Articles
Impacts of the Cost of Living Crisis on Student Mental Health
80% of students feel the cost of living crisis has impacted their overall university experience. In this article, Phil Smith, Director of Phil Smith Communications shares recent research highlighting the numerous impacts the cost of living crisis has had on student mental health at university.
Keep readingVideos
Assessing Safeguarding Risks to Students and Taking Action to Prevent Them
4 in 5 students have experienced mental health difficulties in the last year, this is an increase from 3 in 5 in 2021. In this video, Heidi Cooper-Hind discusses the importance of assessing safeguarding risks for everyone involved in mental health cases to build service improvements and provide better support to students experiencing mental health difficulties.
Keep readingVideos
Working in Partnership to Prevent Student Suicides and Provide Wrap Around Crisis Support
The suicide rate for higher education students in the academic year ending 2020 in England and Wales was 3 deaths in every 100,000 students. In this video, Kerry-Ann Randle Head of Student Suppport and Wellbeing at Bournemouth University discusses how all 3 universities in Bournemouth have worked in partnership to develop a strategy which aligns with the needs of the wider area to support students in crisis.
Keep readingVideos
Changing the Culture to Combat Harassment in Higher Education
In 2021, full time students were more likely to experience sexual harassment than any other occupation type. Sarah Bevan is Policy Advisor for Universities UK, she discusses the impacts of sexual and racial harassment at university, on both the student and their studies, highlighting the need for a culture change to improve support for those who have experienced harassment.
Keep readingVideos
Using the Advance HE Student Mental Health Toolkit to Create Curriculums to Educate and Support Student Wellbeing
36% of students reported their mental health and wellbeing had worsened since the start of the Autumn 2021 term. In this video, Alison Johns, Chief Executive of Advance HE discusses the Education for Mental Health Toolkit and how it can be used to create course curriculums that support both the education and mental wellbeing of students.
Keep readingVideos
Working in Partnership to Address Sexual Harassment within Higher Education
Between March 2018 and 2020, students in England and Wales were over three times more likely than average to have experienced sexual assault. Donny McCormick, Deputy Director of Student Support Services at the University of Roehampton discusses the importance of partnership working in creating an embedded sexual violence policy to support students.
Keep readingArticles
Enhancing the Experiences of Black, Asian, Mixed Heritage and Minoritised Ethnic Students in Higher Education
1 in 20 students leave their courses in higher education as a result of racial harassment. In this post, Mary Makinde, Senior Lecturer in Forensic Investigation and Strategic Lead on Closing Our Gap at Canterbury Christ Church University shares how the Bridging the Gap to Leadership Programme has helped deliver sustainable improvements to the experience of non-white students at the university.
Keep readingArticles
The Importance of Supporting Student Transitions in Higher Education
Transitioning to university can be challenging to many students, causing anxiety and having a negative impact on their mental health. Elliott Newstead is Head of UK Student Recruitment and Outreach at the University of Leicester, in this post he discusses the importance of supporting student transitions in higher education and the many ways universities can learn from each other to improve transition services.
Keep readingArticles
The Growing Challenge of Keeping International Students Safe at University
Thousands of international students enrol in UK universities every year, and for many this is their first time living abroad in an unfamiliar city. We heard from Lisa Ravenscroft, Communications Manager at ProtectED about the challenges these students face and how universities can support them throughout their studies.
Keep readingArticles
How the Pandemic has Changed the Face of Widening Access Outreach – Learning and Challenges
Throughout the pandemic universities have had to devise new ways to deliver outreach programmes to disadvantaged students. We heard from Dr Andrew Ross about how the pandemic changed the way the Widening Access team at the University of Bath delivered outreach programmes.
Keep readingVideos
Student Mental Health: Ensuring a Safe and Inclusive Campus for LGBTQ+ Students
Research has showed that LGBTQ+ students in HE are significantly more likely to experience depression or anxiety whilst at university than their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts. We heard from Professor Sarah Sharples, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion at the University of Nottingham about the programmes they developed to support the wellbeing of their LGBTQ+ students.
Keep reading