A great set of suggestions here. I'd add there needs to be a focus on supporting systemic change, training and supervising staff, and joined-up approaches as too often the lack of communication and ignoring examples of good practice result in wasted time or money and people falling through the gaps.
We know exactly how to fix this and have done for decades but the resistance to doing anything about it from the research councils down through universities themselves needs interrogating and overturning. There can be no more excuses or yet another survey or handwringing complaint of bad things like bullying when we've known the scale and the solution for over a quarter of a century if not way longer.
Supporting international students remains a priority and is still inadequate in most universities. This is also true of disabled students and staff.
"Mental health" has become a buzzword but is often not well understood nor informed by evidence (and again not joined up) so there's pockets of good practice, and lots of areas of people muddling through with 'common sense' (that is anything but). A large proportion of distress could be mitigated with instruction, clarity, signposting, support and everyone knowing what's going on, how things work, and how to do stuff. The more we focus on costly, externally sourced, and static interventions the more preventable distress will be caused or worsened. We also need far better links with services designed to support mental health and people actually reading and using mental health chaters not signing up then failing to implement their vital messages.
The impact of the pandemic, poverty and many other factors correctly noted on Jim Dickinson's list are all far greater than noted, particularly for students who're first in the family to come to university. A lot of staff have little to no appreciation of this - and again there's a lack of respect for support staff who may well be aware from those in research roles.
Recognising and respecting pastoral care alongside preventative and proactive approaches could be transformative.
We also need clearer pathways and communication between and within institutions and through FE and schools so we know what's on the horizon and share ideas for good practice.
We cannot support students if staff are poorly paid, overworked and in precarious positions. And if universities themselves are the barrier or the reason for loneliness, poverty, isolation, danger and risk.
Staff and students have been suggesting great solutions and working really hard within exhausting and draining circumstances, some respect for that and moving things forward collaborative and with hope might improve morale.
There's many of us who've seen through successive governments, many ministers, multiple policies and lots of changes in universities (for good and bad) but who still are not always listened to and I hope that may change also.
NEW on Wonkhe: Jim Dickinson picks up where Keir Starmer's Change agenda leaves off with thirty-two things the new government should do now to make life better for students https://lnkd.in/e5ppqFAw
