Conference brings focus on student support and wellbeing
More than 120 staff from across the University attended the Student Support and Wellbeing Conference on 20 November.
This was the first in-person Student Support and Wellbeing Conference since 2019. The event focused on ensuring students receive the right help at the right time.
Staff from across the University’s Schools, Colleges and professional services had the chance to hear from external and internal speakers, as well as student representatives, to find out more about key developments in the student wellbeing space.
Some of the topics covered at the conference included supporting students with their main concerns, including social connections, cost of living and mental health, especially during transition periods, such as the start of the academic year and exam season.
Speakers discussed city-wide support available to all students living in Edinburgh, and how the University can continue to work together with partners to ensure students receive the support they need. The sessions also covered student engagement with digital mental health support platforms.
Delegates had the chance to get updates on the work taking place across the University to support students. The presentations focused on promoting positive wellbeing, embedding wellbeing in the curriculum, and updates from the University’s Equally Safe team and their work on gender-based violence. Speakers from the School of Physics and Astronomy and the Medical School shared student support case studies from their local areas.
The day concluded with a panel discussion, giving the delegates an opportunity to ask their questions around student support and wellbeing.
Supporting students works best when colleagues from across teams and services work together with the student at the centre. It was fantastic to have so many staff from across the University at our first in-person Student Support and Wellbeing Conference since 2019. This conference provided an opportunity for evidence-based good practice to be shared in a very positive way, and gave us plenty to think about as we continue to develop our high quality services across the University.