University student life

How to support students beyond the classroom, in all facets of university life. Here you'll find resources to help enhance student services, foster well-being, support a rich extracurricular offering and build inclusive campus communities and student societies.

A female student logs in to a virtual campus.

Socialising is hugely important, but virtual campuses help learning, too

The social elements of university help students succeed academically, so we must start transplanting them online, says Elizabeth Lehfeldt

Elizabeth A. Lehfeldt

Cleveland State University

Preacher man. Academics need to drop the holier-than-thou attitude and sees themselves in their students when it comes to cheating

Professors, stop pretending that you never cheat

Academics should drop the holier-than-thou attitude and look at cheating from a student’s perspective if we want to understand and eradicate it, says Hamish Binns

Hamish Binns

Saint Louis University

Diversity faces many challenges in HE, but the Council of Coalitions model at ASU could offer valuable lessons

This model is the future of diversity in higher education

Coming together for support is the only way forward – and the Council of Coalitions is the model for inter-group organising we desperately need, says Pardis Mahdavi

Pardis Mahdavi

Arizona State University

Personal crises can strike students at any time, especially given the pandemic, and those who help them probably need help too.

The sector’s mental health workers need help too

More assistance must be offered to help students survive, let alone thrive – and the same goes for student crisis interventionists like me, says Lula Torres

Lula Torres

InsideTrack

Taking a human approach to providing support for student well-being online

Using online coaching to support student well-being

Helen Duff explains how a human approach to providing support online, in the form of coaching sessions, can have a powerful impact on student well-being

Helen Duff

Arden University

An atmospheric theatre. Beware the futility of wellness theatre

Beware the futility of higher education’s wellness theatre

Surface-level emphasis on self-care without discussing systemic problems in HE runs the risk of gaslighting students who face very real barriers, says Fiona Rawle

Fiona Rawle

University of Toronto Mississauga

A computer lover embraces his machine. But cybersecurity is not just for the geeks in the IT department.

Cybersecurity is not just for the geeks in the IT department

Our first-year university students might have received no education on cybersecurity since the age of 13, say Andy Phippen and Emma Bond

Andy Phippen, Emma Bond

Bournemouth University, University of Suffolk

An empty university lecture hall. The sector should come together to welcome students back to campus.

The sector should come together to welcome students back to campus

Universities wasted a lot of time developing individual online transition resources last year. Let’s not make the same mistake again, says Donna Murray

Donna Murray

The University of Edinburgh

A multiracial group of students. It's going to be even tougher to engender interactions between students from different countries while learning online.

Don’t let Covid disrupt bonding with overseas students

We will need to work harder than ever to create meaningful interactions between international and domestic students in pandemic times, says Futao Huang

Futao Huang

Hiroshima University

Tips on addressing student anxieties in the online learning space

Supporting students with Covid-related anxiety when teaching online

Helping students manage their anxieties is good pedagogy as it helps them learn. Alexandra Dufresne shares her tips for making students feel supported in the online learning environment

Alexandra Dufresne

Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW)

Cool, modern avatars for young people. Students are ready for the next generation of online comms technology and spaces, but the design of them is important

Life beyond Zoom and Teams: students are ready for next gen online spaces

Virtual spaces can create a sense of community and connect students across disciplines – provided they are designed well, say Yvonne Rogers, Paola Lettieri and Ben Meunier

Yvonne Rogers, Paola Lettieri, Ben Meunier

UCL

Webinar discussion how to reduce student drop out rates in the context of the pandemic and online learning

Understanding attrition: what can be done to reduce student dropouts post pandemic?

How has the pandemic affected student dropout rates? And what can universities can do to boost student retention now and in the future? We discuss student attrition with a panel of experts from the UK and Australia

Sally Kift, Jacqueline Stevenson, David Woolley

The Australian Learning and Teaching Fellows, University of Leeds

Podcast discussing building resilience and protecting well-being among university staff and students

THE podcast: building resilience and well-being among university staff and students

How university leaders and faculty can manage workloads and protect the well-being of staff and students to ensure online teaching is sustainable

Thuy Thi Nguyen, June Gruber

Foothill College, The University of Colorado Boulder

How universities can offer students a rewarding university experience online

How to offer students a rewarding university experience online

Successfully teaching online is just one part of the battle to serve students remotely. Here David Woolley talks about what more universities can do to give students a fulfilling experience when they cannot attend in person

David Woolley

Use digital technologies to enhance student support services

Evolution not revolution: strengthening student services online

Digital technologies are more than a short-term emergency tool; they provide an opportunity to enhance student support services long after a return to campus, explain Steven Goss and Amy Greenstein

Steven Goss, Amy Greenstein

Manhattan College, Metropolitan College of New York

What to consider when personal tutoring remotely

Points to consider when personal tutoring remotely

With many remote students feeling anxious, personal tutors are often the first port of call. Michael Draper talks through things to consider in order to maintain a supportive and helpful relationship with tutees from a distance

Michael Draper

Swansea University

Providing pastoral care for students in the digital classroom

Pastoral care for students in the digital classroom

Providing the pastoral care students need can be difficult when teaching remotely. Here, Chris Headleand offers tips on looking out for students’ general well-being when limited to online communication

Chris Headleand

University of Lincoln

How the Open University of Hong Kong is offering socio-emotional learning to protect student well-being

Socio-emotional learning online: boosting student resilience and well-being

The Covid-19 crisis has led to worsening mental health and increased stress among students. Kathleen Chim talks about how the Open University of Hong Kong has tried to build students’ mental resilience through socio-emotional learning

Benjamin Tak Yuen Chan, Kathleen Chim

Hong Kong Metropolitan University

How universities have tried to enhance the student experience after moving virtually all their campus activities online

THE Student success forum: taking student life online

Student affairs leaders from four US universities share insight on how they enhanced the student experience after Covid-19 forced virtually all their campus activities to move online

Martino Harmon, Erin Hoffman Harding, Nancy Young, Beth McCuskey

University of Michigan, University of Notre Dame, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Purdue University

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