How academics can help ensure students' wellbeing

As a 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, 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: Find out about the support services your university offers “I would encourage all academics to find out about their university’s welfare services that are available to students so they are able to signpost effectively.” (Chris Twine, director of student services, University of Birmingham) 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) Know when not to engage with support “Some academic staff are natural when it comes to supporting students. Others may not want to do it and therefore are not the best person to be doing very much. Sometimes not having the right skills means doing too much and wanting to take over, which is not appropriate in an adult learning environment. “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) Don’t be afraid of tears “Academics’ shouldn’t feel like they need to be an expert or counsellor. Don’t be afraid of tears – perhaps keep a box of tissues in your office. If a student approaches you it’s because they think you can help, so spare some time however busy you are. “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) Don’t feel bad if you don’t spot signs early on “It is very difficult to spot students in need. If you’ve seen a student who looks perfectly fine and then suddenly they turn up at your door and they are not, don’t feel bad that you didn’t spot the signs. It’s difficult for all of us to ask for help if we need it, and usually we don’t ask until it is a bit later down the line.” (Emma Nelson) Be understanding – but don’t go out your depth “Academics are oddly placed with respect to their students and pastoral wellbeing. University students are adults and the duty of care that academics have is often perceived as more informational than hands on. That said, students also need a human connection to their lecturers and simply disclaiming this through referral to ‘the specialists’ is not enough. “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) Think practically about how you can help “It helps students very little if you dwell on how much you pity them, or tell them how devastated you are by their news. Some may be just fine once they’ve got something off their chest, others may need you to help them get back on track. Ultimately, you may not be able to solve their problem or change their circumstances, but you can make them leave your office a little less worried and with the feeling that there is help available. “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) Don’t presume anything about your students “If you notice chronic absence from class, ask students if there are any problems you should know about. Don’t presume anything about your students; you never know what their background is or what issues they may be battling. It’s easier to label students as lazy, not committed enough, or unreliable than to try and make the effort to find out why they’re missing classes or performing badly.” (Nadine Muller) Know your limits and responsibilities “There are people trained to help them with whatever their issue is, so make sure you can provide a confident plan of action, which includes not just you but also those who can help outside the student’s academic life. What you can’t do is offer counselling, advice on medication, or help them deal with their issues long-term or outside your professional realm. Refer them to the university counselling service or other services available to them. “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) Lead by example and take care of yourself too “If you want to support your students’ wellbeing, you must also take care of your own. You often have to help them put things into perspective when everything just seems to get too much. One thing many academics are particularly bad at is maintaining some sort of perspective on work, life and everything in-between and beyond. The demands on us often don’t make it easy to be good role models when it comes to wellbeing, and it can be difficult to help students look after their wellbeing if we can’t take care of our own.” (Nadine Muller) Signs to look out for Although academic staff are not there to resolve students’ emotional problems, they can play a central role both in identifying difficulties and in encouraging students to access support. So what are the signs that should academics look out for? Charlotte Vaughan, mental health disability advisor at UCL, offers some expert advice: l Has the student told you they feel unwell or have they asked for help? l Is there anything noticeable or different about the student’s appearance (low weight, lack of personal hygiene)? l Does the student sound unusual (flat, agitated, very quiet, very loud)? l Is there anything noticeable about the student’s mood (very changeable moods, tearful, very tired)? l Does the student smell unusual (smell of cannabis or alcohol)? l Have other colleagues or peers expressed concern about the student? l Is the student having lots of problems or conflicts with peers or staff? l 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). l 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. l 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.

Education

How academics can help ensure students' wellbeing