If you’re in higher education and not following US court cases about AI, you’re not alone. But one lawsuit in particular – The New York Times Co. v OpenAI & Microsoft – is shaping up to be a landmark. And while it’s happening in the US, it could have a real impact on how we…
I’ve been asked to “fix a report” more times than I can count. Sometimes it’s broken, sometimes it’s just confusing, and sometimes it’s neither — it’s just surfacing uncomfortable truths. But every so often, the problem isn’t the report at all. It’s the process behind it. Over time, I’ve come to recognise a few tell-tale…
🗓️ Vote due 19 June 2025 If you’ve been quietly ignoring the Data (Use and Access) Bill up to now, you’re not alone. It’s flown a bit under the radar for many in higher education, but with the final Commons vote due on 19 June, now’s a good time to understand what’s coming, and how…
One of the most useful tools I’ve picked up over the years, both in mentoring others and talking myself out of spirals at 2am, is the concept of circles of control and influence. I often bring it up in mentoring sessions, especially when someone feels stuck, overwhelmed, or convinced that everything’s falling apart and it’s…
In today’s data-saturated higher education landscape, understanding data is no longer just the remit of analysts or registry teams. Whether you’re in academic leadership, student support, marketing, or administration, data touches every aspect of your work. Yet many professionals still feel overwhelmed, or even intimidated, by the term “data literacy.” As someone who has worked…
You’re working hard. Tasks are getting ticked off, emails are answered, maybe even a few wins are landing on your desk. So why does it feel like you’re standing still? It might be because you’ve fallen into the low hanging fruit trap. It’s a tempting place to be. Easy wins feel good. There’s something satisfying…
Plenty of organisations invest time and energy into creating a shiny new data strategy, only for it to be quietly forgotten. Tucked away on the intranet, it gathers dust, referenced maybe once in a board paper, and never again. If you’re writing a data strategy because you need one for compliance or to tick a…
AI is everywhere in higher education data circles these days. Predictive models, natural language processing, even generative tools are being pitched as the future of insight and efficiency. And while there are genuinely exciting possibilities here, it’s worth pausing to ask a simple question: do we always need AI? Often, we don’t. Sometimes, a clean…
Back in late 2018, not long after I started working at Futureworks, I found myself at an IHE event chatting to a few members of the SROC committee. They mentioned they had some vacancies and encouraged me to apply, and I’m so glad they did. I officially joined later that year, and in 2019 I…
In higher education, there’s a group of professionals whose work impacts nearly every decision, every strategy, and every student outcome, but most people don’t know they exist. These are the “data whisperers” of higher education. While the rest of the institution focuses on teaching, research, and student life, data professionals quietly work behind the scenes,…
