Utrecht University Reflects on Staff Symposium on Student Wellbeing, April 15, 2024
On April 15, 2024, more than 140 participants gathered in the fully booked church hall of the Zalen van Zeven in the center of Utrecht to discuss with each other and learn more about student wellbeing. In various workshops and lectures, teachers, student supervisors, policymakers and other staff discussed how they can contribute to the wellbeing of our students. The symposium served as a platform for sharing insights, research findings and practical strategies to get started, with additional enrichment from the presence of other organisations and institutions such as Utrecht University of Applied Sciences. The wellbeing of employees themselves was also discussed.
Complexity of student wellbeing in academia
Opening the symposium, Rector Henk Kummeling outlined the challenges universities face in addressing wellbeing. He emphasised that wellbeing is complex due to multiple and often external factors such as social media influences, housing crises and geopolitical tensions. This is in contrast to typical scientific problems that follow a straightforward problem-solving approach. This complexity requires an equally multifaceted approach by educational institutions to finding solutions.
Mental health: Beyond the linear model
Professor Floortje Scheepers offered a fresh perspective on mental health by pointing out the limitations of the traditional linear disease model. That would not be able to capture the dynamic and context-dependent nature of psychological health. Among other things, she introduced the metaphor of “orchids” and “dandelions” to describe individuals who respond differently to environmental factors, with the orchid not being a diseased dandelion. They are simply not the same. With that, Scheepers argued for a more personalised approach to mental health support that takes into account each student’s unique contexts and needs.
Figures and trends
The symposium also highlighted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of students, with Professor Gonneke Stevens discussing some trends of declining mental wellbeing among school-aged adolescents and students. This highlighted the need for institutions to prioritise wellbeing.