Mental health and well-being

Advice on effective mental health support for students and staff to create a happier, healthier campus. Find out how universities and academics can promote well-being, 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 and healthy habits for overworked academics and students.

By kiera.obrien, 8 July, 2024

An introvert’s guide to networking

A shy owl peeks from a hollowed-out tree trunk

For academics, networking can greatly enhance your career. But if the very idea fills you with dread, Yalinu Poya offers her advice for putting yourself out there

Reading time

4minutes

By Laura.Duckett, 5 July, 2024

Ways to seamlessly build breaks into your working day

Regular, tailored breaks will not only make your workdays manageable but will lead you towards increased productivity, creativity and overall job satisfaction, writes Dola Saha

Reading time

4minutes

By kiera.obrien, 4 July, 2024

Emerging leaders, your universities need you

In a group of wooden toy people, a red one stands out

When a university is undergoing transformational change, emerging leaders are crucial for translating strategy into action. Zoë Allman and Gary Souter share their experience of leading on curriculum change

Reading time

5minutes

By Eliza.Compton, 3 July, 2024

Infertility is a private struggle that requires open and supportive solutions

With infertility on the rise, is it time for universities to consider how they support staff struggling with fertility? Devon Oakley-Hogg shares a first-hand account of her failed IVF cycles and how the experience has left her craving change

Reading time

4minutes

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

Mental health and well-being