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weeknotes

Brighton Rock – Weeknote #328 – 13th June 2025

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After attending a conference in Belfast last week, this week I was off to Brighton for TNC25. TNC is the conference for the NREN community.

One of the sketchnotes I did.

At the conference I did four different key things.

  • Delivered presentation in the TF-EDU side meeting
  • Delivered presentation in the BoF NRENs 4 Education session.
  • Delivered presentation in the REFEDS side meeting
  • Supported Jisc stand at TNC25

I also attended NRENs 4 Education planning and development (side) meeting as well. Here we were working on an NRENs 4 Education proposal.

Attended an  UUK Collaboration project update meeting and also spent time reviewing  feedback on UUK Collaboration project strategic outline cases (new nomenclature for what were the business cases).

The week after next I am presenting at Networkshop, so reviewed my presentation and presentation notes.

Are students at breaking point? Via WonkHE

 More than two-thirds of full-time undergraduate students undertake paid work during term time, up from 42 per cent in 2020 – while students report a notable decrease in time spent on independent study as they balance employment and academic commitments. The ⁠Advance HE / HEPI Student Academic Experience Survey also finds that 37 per cent of students perceive their course as good value for money (down from 39 per cent in 2024), and a record low of 56 per cent of students would have chosen the same course and university if they had their time again.

Three-quarters of students report that cost-of-living pressures have notably impacted their studies, nearly one-in-five students have taken on more debt than planned (particularly affecting home students), and other impacts include reduced spending on course equipment, lower participation in sports and societies, and increased commuting costs. Financial challenges mean that 6 per cent of home students selected a different course than they had planned to, and 7 per cent selected a different institution than they had planned to.

Is university still going to be a viable option for many prospective students?