Latest news with #Hepi
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Impact of periods leading some university students to miss six weeks of degree
UK university students miss around six weeks of academic study during their degrees because of the impacts of their menstrual cycle, according to research. Seven in 10 said they feel unable to concentrate on studies or assessments due to period pain, a report from the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) into the 'hidden impact' of menstruation in higher education. Time missed rose to around 11 weeks over the course of a three-year degree for those who have been diagnosed with a menstruation-related illness, such as endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome. But the survey of students also found that 15% reported having days or weeks during their cycle when they benefit from a mental or physical boost that helps their focus and performance. The report called for 'thoughtful institutional and governmental responses' to an issue affecting half the population, with a recommendation that clearer language is used and explicit references are made to women's health conditions when considering requests for extensions on assignments or time off. Awareness should be raised about the impact of menstruation in the same way as it is for the menopause, with policies, guidelines and action plans to reduce stigma, provide training and signpost support for both staff and students, the report added. Some 950 people in the survey said they had a period in the previous 12 months – the vast majority women, but 1% identifying as transgender men and 1% as non-binary. The report author said, taking into account the participation of a small number of trans men and the fact some women might not menstruate due to taking contraception, they have used the phrases 'people who menstruate' or 'students who menstruate', which they accepted 'may appear clumsy, (but) they most accurately reflect the data'. As part of the same report, 1,571 people, just over half of whom identified as women, were asked about their perceptions of menstrual education and the impact of menstrual cycles and periods. Just over a fifth (22%) of male students said they had received no lessons about menstrual cycles or periods. Women were more likely than men to describe the education on these topics as poor, with the report saying the findings suggest school education 'may be suitable for those who do not have periods but may need to understand them', but that education for women 'could and should be improved'. Rose Stephenson, Hepi director of policy and report author, said: 'The findings from this report demonstrate the hidden impact of periods and menstrual cycles on students' higher education studies. 'This is a particularly serious issue for those who have been diagnosed with menstruation-related illnesses who miss, on average, 11 weeks of academic study over a three-year degree course. 'Menstrual health is not a niche concern. It is a structural issue that deserves thoughtful institutional and governmental responses.' Professor Dame Sally Mapstone, president of Universities UK, said: 'Historically, menstruation has too often been framed as a source of embarrassment, invisibility, or disadvantage. That should no longer be the case. 'This report sets out a challenge to reflect on how systems, policies and assumptions may obscure the realities of those they serve and to shape a more intelligent, humane and responsive academic culture. That is a challenge well worth taking up.' The Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIAHE) said: 'It is important that providers clearly explain how students can seek support for any personal circumstances affecting them, including menstruation. 'Recently, we have seen that many providers have been taking a more flexible approach to students' personal circumstances, encouraging self-certification options and focusing on the impact on the student rather than on specific medical diagnoses. 'We hope that this will encourage more students affected by the issues identified in this valuable research to seek appropriate support.' A Department for Education spokesperson said: 'Our new sex and health education guidance makes clear that pupils should learn the facts about the menstrual cycle, as well as the associated physical and emotional changes. 'Universities are expected to support students' wellbeing, attendance and academic performance, and we encourage them to make free period products easily available across campus.'
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Auburn's Latest Commit Made College Football History
Auburn's Latest Commit Made College Football History originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Auburn Tigers have six commits from the 2026 class, but their most recent was a monumental one. The Tigers earned a commitment from offensive tackle Nikau Hepi on Tuesday, who is the first player from the NFL Academy Asia-Pacific campus to pledge to a US college. Advertisement Hepi comes to Auburn all the way from New Zealand. He comes in at a whopping 6-foot-7, 370 pounds. Auburn now has two offensive linemen commits from the 2026 class, as Hepi joins three-star inside offensive lineman Parker Pritchett. Hepi's commitment is a rare win for Auburn in the last few days. The Tigers saw Devin Carter and Shadarius Toodle flip to different programs on Monday. Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh McLelland-Imagn Images Hepi is a three-star prospect in 2026 class and the No. 72 offensive tackle in the 247Sports Composite. He is also the top prospect from New Zealand for his class. With Toodle flipping to the Georgia Bulldogs and Carter pledging to the Florida State Seminoles, it did not seem like things could get worse for Auburn. Advertisement However, Florida State handed the Tigers another recruiting loss with the commitment of tight end Xavier Tiller. Linebacker JaMichael Garrett was committed to the Tigers until he reopened his recruitment on June 13. Auburn's 2026 class features four-star edge rusher Hezekiah Harris, four-star receiver Denairius Gray, Hepi, Pritchett, three-star safety Wayne Henry and three-star running back Eric Perry. The Tigers finished the 2024 season at 5-7 under head coach Hugh Freeze. Since taking the job in 2023, he has yet to a winning season with the program. Freeze took the team to a bowl game in 2023 after a 6-6 regular season but lost to the Maryland Terrapins 31-13. Advertisement Year three of Freeze's tenure begins with the Baylor Bears on August 30. Related: Auburn Receives Promising News on No. 2 Safety This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
Daily Mail
26-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Graduate earnings FALL by £500 in six years - so how does your salary compare to an average degree holder?
Graduate earnings fell by £500 in six years to just £31,400 amid questions over the value of a degree, new data shows. Official statistics show the median salary for a UK graduate five years after leaving university reduced by 2 per cent between 2016/17 and 2022/23. The data, which is the latest available, is adjusted for inflation – meaning graduates could afford less in the latest tax year than they could six years previously. Meanwhile, median earnings for those with postgraduate degrees also decreased in real terms by £700 – 2 per cent – to £38,000 over the same period. Last night, Paul Wiltshire, a parent campaigner on value-for-money in universities, said: 'The steady decline in average graduate pay is because we have higher graduate numbers, increasingly drawn from school leavers with lower innate academic ability. 'And these graduates are earning progressively less, as it is no wonder that spending three more years pursuing an academic qualification if you are not particularly academic, doesn't improve your job prospects much. 'We need far more school leavers to enter the workforce as a trainee aged 18 to work hard and forge a career in the jobs that society needs doing.' However, Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi), said of the drop: 'This reflects the wider economic malaise. 'When you are grappling with the aftermath of a pandemic, stagnant economic growth and poor productivity, wages get held down. 'The numbers don't lie, but they are less a reflection of what is happening in higher education and more a reflection of what is going on in the economy.' Unsurprisingly, those who had achieved best at A-level were the graduates who went on to earn most five years after graduation. Graduates with four As or more had median graduate earnings of £51,000, while those with three As earned £44,200. At the bottom end of the scale, those who earned three Ds or less brought in £29,200. Universities have been under political pressure to admit more students with lower grades, as part of a social mobility drive. Broken down by individual subject, performing arts graduates earned the least, averaging at £24,500, followed by those in the creative arts at £25,600. Others at the low end of the scale included teaching, sociology and psychology. Meanwhile, graduates of medicine and dentistry were the top earners – bringing in an average of £53,300. Economics graduates were the second best-off, with £50,400, followed by physics graduates with £42,000. The data also showed 88.6 per cent of first degree graduates were in employment or study after five years – broadly comparable to previous years. And it revealed the median earnings of EU graduates employed in the UK were 21 per cent higher than those for domestic graduates, following a long-term trend. However, women were earning 13 per cent less than men, and those from impoverished backgrounds were earning nine per cent less than their peers. Previous separate data shows the university participation rate for 18-year-olds increased from 24.7 per cent in 2006 to a peak of 38.2 per cent in 2021, although it fell back to 36.4 per cent in 2024. Across all under-25s the proportion is closer to half the population. The Department for Education has been contacted for comment.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
More than two in three university students in paid jobs while studying
More than two in three full-time university students are now undertaking paid work during term time, a survey suggests. University undergraduates are spending less time on independent study as more take on jobs, according to the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) think tank and Advance HE report. A survey of 10,232 full-time undergraduates in the UK found that 68% had paid work while they were studying, up from 56% in 2024. The number of students working in term time has nearly doubled in a decade, with only 35% in paid employment in term time in 2015. The Student Academic Experience Survey 2025, carried out between January and March, suggests time spent on independent study has fallen significantly, from 13.6 hours per week in 2024 to 11.6 hours this year. Experts have suggested that cost-of-living pressures are affecting the student experience, and they say universities should consider how they can support students who are balancing multiple commitments. Students now spend an average of 39.8 hours per week in paid work and study, which is a slight fall from 41.7 hours per week in 2024, the survey found. But the report said the figures imply that 'something had to give' and the hours spent in employment have 'partly come at the expense of independent study time' which has declined significantly in the past year. The proportion of undergraduate students reporting that their course is good or very good value for money has dropped from 39% in 2024 to 37% this year. The report said: 'Students have faced some particular and ongoing challenges around the cost of living and needing to work for pay while at university, which has in turn put greater pressure on how the overall experience has been perceived in terms of value.' The findings come as university leaders have been warning of significant financial concerns caused by a drop in the number of international students, as well as frozen tuition fees paid by domestic students. A number of institutions across the UK have announced redundancies and course closures over the past year as a result of growing financial pressures. Nick Hillman, director of Hepi, said: 'Given the severe funding challenges, many students are struggling to pay their bills and institutions are often struggling to provide their students with what they expect, though both students and staff have also displayed considerable resilience in the face of adversity. 'The fact that a large majority of students now undertake paid work during term time, and often at a high number of hours each week, suggests the student experience is completely different to the norm when today's policymakers were in higher education.' More than one in 10 (11%) students said they would not enter higher education if they could decide again, compared with 6% last year. But the survey also found that 26% of students said they felt their experience had exceeded their expectations, which is an increase from 22% in 2024. Alison Johns, chief executive of Advance HE, said: 'While the higher education sector faces significant financial challenges, it's encouraging to see evidence of resilience in the student experience. 'The quality of teaching and assessment feedback remains strong, and more students are having their expectations exceeded than ever before. 'However, the striking increase in students undertaking paid work alongside their studies signals a fundamental shift – and institutions will be thinking carefully about how they accommodate this change. 'We need to consider how teaching, learning and support can evolve to better serve students who are balancing multiple commitments while maintaining academic quality.' The Government announced in November that undergraduate tuition fees in England, which have been frozen at £9,250 since 2017, will rise to £9,535 for the 2025-26 academic year. It also announced that maintenance loans will increase in line with inflation in the 2025-26 academic year to help students with their living costs. A spokesperson for Universities UK (UUK) said: 'These survey results demonstrate that universities continue to deliver high quality teaching, despite immense financial pressures. 'There has been a significant increase in students who feel their experience has exceeded their expectations, and high levels of satisfaction with the quality of teaching and assessment feedback. 'However, the cost-of-living crisis is hitting students hard, with increasing numbers taking up part-time work alongside study, creating less opportunity to engage with the wider student experience. 'Universities have stepped up their support by providing additional targeted hardship funding, digital technology so they can continue to learn flexibly, increased wellbeing and mental health support, access to discounted meals and other helpful initiatives. 'But to ensure that all students who want to are able to access and make the most of their time at university, we need the Government to do its bit to protect the student experience by urgently addressing the insufficient maintenance package.' A Department for Education (DfE) spokeswoman said: 'The dire situation we inherited has forced us to make tough decisions to put universities on a firmer financial footing, but we also recognise the challenges facing students and have increased maintenance loans in line with inflation to support them. 'We have also protected Strategic Priority Grant funding to boost access and participation, and are calling on universities to do more to expand opportunity and improve outcomes for disadvantaged students. 'We aim to publish our plans for HE reform as part of the Post-16 Education and Skills Strategy white paper in the summer, as we fix the foundations of higher education through our Plan for Change.'
The Independent
12-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
More than two in three university students in paid jobs while studying
More than two in three full-time university students are now undertaking paid work during term time, a survey suggests. University undergraduates are spending less time on independent study as more take on jobs, according to the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) think tank and Advance HE report. A survey of 10,232 full-time undergraduates in the UK found that 68% had paid work while they were studying, up from 56% in 2024. The number of students working in term time has nearly doubled in a decade, with only 35% in paid employment in term time in 2015. The Student Academic Experience Survey 2025, carried out between January and March, suggests time spent on independent study has fallen significantly, from 13.6 hours per week in 2024 to 11.6 hours this year. Experts have suggested that cost-of-living pressures are affecting the student experience, and they say universities should consider how they can support students who are balancing multiple commitments. Students now spend an average of 39.8 hours per week in paid work and study, which is a slight fall from 41.7 hours per week in 2024, the survey found. But the report said the figures imply that 'something had to give' and the hours spent in employment have 'partly come at the expense of independent study time' which has declined significantly in the past year. The proportion of undergraduate students reporting that their course is good or very good value for money has dropped from 39% in 2024 to 37% this year. The report said: 'Students have faced some particular and ongoing challenges around the cost of living and needing to work for pay while at university, which has in turn put greater pressure on how the overall experience has been perceived in terms of value.' The findings come as university leaders have been warning of significant financial concerns caused by a drop in the number of international students, as well as frozen tuition fees paid by domestic students. A number of institutions across the UK have announced redundancies and course closures over the past year as a result of growing financial pressures. Nick Hillman, director of Hepi, said: 'Given the severe funding challenges, many students are struggling to pay their bills and institutions are often struggling to provide their students with what they expect, though both students and staff have also displayed considerable resilience in the face of adversity. 'The fact that a large majority of students now undertake paid work during term time, and often at a high number of hours each week, suggests the student experience is completely different to the norm when today's policymakers were in higher education.' More than one in 10 (11%) students said they would not enter higher education if they could decide again, compared with 6% last year. But the survey also found that 26% of students said they felt their experience had exceeded their expectations, which is an increase from 22% in 2024. Alison Johns, chief executive of Advance HE, said: 'While the higher education sector faces significant financial challenges, it's encouraging to see evidence of resilience in the student experience. 'The quality of teaching and assessment feedback remains strong, and more students are having their expectations exceeded than ever before. 'However, the striking increase in students undertaking paid work alongside their studies signals a fundamental shift – and institutions will be thinking carefully about how they accommodate this change. 'We need to consider how teaching, learning and support can evolve to better serve students who are balancing multiple commitments while maintaining academic quality.' The Government announced in November that undergraduate tuition fees in England, which have been frozen at £9,250 since 2017, will rise to £9,535 for the 2025-26 academic year. It also announced that maintenance loans will increase in line with inflation in the 2025-26 academic year to help students with their living costs. A spokesperson for Universities UK (UUK) said: 'These survey results demonstrate that universities continue to deliver high quality teaching, despite immense financial pressures. 'There has been a significant increase in students who feel their experience has exceeded their expectations, and high levels of satisfaction with the quality of teaching and assessment feedback. 'However, the cost-of-living crisis is hitting students hard, with increasing numbers taking up part-time work alongside study, creating less opportunity to engage with the wider student experience. 'Universities have stepped up their support by providing additional targeted hardship funding, digital technology so they can continue to learn flexibly, increased wellbeing and mental health support, access to discounted meals and other helpful initiatives. 'But to ensure that all students who want to are able to access and make the most of their time at university, we need the Government to do its bit to protect the student experience by urgently addressing the insufficient maintenance package.'
