Greater leadership from the top is required to ensure student wellbeing is the number-one priority, said Minister for Higher Education Sam Gyimah in a letter to the UK's university heads – as reported today by the UK's national news, such as The Independent.
Brunel University London's Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Julia Buckingham CBE, welcomes the fact that student wellbeing is featuring high on the Minister's agenda.
"Good mental health and wellbeing is essential to students’ academic success, to their development during such an important time in their lives, to entering the career of their choice when they graduate and to leading a fulfilling and rewarding life," she explained.
"We are proud of all the work that has already been done at Brunel to embed the principles of Universities UK’s Stepchange framework and to create an inclusive and supportive environment that recognises and promotes the wellbeing of students and staff.
"But it’s not an area in which we can stand still, and next month – 3 October – we will launch our Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2018, highlighting our ambitions to deliver a university-wide approach to what is such a complex issue. They include taking steps to promote health and wellbeing throughout our community, working closely with our local NHS partners to enable stronger links with mental health services and developing an environment in which staff and student work together to support mental health and wellbeing at the heart of our community.
"We welcome the Minister’s commitment and look forward to working with the rest of the sector to support the brilliant young minds of the future."
Reported by:
Joe Buchanunn,
Media Relations
+44 (0)1895 268821
joe.buchanunn@brunel.ac.uk