Monday, July 8, 2024

8:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Room 311, Flinders University City Campus, Festival Plaza

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Overview

Room 311 - Level 3

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Details

Facilitators Dr HuiJun Chih, Curtin University Assoc Prof Margo Brewer, Curtin University Prof Natalie Gasson, Curtin University Aim The main aim of this workshop is to develop staff confidence and ability to support student mental health and wellbeing within the university environment. The secondary aim is to develop a cross-institutional Community of Practice (CoP) for staff interested in (embedding) student mental health and wellbeing in the curriculum and university environment.The main aim of this workshop is to develop staff confidence and ability to support student mental health and wellbeing within the university environment. The secondary aim is to develop a cross-institutional Community of Practice (CoP) for staff interested in (embedding) student mental health and wellbeing in the curriculum and university environment. Focus The focus of the workshop is for staff to engage in authentic activities that showcase the (unmet) mental health needs of students, and develop practical strategies to support student mental health. Subsequently, workshop participants will focus on collaborative and cross-institutional activities (e.g., CoP, scholarship of teaching and learning [SoTL]) that address current gaps in staff ability to support students using the Universal Design for Learning Framework (https://udlguidelines.cast.org/). Overview Our intended audience are academic and administrative/professional staff with an interest in supporting student mental health. Mental wellbeing impacts on a learner’s ability to create, engage with, and retain learning (Houghton and Anderson 2017) – an essential skill for university students and future workforce. Nevertheless, our preliminary study showed that the uptake of on-campus support services among students with mental health conditions is low (Goldberg 2023, unpublished thesis). Embedding student wellbeing in the curriculum and providing a supportive environment are needed to facilitate student progression and to develop resilient graduates (Houghton and Anderson 2017; Van Kessel et al. 2019). Workshop plan A pre-workshop survey will be sent to participants asking them to share their experiences of embedding student wellbeing content and activities, and their requirements for professional development and/or a collaborative network on this topic. The workshop plan is briefly outlined below: - Utilise an ice-breaker activity to share the findings from the pre-workshop survey and begin the formation of a CoP; - Practise active listening and responding to authentic student (unmet) needs, strengths, and barriers in a sensitive and safe manner; - A brief showcase of activities conducted by Curtin Academy Fellows; Develop practical strategies to facilitate student wellbeing; and Develop future plans to lead change that supports good mental health in students (e.g., a national CoP, SoTL activities).