The end of term is near, everyone is tired and feeling a bit frazzled so I asked our first years to tell me the best things about their time in Exeter so far. They queued up to tell us 🥰 #FeelGoodFriday
Nicky King retweeted
We have an exciting set of new #undergraduate #physics courses for 2025 entry available as BSc or MPhys:
⚛️Physics
⚛️Physics with Astrophysics
⚛️Physics with Biophysics
⚛️Physics with Quantum Technology
⚛️Theoretical Physics
See website for details - exeter.ac.uk/study/undergrad…
Nicky King retweeted
Happy to share that an article I wrote during the summer has been published in
@timeshighered
On practical strategies for supporting student engagement - from early tracking to compassionate intervention.
timeshighereducation.com/cam…
Nicky King retweeted
IMPORTANT PLS SHARE. It's rumoured the English £9,250 tuition fee cap may be raised this pm for the 1st time in 8yrs, as University's finances are strained. As student finance misunderstandings abound, I've bashed out a few notes to help...
1. Higher tuition fees WON'T change what most pay each year. For most, they're paid for you by the student loans company and you repay afterwards only if you earn over the threshold. The amount you repay each year (9% over the threshold) solely depends on what you earn not on what you borrow.
2. Increasing tuition fees will only see those who clear the loan in full over the 40yrs pay more. That is generally mid-high to higher earning university leavers only, so the cost of increasing them will generally be born by the more affluent. Most lower and middle earning university leavers will simply pay 9% extra tax above the threshold for 40yrs (and higher tuition fees won't change that)
3. The rise is tuition fees is likely to be trivial compared to the changes the last govt made for 2023 starters. 2023 starters had their repayment thresholds dropped to £25,000 (from £27,295/yr) and had the time they had to keep repaying for (unless cleared) extended to 40years from 30years.
So these higher annual repayments for longer, increased by over 50% the amount many graduates will eventually have to pay back for going to university. Yet they were almost stealth changes because people can't intuitively feel the seismic impact.
Changing tuition fees is a more obvious rise, but in reality has far less of an impact on the amount most will repay (though combined with the 2023 changes it does certainly up the cost).
4. The biggest practical problem for students isnt tution fees (even if raised) its the fact maintenace loans aren't big enough. English maintenance loans have not kept pace with inflation. I'd urge the govt to couple the tuition fee loans with bigger living loans - if not it is a real risk to social mobility, with those from the poorest backgrounds likely to be worse affected.
I could write more, but will stop here, hopefully this gives an idea the issues are less straightforward than many feel.
Nicky King retweeted
We're giving away two Argyle-branded copies of EA Sports FC25! 💚
1️⃣ Press repost
2️⃣ Follow @Argyle
3️⃣ Comment 'Xbox' or 'PS5' for your preferred console
Winners will be selected on Friday, 1 November.
Nicky King retweeted
ICYMI: Alison Etheridge, President of the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences, sets out the economic contribution of the discipline – and how the academy will work to shift the dial on the national attitude to maths wonkhe.com/blogs/the-contrib…
Nicky King retweeted
Exciting News! TASO has selected @CanterburyCCUni, @uniofeastanglia, and @UniofExeter to evaluate student mental health interventions. @IpsosUK will independently evaluate.
Learn more about the project and each intervention: taso.org.uk/news-item/new-pa…

ALT The image features a blue background with a pattern of faint human figures and the TASO logo in the top left corner. In the centre, bold white text reads "Using quasi-experimental designs to evaluate mental health and wellbeing interventions," and just above it, green text states "Partner Announcement." To the right of the title, there is an icon of three stylised figures in green, symbolising a group of people.
Really proud of the work we're doing @UniofExeter to do just this, putting specialist pastoral mentors in as core parts of departmental tutoring teams.
An effective personal academic tutor system may require specialist academic support wonkhe.com/blogs/what-an-eff… via @wonkhe
Great #universitychallenge win @UniofExeter, and great mining and minerals knowledge making @CambSchMines proud!
An important discussion of 'unexplained grade inflation'. If outcome is determined simply by intake grades, institution type and other fixed factors then why do all the hard work of teaching and assessment?
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We're rightly pushed to narrow awarding gaps but that could lead to more 1st class degrees, or do we downgrade other students in the name of equality? Is it possible that equality of access and opportunity might lead to more good outcomes? In fact is that not desirable?
Not my normal topic but genuinely one of the best things we've watched for years. Not just for the cricket but showing what it means to be a teenage boy, how hard growing up can be but also how much hope and potential there is in those boys and so many others.
Thanks for watching a special group of lads 💥
@kylehogg22
#fieldofdreams
I'm sure it says something about me that I'm nearly as excited about receiving the final proofs of our soon to be published manuscript on student support, as I am about picking up my new car today. It's been an exciting day all round!
Three days work to go before leave. Pretty much sums up my state at the moment, clinging on half asleep!
Nicky King retweeted
Interested in teaching in the Natural Sciences? Maternity cover for the next academic year is needed in UoB LANS to deliver our core teaching and supervise projects! Perfect for those wishing to develop their interdisciplinary science pedagogy. @SocNatSci
edzz.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/…
Mental reset for the end of another academic year and the last chance to get out without the children! A beautiful day out to Bleak House and Green Tor #dartmoor
Really looking forward to this event later. Join us for some light relief from pouring over NSS results!
From support to success wonkhe.com/events/from-suppo… via @wonkhe
This is the most important piece of work I've been involved with over many years @UniofExeter. I'm hugely proud of what we are doing, and we have a fabulous team.
NEW on Wonkhe: Leaders from six institutions working to transform their academic support provision reflect on what they are trying to achieve @wonkhe wonkhe.com/blogs/how-univers…
Appointing experts based on skills knowledge and experience not cronyism and buying favour. Vote earned already.
Sir Patrick Vallance KCB has been appointed Minister of State (Minister for Science) in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology @SciTechgovuk.



















