for proper support, and say it will not suit everyone.