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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Squeezing in some reading before I finish for the week, and this on success/graduate attributes is so good. Feels like it should be obvious, but like much that is obvious it still needs to be said clearly and eruditely. wonkhe.com/blogs/naviga...

If knowledge alone was the intrinsic value of HE, then its value would inevitably diminish as knowledge becomes more accessible. Perhaps the distinctive value lies elsewhere, not simply in what students know when they leave, but in who they have become through this journey of learning.

Perhaps this offers an explanation for why many employers recruit graduates from a range of disciplines rather than insisting upon specific degree subjects. They are not simply employing a body of disciplinary knowledge, they are investing in someone who has demonstrated the capacity to learn independently, solve unfamiliar problems, collaborate and adapt in changing circumstances, reflect critically and persevere against uncertainty.

In other words, they are employing someone who has become a skilled navigator. Seen through this lens graduate attributes are not separate from the student journey. They are the product of it. The storms matter because they transform the navigator.

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

The week after next is our Tertiary Quality Enhancement Review initial visit, and we've been working hard on prep, not least for student involvement. Delighted to get a shoutout in today's @wonkhe.bsky.social SUs subscription email for our briefing page. hisa.uhi.ac.uk/studentvoice...

A screenshot from an email, headed "Ready for review". The text reads:

"Highlands and Islands Students’ Association (HISA) has put together a neat bit of prep for students taking part in UHI’s Tertiary Quality Enhancement Review – a short briefing note and video for anyone meeting the review team this autumn.

TQER is the QAA-run review that every Scottish college and university goes through once between 2024 and 2030. UHI’s has an initial visit on 5 and 6 October and a main visit between 16 and 19 November, and the team – which includes a student reviewer – meets groups of up to 12 students on Teams, deliberately drawn from across courses, campuses, and modes of study.

The briefing is great – it tells students there’s no right or wrong answer and that real examples matter most, and reassures them that the published report won’t name them or attribute comments. It ends by reminding them the panel wants to meet them not as experts on quality systems but “because you’re an expert on your own experience”.
With UHI Inverness up in early 2027 and UHI Moray and UHI Perth in 2027–28, HISA is already planning the next round – and it’s an easy model to borrow for any SU whose students are about to face an external panel."

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

How does @qaa.ac.uk Scotland evaluate the quality of learning for pirates? TQE-AAARRRRRRR.

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

This by Billy Wong and @inspireations.bsky.social is excellent: how do we consider spatial dynamics in campuses as an enabler of belonging? Makes me think about so many conversations across @thinkuhi.bsky.social including various campus transformation projects. wonkhe.com/blogs/before...

wonkhe.com

Before we ask students to belong, we should ask where

Billy Wong and Zach Spire look at how the spaces of university signal who belongs, and who is expected to already know the rules

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Are the two mutually exclusive? I wonder if it is possible (necessary?) for both to exist simultaneously. I further wonder if we engage students in answering this question: what do they think the purpose of uni is, and is their uni achieving that? And how do answers vary by demographic, subject etc?

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Very good and provocative as ever by @jimdickinson.bsky.social. We're definitely upping our game this year, condensing our talks into three key points about representation, community and support. Still much to do to better explain relevance, I suspect. wonkhe.com/blogs-sus/ho...

wonkhe.com

How to deliver a terrible freshers induction talk

As sabbs take the stage for induction week, Jim Dickinson offers a guide to delivering the SU slot so that nobody remembers a word of it

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Very well put. Timetables are packed, staff are stretched, and students' lives are multifaceted and complex. But where we can make time to allow students to just "be", as Robert puts it, there is huge benefit for impactful learning. I am not sure timetables or campuses allow for that here though.

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

So everyone on here's talking about the OFS chatbot. I am going straight for the jugular. To be fair, it's a reasonably diplomatic answer. The rest of the answer (cut off in this screenshot) is in the alt text.

A screenshot of a conversation with the Office for Students' website chatbot.

Firstly you see my question: "Can you explain why the Scottish enhancement approach is better than England's risk-based regulation, and the importance of student partnership within this."

Then part of its response before it cuts out (what I paste below is the full thing, so this is more than alt text!):

"We can explain the difference, but we should be careful about the word 'better': the Scottish enhancement approach and England’s risk-based regulation are designed for different purposes, so one is not simply a superior version of the other.

In England, our regulatory framework is explicitly risk-based and student-focused. We regulate at provider level to protect students and taxpayers, using monitoring, lead indicators, reportable events and, where needed, targeted intervention. Providers with lower risk face less burden, while higher-risk provision receives greater scrutiny . The framework also says that we regulate to enable innovation and diversity, and that we use students’ informed choice as a main driver of improvement .

By contrast, the Scottish enhancement approach is typically understood as a sector-wide, collaborative model focused on continuous improvement through enhancement, peer learning and partnership. Based on the material we have here, the strongest point we can make is that England’s model is not built primarily as an enhancement system; it is built to maintain a minimum baseline of protection and intervene where risk increases . That makes the English model more clearly regulatory, while an enhancement model is more clearly developmental.

Student partnership is important in both models, but for slightly different reasons. In our framework, we say we will engage with students so that their voice is heard, and that the Student Panel and student representation on the main board help ensure students’ views on regulation are taken into account . We also say providers…

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

This is very good, and chimes with many phenomena that are shaping modern HE - the university being hard to reach, not the student; and the need for uni leaders to stop hitting students over the head with their "belonging" sticks. wonkhe.com/blogs/studen...

wonkhe.com

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Two really good days at @uhiperth.bsky.social, catching up with UHI colleagues and college staff, and seeing our societies and sports fayre in action. Well done the team!

A UHI Perth sign next to a path leading up to a college building.

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Lovely morning in Dingwall contributing to Highland Theological College student inductions with some spiel about HISA. Always such a welcoming and friendly place to go.

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Scottish Funding Council @scotfundcouncil.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Student satisfaction at Scotland’s colleges remains high, according to the latest SFC Student Satisfaction and Engagement Survey. 95.5% of full-time FE students and 92.9% of full-time HE students in colleges said they were satisfied with their experience. www.sfc.ac.uk?news=student...

sfc.ac.uk

Student satisfaction remains high across Scotland’s colleges - Scottish Funding Council

Student satisfaction at Scotland’s colleges remains high, with over 95% of FE students and just under 93% of HE students satisfied with their college experience.

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

A nice morning at @uhimoray.bsky.social, contributing to student induction and plugging what HISA can do. Was also reflecting earlier in a conversation about how I’ve not been out and about around the UHI partnership as much as I’d like of late.

A stone archway next to a couple of buildings all in different styles. Through the arch is visible an entrance into one of the buildings.

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Really helpful for my role. The left column is often features people see (or stereotype) in students, and the right column are good messages/solutions for reps/SAs. Chimes with some of the training we've got from @jimdickinson.bsky.social and useful @wonkhe.bsky.social SUs material. Much to ponder.

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Sad to see a change in minister so early in the session but good luck to him. Fingers crossed for some stability for the tertiary sector soon. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

Scottish government minister Ben Macpherson resigns

Ben Macpherson, the minister for innovation, technology and tertiary education, has quit.

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Getting really excited for Welcome Week. Lots going on and lots being planned. Looking forward to a bit of travel over the coming weeks too, to see it all in action. hisa.uhi.ac.uk/about/welcom...

hisa.uhi.ac.uk

Welcome Week

Find all the information about Welcome Week here as we update days, events, and locations.

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

As a bit of a language nerd in my non-work life, this is an interesting read. Universities (and to some extent colleges) are microcosms of diversity within communities, and have a real role to play in supporting language diversity. wonkhe.com/blogs/the-se...

wonkhe.com

The sector needs a language policy reset

Treating English as neutral and universally accessible is holding institutions back. Yolanda Cerda and Bee Bond argue for a rethink of the way non-English languages are understood as a deficit

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Doing a survey or bunging a stakeholder on a committee is not partnership.

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

A hugely busy and exciting spell, with lots of ongoing Student Officer training, TQER prep, planning for the new academic year's work, and much else. But for now, a bit of leave. Back Monday 17th.

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CDN @coldevnet.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

📣 CAIRN Issue 5 is out now! Do students still prefer print in a digital world? 📚 Carol Hart (UHI Inverness) explores undergraduate preferences for printed books vs ebooks, with insights for libraries, educators and institutions. 📖Read more bit.ly/4yMO49A #YourCDN

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Final weekend for these vacancies!

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

An interesting set of thoughts! What truly motivates what takes a student to one institution or another (assuming they are lucky enough to choose)? Is the quality and reputation of the student experience more important than academic indicators?

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

A week and a bit left for our two vacancies which close on 19th July. Please do share among your contacts in Perth and Lerwick!

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

It’s our Student Officer training residential this week. A highlight of the year. Wonderful to meet everyone for some in-depth exploration of our year ahead, and to have @jimdickinson.bsky.social from @wonkhe.bsky.social up north with us for a thought-provoking day on influencing policy.

Some people in a training room. One person is presenting about some materials stuck to a wall.

A party hat with “governor” on it. In the background, out of focus, is a training room.

A group of people sitting watching someone explain the content of a flip chart on a wall.

A collection of flip chart sheets and giant sticky notes, all with different lists and illustrations on.

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

The students' association is recruiting for vacancies in our team in #Perth and #Lerwick! We're seeking Local Coordinators to lead our work at @uhiperth.bsky.social and @uhishetland.bsky.social campuses. Please spread the word if you're in those areas. hisa.uhi.ac.uk/about/workfo...

hisa.uhi.ac.uk

Work For Us

Working at the Students' Association is fun, challenging and rewarding - Find out more about our job vacancies down below and book in a chat if you're interested in working with us!

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Times Higher Education (THE) @timeshighered.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Edinburgh Napier University, Queen Margaret University and SRUC (Scotland’s Rural College) are planning to work more closely together in a “strategic alliance”, but have insisted that there are no plans to merge. ow.ly/isMq50ZjIQP

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Richard Hall @hallymk1.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

My new book is out: The Dissolution of the Universities mayflybooks.org/the-dissolut... @mayflybooks.bsky.social

mayflybooks.org

The Dissolution of the Universities | MayFly Books

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

One of the three great universities.

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Excited to be at the @thinkuhi.bsky.social Learning, Teaching and Student Experience conference - with a good gang of HISA colleagues who are attending and presenting in various capacities. We’re barely 30 seconds into the opening and we’ve already had our first “size of Belgium” reference.

A sign next to a staircase pointing to the conference.

A bunch of brilliant people smiling to the camera.

A view of a lecture theatre. There are lots of people in the room, and someone’s at the front speaking.

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

This is a sobering story: not just to be using it, but not to declare it. If we can't assume the authenticity of knowledge in our institutions/sector, there's little else we can trust.

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Are universities with woodlands on their campuses known as the Rustle Group?

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

This is lovely and surprisingly deep. I recall in my UG dissertation thanking my pub quiz team; in my Masters one I broke into Esperanto. It's what mattered to me at that moment. I'd read a study on this: part poetry, part qualitative examination of students' experiences, priorities and wider lives.

Screengrab of a paragraph in the article. It reads thus:

While acknowledgement sections can give me some indication of how well I have undertaken my supervisory role, they also offer a broader glimpse of how students feel about their higher education journey. It is not clean, representative or anonymous feedback, but it captures something existing attempts at evaluation do not.

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

As I started to read this, I thought this was some sort of dystopian satire. But no, it's real. Ugh.

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Hugh Jones @hbsj.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

"This is the new university building which the King is coming to open in September" @uniofaberdeen.bsky.social #HigherEducationPostcard

An old mostly monochrome picture postcard showing a pen and ink drawing of a faux gothic university building with a large spire; a smaller sketch of a genuinely old university building, and in colour the crest of Aberdeen University

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Provocative and engaging as ever from @jimdickinson.bsky.social, and while written about the English context it rings true in Scotland too as we move into a more tertiary future (and especially so at UHI). wonkhe.com/wonk-corner/...

wonkhe.com

Is Burnham about to fall headfirst into the education policy trap?

Pop quiz, hotshot

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

I’m off to @uhiperth.bsky.social this morning to visit the HISA team there. Tomorrow I’m at @glasgowcaledonian.bsky.social for the STEP Conference. Anyone (eg @qaa.ac.uk or @sparqs-scotland.bsky.social) know the hashtag? And hopefully see folk there!

A view from a railway viaduct. The shadow of the bridge and arches are visible on a green field below.

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Hugh Jones @hbsj.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

@hepostcard.bsky.social is me; I'll still be sharing #HighedrEducationPostcards on main for a while, but also on this account ⬇️

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

This is a very interesting read.

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

A really good post from a very interesting project: all about power dynamics in educational projects, which is a crucial aspect of how we involve students. The question prompts for before, during and after are giving me much food for thought. designwithstudents.substack.com/p/noticing-p...

designwithstudents.substack.com

Noticing Power: Shifting Towards More Power-Balanced Ways of Working

How might you notice how and where power is impacting your work? A set of questions to prompt open discussion and reflection.

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

Really enjoying this article by Kassidy Puckett and Peter Felten on educational relationships. This paragraph particularly rings true for my context at UHI/HISA. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

"The classroom, whether physical or virtual, is the central point of contact between students and faculty– and between students and the institution – so it is the most important site for students to develop theseeducationally purposeful relationships (Felten and Lambert 2020). Particularly for institutions that servestudents with work, family, and other obligations beyond academics, the classroom must be relational; these students rarely can engage in co- or extra-curricular activities to develop the connections that will help them learn and thrive in college (Artze-Vega et al. 2023).Online education reinforces the centrality of course-based relationships, underscoring the importance of instructor “presence” and positive peer interactions in virtual and asynchronous courses for learning and success (Aires 2025; Glazier 2021)."

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

This by @jimdickinson.bsky.social is a very good analysis of a new @advancehe.bsky.social resource on institutional merger and transformation, and the gaps in it on how students and SAs/SUs should be engaged. And not just because he refers to one of my articles! wonkhe.com/blogs/studen... 1/3

wonkhe.com

Students should be partners in mergers, not subjects or consumers

Jim Dickinson works through Advance HE's new merger governance resource phase by phase – and finds a framework that reserves the language of partnership for everyone except students

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Searching in Google for @sparqs-scotland.bsky.social's That's Quality! summer training programme, I'm delighted to see that an obscure Inverness meme is among the top suggested results.

Screenshot of the top left of my web browser. You can see that in the search/address bar I am searching "thats", and various suggested results come up including "thats so fetch", "thats my boy", "thats no a bank machine" and "thats amore".

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

First day back, and inbox of 180+ unread zeroed by 3.00pm. Well done past me for blocking out the time.

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

So that's me on leave for a couple of weeks. Can you please sort a rota to look after everything while I'm off.

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Simon Varwell @hisasimon.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Well done the many HISA officers involved in this project. Here's to clear language in our sector!

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Annie Mason @annieemason.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Does anyone have any tips on keeping track of reading, when doing the lit review of a PhD (and beyond)? I am leaning towards making a spreadsheet, because I am a spreadsheet kinda gal, but very open to tips, hints, and suggestions!

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