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How Academics Can Help Ensure Students' Wellbeing
How Academics Can Help Ensure Students' Wellbeing
Claire Shaw
Wed 1 Oct 2014 11.31 BST
A
s the new academic term gets underway, a fresh cohort of eager students get to grips
with being back in education. Many will have moved away from home, others will
have arrived from another country. They now have to learn how to live and study
independently. Given all these changes, it’s not then surprising that many students
face emotional difficulties when they start university.
Student demand for counselling has risen by a third since 2008 and UK universities have reported
seeing an overall increase in the numbers of students seeking support. Although many university
departments offer training to academic and teaching staff, and are now appointing academics
with welfare roles, this does not necessarily prepare them for the emotional issues that can arise.
Lecturers are often the first point of contact for students, especially in the first term. But
increased expectations on staff make it difficult to dedicate lots of time to students. There are,
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however, some things that academics can do to make sure these struggling students don’t become
isolated or slip through the net. Here are 10 tips from a range of university professionals:
2 Be approachable
“Try to be empathetic and approachable, and remember that a student’s front stage performance
may not reflect what they are really feeling. This can be easier than you might think, as often the
most important factor in whether a student will feel welcomed or not is if a staff member knows
their name. You are not expected to deal with any problem a student has, but it is important that
they do not become isolated or slip through the net.” (Chris Till, senior lecturer in social science,
Leeds Beckett University)
“It is not just about giving more support but knowing where the boundaries are, and when not to
engage with support – this is not the same as being unsupportive. You can get too many people
engaged with supporting one student, which can take up all the student’s time.” (Deborah Green,
head of student support and wellbeing, Sheffield University)
“Academics have an incredibly busy workload and it’s quite difficult to drop everything and focus
your attention on one student who comes knocking at your door. But if they can do that for just
five minutes, it makes all the difference. Students’ will then be more able to seek support in the
future.” (Emma Nelson, student experience manager school of sociology and social policy, Leeds
University)
“This can be disconcerting for early career researchers – nothing in the training prepares you for
the first time that a student asks to see you and then bursts into tears. Academics need to act with
human warmth and empathy while also understanding that some problems are out of their
control. (Martin Eve, lecturer in English literature, Lincoln University)
“Little things can make a huge difference to students who are experiencing issues: a brief
discussion of how to organise their upcoming deadlines ; short-term meetings to check on their
progress; and contacting other lecturers whose assignments the student may not be able to hand
in on time. But be aware of confidentiality issues; don’t send an email to the entire department
explaining your student’s situation in detail; it’s a breach of confidence if they haven’t given you
consent to do so.” (Nadine Muller, lecturer in English literature and cultural history, Liverpool
John Moores University)
“It is easy to lead students into relying on your support permanently and excessively, something
which neither helps your nor their wellbeing. You can help them deal with things, but you can’t
deal with their problems for them.” (Nadine Muller)
are the signs that should academics look out for? Charlotte Vaughan, mental health disability
advisor at UCL, offers some expert advice:
Has the student told you they feel unwell or have they asked for help?
•
Is there anything noticeable or different about the student’s appearance (low weight, lack of
•
personal hygiene)?
Does the student sound unusual (flat, agitated, very quiet, very loud)?
•
Is there anything noticeable about the student’s mood (very changeable moods, tearful, very
•
tired)?
Does the student smell unusual (smell of cannabis or alcohol)?
•
Is the student threatening to harm themselves or someone else? Crisis situations are rare and
•
require immediate action (eg stay with the student, call 999, ask colleagues to support you).
How long has the student been feeling like this? Everyone can have bad days or experience
•
stress, but if the problem lasts several weeks, this could indicate a problem.
Listen to your instincts – when you see the student, do you sense that something is wrong,
•
even if you cannot identify exactly the exact problem? No single member of university staff is
expected to manage a mental health issue on their own. Make sure you share any concerns with
your manager or immediate colleagues as soon as possible.
Do you have any advice to add? Share your helpful tips in the comments below.
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Topics
Universities
Mental health: a university crisis
Academics
Student experience
Higher education
Students
features
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