@katharinehubbard
(She/her) Director of Learning Enhancement and Academic Practice at Buckinghamshire New University. NTF, PFHEA, still a biologist/plant scientist at heart https://www.bucks.ac.uk/about-us/our-staff/katharine-hubbard katharinehubbard.blog
@leefallin.bsky.social FYI I unexpectedly had to prep a workshop today in literally ~5 minutes, and used your A3 piece of paper design thinking workshop with problem statements and solutions. Probably one of the best sessions I've ever run!
New publication! My report in @hepi-news.bsky.social looks at racial equity in UK higher education, and finds that even in TEF Gold institutions there are large awarding gaps and serious underrpresentation of Global Majority staff #HigherEducation #Equity www.hepi.ac.uk/reports/maki...
It was a joy to bring together a community of plant science educators to write this manifesto now out in @plantspeopleplanet.bsky.social - so much potential for plant science education if we come together and address the really key issues. #PlantScience #STEMeducation
A framework for plant science education drawing together the five key themes discussed in the article.
A #manifesto for #PlantScience #education
@lizalvey.bsky.social, @apaterlini.bsky.social and @PlantTeaching.bsky.social, et al.
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
#LatestIssue
I have but so superficial to be insulting, and completely failing to spot that grade based selection pools meant that all Global Majority staff were in scope and most White colleagues safe … 😡 #LTHEchat
Now that is an ambitious plan; getting senior managers to work together to create shared priorities. ( I speak as a previous PVC)
A4 Been at the sharp end of really poor workplace planning after restructure, with no consideration for total amount of work needing doing, and the specialist skillsets needed. Very difficult to recover from, particularly when institutions restructure every 18 months (been there, painful) #LTHEchat
Q5 Senior leadership agreeing on priorities and sending down a unified message about what to prioritise, that aligns w. promotion and PDR criteria. Have seen great initiatives fail because one PVC doesn’t talk to another and consider workloads of all initiatives for those on the ground #LTHEchat
A4 That universities have very strange management structures so there are multiple demands coming from multiple senior leaders, but only so many hours in the day. If Senior Leadership don’t make tough calls about what to prioritise then individuals will in their own ways #LTHEchat
A3 We have an activity tracker spreadsheet for our team which includes a tab for ‘wins’ how ever big or small that we devote time to in team meetings. Important to recognise those as well as the challenges #LTHEchat -
A2 Yes! We are all under so much pressure as a sector that burnout and loss of talent is a constant risk, so we can only achieve what we need to if we have good people motivated and valued by the systems they work in #LTHEchat
You shouldn’t admit to enjoying policy work too loudly! 😂 #LTHEchat
A2 Anything else is short-termism and false economy. But creating/maintaining/repairing those flourishing conditions takes substantial effort and we've only got a finite amount of effort. Deciding where to put it to greatest effect is a challenge. #LTHEchat
And it really makes a difference that we appreciate! Being given permission to think and write one day a week feels like a luxury, but it shouldn’t be in a sector that is supposed to be all about original thought!
Evening all - looking forward to tonight’s chat #LTHEchat
I’ve had so many people contacting me sharing their stories of toxic workplace behaviour that has been rewarded rather than punished after writing this - a sad reflection on our sector #academia #Highereducation #HE #universities #WorkplaceCulture katharinehubbard.blog/2026/01/20/t...
Best enjoyed with a bingo card for you to complete according to your own experiences. HOUSE! katharinehubbard.blog/2026/01/20/t... @katharinehubbard.bsky.social
Really great discussion, and thanks to @hopkinsdavid.bsky.social for leading a difficult topic with such empathy and compassion and honesty. Really important one tonight #LTHEchat
I think this #LTHEchat has been really important in providing a space to discuss this openly. So so many redundancies in the sector and nearly everyone gets on with it privately and quietly, but the impact is huge. Really great to see @hopkinsdavid.bsky.social create this space
Have definitely been at the other end of this, where poor planning and bad decisions about who is made redundancy have massive downstream effects that remaining colleagues just have to cope with. Too often the focus is just on reducing headcount without considering impact of roles #LTHEchat
Don’t forget to join us tomorrow, Wednesday 8-9pm BST, for #LTHEchat, which will explore Redundancy, Resilience, and Finding What’s Next with @hopkinsdavid.bsky.social.
Read the blog post at:
Really good idea that everyone should adopt - much easier to collect this as you go along, and can be a morale booster as well as invaluable for job, promotion and fellowship applications #LTHEchat And you will have much to add to that folder from your current role!
Was about to post a bunch of specific things I've done in this situation, but they're all underpinned by this: start by assuming this is something the students find genuinely difficult, not due to laziness or unwillingness.
#1000SmallThings for a more inclusive HE
This week we will feature @hopkinsdavid.bsky.social exploring
Redundancy, Resilience, and Finding What’s Next
#LTHEchat
Thanks everyone - that was great! Lots of food for thought re some really important structural issues that are only going to have more and more influence on our day-to-day practice #LTHEchat
A6 At this post-festive time, can I use the analogy of fitness and health here? Shaming people into becoming fitter or healthier doesn't work. Working with people to reach and celebrate their goals, as part of a community, is key here #LTHEChat
A5 Think it very much depends on the culture of ownership - is the outcome seen as an institutional responsibility with clear leadership, resource and support, or is there a culture of blame for poor performance in local areas that ‘let the side down’ … #LTHEchat
A3 The NSS is the worst possible timing right?! Why open a student experience survey this week when it is still cold, dark and miserable, and L6 students adjusting to the shock/panic of ‘argh I graduate this year!’ and are possible working on the hardest assessments they have ever faced #LTHEchat
A4 I wrote this last year re equity of PGT outcomes - do you think if PGT is fully integrated into TEF I can claim that as research impact?! 😆 #LTHEchat wonkhe.com/blogs/why-ar...