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.

A female student taking notes from her online class with other students and a teacher appearing in a gallery view on her screen

The power of feedback to build belonging in online learning

Connection in online learning does not happen accidentally; we must design and nurture it through feedback. Because good feedback conveys attention, recognition and care, write María de Lourdes Gómez Calvo and Estefannía Garza Tamez

María de Lourdes Gómez Calvo, Estefannía Garza Tamez

Tecnológico de Monterrey

How to establish a culture of care on campus

One university found student retention greatly improved when it made a few tweaks to its campus environment, fostering a warmer and more connected culture. Here’s how

Robert Vela

Texas A&M University – Kingsville

Make your higher education meetings neurodivergent-friendly

For neurodivergent staff, meetings can be something to dread. Here’s how to make them feel comfortable and get the best out of them

Jamie Wilde

University of Southampton

A woman on a unicycle juggling piles of work

Academic work-life balance isn’t just about reducing the load

With the right institutional support, a demanding academic role can enrich home life. Here’s how

Diep Nguyen

The University of Newcastle, Australia

What’s in a name? How to build trust into a student mentor role

A new framework for student support meant the creation of a new role – but what to call it? Dana Abiltayeva explains why it matters

Dana Abiltayeva

Nazarbayev University

Who are you when you teach?

Teaching isn’t just about activities and assessments – it’s about how we fill the different roles the job requires, personally and professionally. Here’s how to shape your educator identity

Elysia Sokolenko, Matthew Arnold

Adelaide University

Students and mentors laugh around a table

Personalised coaching could be the key to postgraduate resilience

Democratise executive coaching for postgraduate students and help them develop the resilience and adaptability they’ll need for the future. Here’s how

Pamsy Hui, Terrance Leung, Celine Ho

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

‘Great teaching does not mean more work. It means better choices’

Effective teachers connect students to the ideas and knowledge that matter to them. Urbi Ghosh explains how educators can demonstrate clear links and interrupt their own practices when autopilot has kicked in

Urbi Ghosh

Colorado State University Global

A student raises a hand in the classroom

How to spot bias in your own teaching – and what to do about it

Bias can materialise as a set of habits no one thought to question. Here’s how to look at your own teaching with clear eyes

Dami Folayan

Arden University

A student and careers advisor discuss options

Three steps to introduce transfer students to career services

Students who arrive at university midway through their studies often miss out on vital introductory courses, and the opportunity to discover the career services centre with confidence. Here’s how to remedy that

Roxanna M. Ruiz-Vázquez , Adrienne L. Provost

University of Florida

Why AI literacy must include supporting student – and faculty – well-being

In embedding artificial intelligence into curricula without considering how it shapes students’ thinking, relationships and sense of self, educators risk switching one problem for another. Amy Allen and David Hicks offer an approach to help ensure well-being in the age of AI

Amy Allen, David Hicks

Virginia Tech

Muslim law students discussing a case in class

How can we ease Muslim law students’ transition into the workplace?

Muslim law students might feel a sense of belonging at law school but what happens when they enter the profession? Maria Bhatti and Sandy Noakes outline tips for making that transition more inclusive

Maria Bhatti, Sandy Noakes

Western Sydney University, University of Sydney

How can we better support female autistic students?

Autism can manifest differently in women and girls. Learn how small changes, such as warning students before making changes to classroom layouts, can make all the difference

Sarah Guest

University of Chester

It’s time to stop celebrating resilience

When universities ask their staff to do more with less, is it really a test of individual fortitude? Rachelle McKay explains why we should stop praising endurance

Rachelle McKay

Dalhousie University

An unenthused student receives a test back in the classroom

Why first-year courses should be pass/fail – and how to make the case at your institution

First-year students suffer from disproportionate levels of stress. But there’s one structural fix that costs almost nothing: pass/fail assessment in year one. Find six steps to implement change

Lasha Markozashvili

Nazarbayev University

A university teacher answering a student's question

Multilingualism is a strength in teaching

Language proficiency does not equal professional competence. Here’s how to use linguistic skills to teach and rethink what makes a good teacher

Yanyan Li

The University of Warwick

Build a supportive learning community for graduate apprentices

Graduate apprentices are often split between campus and workplace, their status between student and employee. Here’s how to foster psychological safety between cohorts

Gary Gillon, Alan MacDonald, Elaine Jackson

University of the West of Scotland

A new students arriving at his accommodation with a box of belongings

Stop making assumptions about students

By designing assumptions out of the welcome experience, we can better prepare students to navigate the transition to university. Kelly Edmunds and Lucy Kemp offer practical strategies

Kelly Edmunds , Lucy Kemp

The University of East Anglia

A student accompanied with her mother and carrying a box of belongins up the stairs of her new halls of residence

Why we should encourage a stretched transition to university

Offering more information before and throughout university reduces the pressure on both students and staff and can help build a sense of belonging, says Becky Lewis

Becky Lewis

The University of East Anglia

Young healthcare student in a coaching session

How academics can use coaching approaches to support students

Academic coaching assumes students are the experts who already know how to overcome their barriers and achieve their potential. The key is giving them prompts and space to set their own action plan

Helen Foster

Canterbury Christ Church University

University students sitting outside looking at a funny video on one of their phones

Help students practise digital mindfulness

By reducing screen time, students can recharge and reconnect with their physical surroundings. Learn how to guide them towards more mindful digital use

Chaonan Xu

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Research participants sit together in a circle

Six questions researchers should ask before assigning pseudonyms

It might seem like a routine step in research but choosing participants’ pseudonyms can be an uncertain, unsettling process. Here’s how to approach it thoughtfully

Eileen Harkess-Murphy, Rachel Allen

University of the West of Scotland

Spotlight guide: How to best serve the covid generation now at university

The post-pandemic university: how to best serve the Covid generation

A guide to how institutions can adapt and shape higher education in order to meet the needs of students whose vital school years were interrupted by pandemic lockdowns

Campus contributors

Campus

A peer-led approach to helping university students with information overload

Complex administration tasks and fragmented communication channels can cause students unnecessary stress and prevent them from accessing support. A centralised approach that offers peer guidance can be an answer

Véronique Hédou

Université de Technologie de Compiègne

Use short-form videos to build community in large courses

TikTok-style videos can give a face to a department and encourage students to take an active role in academic life. Learn how to work with students to create them

Ramin Nassehi

UCL

Universities are ‘wintering’: we need psychological safety more than ever

The UK sector is enduring course cuts, redundancies and restructures. Here, Meredith Wilkinson suggests practices that leadership can put in place to support staff and students through uncertainty

Meredith Wilkinson

De Montfort University

Five ways academics can protect their annual leave

Organisation and communication will ease the way for university staff to book guilt-free time off and prevent burnout

Emily Nordmann

University of Glasgow

How to reclaim your identity after academic job loss

When a university role ends abruptly, through redundancy, restructuring or a contract that isn’t renewed, the loss can feel like grief. Victoria Gibbon shares a structured journaling exercise that helped her rebuild a professional identity

Victoria E. Gibbon

Independent academic

Podcast graphic featuring Lisa Diamond of the University of Utah

Campus Talks: Why being a queer researcher ‘means speaking truth to power’

An LGBTQ+ scientist explains how funding cuts as a result of the US administration’s attacks on DEI-related research gave rise to a ‘gonzo science’ project and why data collection is its own form of resistance

Lisa Diamond, Eliza Compton

The University of Utah

LGBTQ+ inclusion that extends beyond Pride

Advice for ensuring LGBTQ+ staff and students feel seen and supported across teaching, research and all other facets of university life throughout the year

Campus contributors, Eliza Compton

Campus

Man sitting alone in a state of distress or worry

Understanding autistic grief to support staff and students through loss

Autistic grief can present differently from traditional understandings of bereavement. Imogen Varle explores how to better recognise and support autistic staff and students experiencing loss

Imogen Varle

De Montfort University

Let’s frame preparation as an academic skill

When students struggle to get started, the problem is rarely motivation. Teach them how to build the conditions for thinking by making preparation visible in the classroom

Meeyoung Kim

University of Sharjah

A group of research participants sitting in a circle

A trauma-informed approach to research

Practical strategies for researchers engaging with trauma-related issues and participants with experience of trauma

Helen Anne Nolan, Vicky Panossian

The University of Warwick

When it comes to AI, faculty are from Mars and students are from Venus

Students and academics are on different planets in terms of AI use, creating a culture of distrust and secrecy. Dina Kamel offers three ways to close the gap

Dina Kamel

The University of Portsmouth

Combat sustainability burnout by giving students the tools to act

Students care deeply about climate change – here’s how to design teaching to prevent them feeling powerless as a result

Soheil Davari

University of Bath

Global classrooms, without the jet lag: a guide to transnational education

How transnational and translocal strategies can foster a global mindset and a sense of belonging in students

Jayakumar Chinnasamy

University of the West of Scotland

A student sits an exam hall as her peers leave around her

The key to reducing exam anxiety? Better communication

Anxiety about assessment is leaving more students feeling overwhelmed. Ease the pressure with clarity, consistency and care

Apurav Krishna Koyande, Bhajan Lal Rahanu

Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)

A student on a field trip in the forest taking notes

The power of place to spark learning and belonging

Four place-based learning practices that can connect students to community, nature and a sense of hope for the future

Douglas Haynes

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

Build supervisory relationships that inspire, not just correct

The supervisory relationship can make the difference between a doctoral student thriving – or simply surviving. Here’s how to build productive, respectful relationships, grounded in mentoring principles

Elmeida Effendy

Universitas Sumatera Utara

Being a beginner is hard. Let’s make it easier for our students

Tips and strategies for helping students move beyond the fear of making a mistake – and feel more willing to try

Kate Sansome

Adelaide University

Woman talking into smartphone, AI as student support

‘AI should support student services, not impersonate them’

Are universities ready for GenAI in student support? When chatbots seem to offer a scalable, cost-effective way to meet rising demand for student support, universities need to consider how to shape their use without outsourcing care or increasing risk

Michael Cowling, Joseph Crawford

RMIT University, University of Tasmania

A research supervisor sitting at her desk smiling to camera

Five things supervisors can do for struggling PhD students

Doctoral students can find the slow and often uncertain nature of research challenging. Supervisors can ease distress by rethinking how the doctorate is framed, structured and experienced

Peng Cheng, Jie Zhang

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

A struggling student works late at her desk

Are your students disengaging – or is it their personality type?

Students who seem lazy or like late starters may simply be wired differently. Find out how to meet them where they are

Chathura Sooriya-Arachchi

University of Westminster

One mountain climber helps another over a ridge

Find the courage to teach collaboratively

Teaching has never been a solitary endeavour, but it can be lonely. Here’s how to nurture collaborations with your fellow educators that will help everyone grow

Mark Young, Melissa Jane Megan

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Four ways to strengthen the PGR community and sense of belonging

The doctoral experience doesn’t have to be isolated. Here, Maisha Islam and Natasha Palmer share four recommendations to enable an inclusive, collaborative research culture and communities for postgraduate researchers

Maisha Islam , Natasha Palmer

University of Southampton

Encourage, don’t shame: rethinking writing feedback

Shame around writing ability can be a real problem for new students, so let’s make sure feedback encourages their development. Find out how here

Isabelle Parkinson

Royal Holloway, University of London

A PhD supervisor speaking to her student in her office

Recognise the human side of doctoral study

By listening with compassion, normalising uncertainty and helping students break down large tasks into small steps, supervisors can support PhD students with both the academic and emotional demands of their studies, says Bhawana Shrestha

Bhawana Shrestha

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

A female academic at her desk with her head in her hand

Start with men: universities must do more on menopause education

Universities have the research capacity, the educational mission and the moral obligation to lead on menopause education. It is time for men in academia to step up, drive the conversation and share the burden, writes Mark Butterick

Mark Butterick

Independent academic

A university student painting a blank canvas

Help students disconnect from their tech

How a ‘digital fast’ can give students time and mental clarity – and how to support them through the process

Multiple authors

The University of East Anglia

Lessons from being academic chair of a complex department

Being a department head takes both emotional and cognitive energy to juggle people, programmes, contracts and institutional demands. But digging into skills such as trust-building and communication will bear fruit, writes Ben K. Daniel

Ben Kei Daniel

University of Northern British Columbia

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