How can the well-being of students and the academic community be promoted at our university? What is meant by student well-being work? Who is responsible for the well-being of the university community? What types of guidance and support are offered to students at UEF?
The objective of student well-being work is to promote students’ health and ability to study and well-being in learning communities and to prevent social exclusion. Other objectives include creating healthy and safe study and learning environments and fostering the mental health of students by means of both community and individual support.
Student well-being and study ability team (hyry)
The university has appointed a Student Well-being and Study Ability Team (HYRY). The composition of the team is multidisciplinary and its work supports the strategy of UEF. Head of Student Services Tuija Pasanen (e-mail: firstname.lastname(at)uef.fi), acts as the chair of the team and coordinates student well-being work at UEF, secretary of the team is Planner Ronja Mäkinen. The team is composed of representatives from each UEF faculty (substance abuse contact persons), the Language Centre, the Student Union, Aducate, and Student and Learning Services. The team’s meetings are based on specific themes, and various experts are actively invited to and consulted in the meetings. The team works closely with its network of experts while also taking into account staff well-being and development.
Psychological and physical well-being are needed to succeed in studies and have a good life. In addition to studying, students need to find time for themselves, their friends and their hobbies.
Statutory health and safety audits of the study environments are carried out at UEF every three years For further information, see National Institute for Health and Welfare publication: Guide to multidisciplinary auditing of environments and communities; Hietanen-Peltola & Korpilahti, 2015 (pdf, in Finnish, opens in a new tab). Next audit is carried out in Spring 2022. Further information in Heimo (opens in a new tab, logging required).
Bridges -projects I and II (2021-2023) supports students wellbeing
The Ministry of Education and Culture has awarded the university a special grants for 2021 to 2023 to take the measures necessitated by the coronavirus epidemic to reinforce support for student counselling and student wellbeing.
The two-year Bridges -projects 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 aim to take action to strengthen the engagement and inclusion of students and prevent exclusion.
Links:
FSHS, Finnish Student Health Service (opens in a new tab)