Duty of care: making university safe for all

Universities’ focus on learning and self-discovery sits alongside an obligation to keep all students and staff safe. With well-documented rises in mental health problems, particularly among the young, and social media creating new avenues for bullying and harassment, higher education institutions must take proactive steps to ensure the well-being of their communities both on and beyond campus. This collection of resources looks at practical ways to make your university a safe space, where everyone feels cared for and free to express themselves. 

Mental health support for university staff and students

We’re living through a mental health epidemic and the pressures of higher education can make students and academics particularly vulnerable to stress, anxiety, depression and other challenges. Find out how to shape support services on campus, get practical tips for helping a student in severe distress and learn the importance of mental health first-aid training.

Why students and faculty alike need mental health first-aid training: Basic knowledge and skills could empower university communities to promote and destigmatise mental health issues and empower individuals to recognise risks and seek assistance, writes Noam Schimmel of the University of California, Berkeley.

Science-backed mental health techniques for students’ well-being: University students have long struggled with academic pressure, social media demands, economic challenges and career uncertainty. This technique, from Erica Coates of Virginia Tech  uses language and body awareness to help students cope and reset.

How to help a student in mental health distress: Students are vulnerable to mental health struggles, and exam time can be especially stressful. Here a team from Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) share how to help in an emergency and offer long-term support for those with ongoing issues.

With an ‘epidemic’ of poor mental health, what can universities do to help?Practical guidance for universities on how they can support the growing number of staff experiencing challenges relating to mental health and well-being, from Meredith Wilkinson of De Montfort University.

How to combat the mental health crisis on campus: From staff training to nap pods and on-campus emotional support animals, universities have well-established and novel ways to help students to better mental health and well-being, writes Jonathan Koppell of Montclair State University.

I’m finally ready to admit that I’m an academic who suffers from depression: I’m opening up because those of us hounded by mental health issues should not have to add fear of job loss and stigmatisation to our list of concerns, says James Derounian of the University of Bolton.

How to protect those affected by research 

Researchers explore challenging and complex issues. Therefore, they must consider how their findings might impact participants and the wider public – and try to prevent research causing further harm. Learn how trauma-informed principles and creating welcoming environments for questions and opinions can help.

Research shouldn’t cause trauma – let’s find a better way: How can we conduct research and share results without affecting the well-being of those around us? Eileen Harkess-Murphy of the University of the West of Scotland advocates for a trauma-informed approach.

Creating a safe space for patients and public in research: How can healthcare researchers ensure that non-researchers feel comfortable to share opinions or ask questions during project meetings? Gary Hickey of the University of Southampton provides some answers.

Dealing with sexual misconduct in higher education

One fifth of UK students experienced sexual harassment in the 2022/23 academic year, a recent Office for Students pilot study revealed, with a tenth reporting sexual assault. This problem is not confined to the UK, with sexual violence the biggest public health concern for women globally. While survivor activism has drawn more attention to the issue in recent years, universities have a lot of work to do to address it. These resources show how to educate students about harassment and consent, how to encourage reporting and respond sensitively and effectively to cases of sexual misconduct, and how engaging influential groups such as male athletes could aid prevention.

Addressing sexual misconduct in higher education, part one, prevention: Sexual harassment and violence perpetrated by academic faculty or staff towards students and early career researchers is a complex issue that requires a proactive institutional response, writes Anna Bull of the University of York.

Addressing staff/faculty-student sexual misconduct in higher education, part two, response: Let’s stop putting all the responsibility and risk on survivors to report this issue and move towards proactive institutional responses, writes Anna Bull of the University of York.

Eight ways to improve responses to sexual misconduct in universities: Measures to enhance UK universities’ response to sexual misconduct cases and create a more compassionate and effective system, shared by colleagues at the University of Surrey and St George’s, University of London.

Educate to empower your students and prevent harassment: To make campus safer, why not teach first-year students the principles of harassment prevention? Dinara Pisareva and Nikita Durnev of Nazarbayev University explain how.

How to choose an app that will encourage reporting of sexual violence on campus: Responsible technology can enhance university responses to gender-based violence reports. Here, Heather Flowe and Laura Stevens of the University of Birmingham share what to look for and demand when choosing an app or platform.

Making male athletes key players in preventing sexual assault on campus: Young sportsmen have the influence to shift campus attitudes away from rape culture and misinformation towards accountability and support for survivors. A US-wide programme aims to empower them to do so, as Tracey Vitchers of It’s On Us explains.

Preventing bullying within a university

Bullying doesn’t stop when we leave school. It pervades every level of education and employment and, while it can be nuanced and subtle, it is an issue that needs to be identified and addressed across higher education. Find advice here on how to recognise it and trauma-informed approaches to tackle it, in all its forms, whether between students in the classroom, academic staff or via online abuse.

Trauma-informed approaches can help address bullying in higher education: Universities must take a compassionate, trauma-informed approach when tackling bullying in higher education, argues Glen Cousquer of the University of Edinburgh.

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 of Bridgewater State University.

Why your students aren’t speaking up in lectures: When the risk of putting their hand up and giving an answer is greater than the benefit, students will remain silent. Here are strategies to encourage them to participate in class, from Jade Garratt of Psych Safety.

It’s been emotional - how to manage difficult student interactions: Student advisers often bear a heavy emotional burden when trying to assist students. Meg Cohen of Georgetown University offers advice on how to manage such emotionally challenging situations.

Bullying by supervisors is alive and well – now is the time to tackle it: The arrangements that trap PhD students in toxic relationships with abusive supervisors must be reformed – here’s how, says Timothy Ijoyemi of UCL.

How to prevent cyberbullying from rearing its ugly head in universities: Christy Cheung of Hong Kong Baptist University presents preventive measures universities should take to tackle cyberbullying among students working online.

Create safe spaces within your universities

How can universities create safe spaces to protect all students and make them feel comfortable being themselves? Find out how to tackle taboos and build inclusive supportive environments to allow all students regardless of their ethnicity, sexuality, religious beliefs or any other protected characteristic, to truly thrive.

How to keep LGBTQ+ students safe when studying abroad: What can universities do to help their LGBTQ+ students study abroad and travel the world, without compromising their safety? Raquel Recuero of Healix provides advice.

Safely teaching foreign students facing censorship: Foreign students studying online in their home countries may be subject to strict press controls, therefore educators must be careful to ensure that course content and discussions do not put students at risk, Pavin Chachavalpongpun of Kyoto University explains.

The importance of Black spaces in white academia: An epistemological approach is needed to build more inclusive environments, argues Blanca Elizabeth Vega of Montclair State University in this excerpt from Black Scholarship in a White Academy.

Talking about taboos - how to create an open atmosphere for discussing difficult subjects: Lindsay Morgan of Edinburgh Napier University offers practical, step-by-step advice for removing barriers to addressing uncomfortable topics such as consent and menstruation.

Making LGBTQ+ individuals feel safe, valued and empowered on campus: Gender-inclusive housing, research opportunities and informed mental health support are among the ways universities can create a welcoming environment for the full spectrum of the queer community, writes Aaron Davis of the University of Washington.

Supported social groups and student belonging: how do I get started? Connecting students who share a lived experience such as bereavement, family estrangement or loneliness can help to foster a sense of community and belonging at university, explains Hannah Moore of the University of Bath.

Safeguard university students and staff online

Many of today’s students have grown up with the internet, but that doesn’t lessen online threats. These resources offer ways to help students and staff use social media safely, protect students’ privacy and keep staff safe from online harassment.

Social media can help new students make friends – but we must regulate it: There’s much to like about employing social media to help nervous students make connections before being dumped on campus, but universities must not overlook their duty of care, writes Andy Phippen of Bournemouth University.

Five ways universities can protect faculty from online harassment: With more online engagement and interaction have come increased threats and attacks against faculty, staff and students. Here Alexis Martinez of Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities shares measures institutions can take to raise awareness and provide support.

Balancing student data collection and privacy protection: Increased scrutiny of universities as keepers of valuable data means institutions need to be well versed in data protection responsibilities. Andy Phippen of Bournemouth University offers key aspects to consider.

Students aren’t giving up social media, so teach them how to question it: Whatever our own opinions on social media, we must educate our students about locating bias and reading their preferred platforms critically, says Stone Meredith of Colorado State University Global.

If universities push staff towards social media, they must protect them, too: At the very least, there should be training on managing online discourse, blocking tools and recognising when ‘robust debate’ becomes abuse or libel, says Andy Phippen of Bournemouth University.

Rather than waiting to be told, here’s how to do something about online harms: Emma Bond and Andy Phippen of the University of Suffolk and Bournemouth University respectively, outline what institutions can do to better support their students (and staff) when tackling online harms.

Thank you to all who contributed their expertise to this guide.

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