Mental health and well-being

Advice on effective mental health support for students and staff. Find out how universities and academics can protect their campus community from spiralling stress, minimise the risk of burnout and build resilience - from institutional practices that create a culture of care to personal self-care tips for overworked academics.

By kiera.obrien, 3 July, 2024

Teach the skills required for a future we can’t yet imagine

A blue set of steps with a white arrow pointing upwards

Times are changing too quickly for any of us to accurately predict what the future employment market will look like. But we can still prepare our students. Hajer N. Sheikh advocates for a more agile approach

Reading time

5minutes

By kiera.obrien, 27 June, 2024

Research shouldn’t cause trauma – let’s find a better way

A group comforts a woman, sitting with her head bowed

How can we conduct research and share results without affecting the well-being of those around us? Eileen Harkess-Murphy advocates for a trauma-informed approach

Reading time

5minutes

By kiera.obrien, 26 June, 2024

For the future of higher education, we need to educate the whole student

A woman in a mortarboard, holding a scroll, looks off into the distance

In this extract from his book ‘The Learning-Centered University’, Steven Mintz lays out his vision of higher education’s future, and proposes a new way of learning

Reading time

6minutes

By kiera.obrien, 24 June, 2024

To build resilience, we need to embrace failure in the classroom and beyond

A woman massages her temples in front of a desktop computer

Let’s redefine failure by changing the way we teach, assess and support students and staff. Ibham Veza, Mhadi A. Ismael and Taib Iskandar Mohamad outline how

Reading time

5minutes

By Eliza.Compton, 20 June, 2024

Where’s Hector? How a scavenger hunt helps first-year students explore the university campus

Multiracial group of students taking a selfie in the park

A collaborative discovery activity has benefits that go beyond simply helping new students get to know the university grounds. It fosters belonging and fun – and even promotes physical well-being, writes Hector Viveros Tapia

By Eliza.Compton, 19 June, 2024

Buddy system: creating community through writing

Is a writing group or partner an effective antidote to post-pandemic isolation during doctoral education? Lena Steveker and Laura Spadon explain how to put a forum for belonging in place

By Laura.Duckett, 19 June, 2024

Building kindness into an institutional culture

Advice on how to ground humanity in institutional practices, structures and policies to holistically support faculty and staff

Reading time

4minutes

By Eliza.Compton, 17 June, 2024

Informal networking and how to meet people on campus

Young Asian woman greeting friend at cafe

Belonging is not just a result of being in a place – nor it is the sole preserve of students. For university faculty, it comes from chance encounters, small gestures and stepping outside your comfort zone, writes Glenn Fosbraey

Reading time

4minutes

By Eliza.Compton, 12 June, 2024

Transforming mental health in South African universities: the promise of AI chatbots

Young Black woman lying on bed looking at phone

Artificial intelligence can offer promise for student mental health services in Africa. AI-driven chatbots can provide a nonjudgemental, readily available, cost-effective avenue for individuals to access information, support and guidance, writes Matete Madiba

By Laura.Duckett, 12 June, 2024

Recognising and dealing with bullying on college campuses

It’s not realistic to expect all contempt to instantly vanish when you respond, but it will certainly persist if you don’t respond, writes Elizabeth K. Englander

Reading time

6minutes

Mental health and well-being