Improve Wellbeing to Enhance Learning and Academic Performance project
Project summary
The main purpose of this project is to foster a culture where learning and wellbeing are equally valued as part of a student’s experience at Trinity Hall.
Being a Cambridge student can be challenging at times, and the pursuit of academic excellence and the hard work that goes with this can sometimes lead to students sacrificing their wellbeing.
This initiative is based on the research and work of Dr Gareth Hughes (an education, mental health, and wellbeing expert and author) who has agreed to work on the project. Among other things, Gareth is the author of ‘Be Well, Learn Well: Improve your Wellbeing and Academic Performance’. He also led the development of the Education for Mental Health Toolkit for the Office for Students, the University Mental Health Charter and Award Scheme, and the Wellbeing Thesis. Gareth is also the co-author of ‘Student Mental Health: The Role and Experiences of Academics’. The project aims to enable students to develop the necessary skills, tools, and opportunities to study efficiently and effectively, whilst simultaneously looking after their wellbeing to further improve their learning, health, and enjoyment of being a student.
This project investigates and establishes the link between wellbeing, learning and academic performance. The goal is to reduce the number of students who come into avoidable difficulty, and for those who do come into difficulty, for them to recognise this sooner to enable early intervention. Consideration of the barriers preventing students from actively addressing their wellbeing will be explored, and numerous initiatives will be offered to increase students’ wellbeing across multiple dimensions, including academic, physical, psychological, social, and financial.
Phase 1 – The launch at Trinity Hall with Dr Gareth Hughes
On Thursday 7 November, education and wellbeing expert Dr Gareth Hughes joined us as a guest speaker and facilitator. This was an opportunity for staff, Fellows and students to come together and consider our role in fostering a welcoming and inclusive community that values both education and wellbeing.
With his background in education, mental health and wellbeing, and the groundbreaking research he’s been involved with, Gareth is well placed to give a strong and credible voice to the link between wellbeing, learning and academic performance by:
- providing evidence to back up this link
- debunking the myth that mental health and wellbeing are unrelated to learning
- highlighting the positive impact of improved wellbeing on learning (and vice-versa) and engaging the community in recognising how these benefits can align with students’ hopes and expectations around academic performance (as opposed to going against them)
- encouraging our community to consider how we can embed wellbeing in all aspects of college life, including education
- highlighting the link between study skills and wellbeing
- inspiring our community by sharing examples of where this approach has been applied in other HEIs and highlighting examples of good practice
Phase 2 – Focus groups with Dr Gareth Hughes
On Wednesday, 27 November, Gareth will visit Trinity Hall again to help student, staff and Fellows think about:
‘What does it mean to be a college that recognises the bi-directional link between wellbeing and learning?’
Noting that ‘our wellbeing influences learning and performance and that learning and performance also have an impact on our wellbeing’, discussion topics will include how we might enable students to develop as learners, adopt healthy habits, and find a sense of community, connection, and belonging, all of which support learning. This will be an opportunity to discuss and share what we do already and explore other opportunities that may exist.
- 9.30am-10.30am – Focus group discussion with staff, Bridgetower Room
- 11am-12pm – Focus group discussion with students, Bridgetower Room
- 1pm-2pm – Focus group discussion with Tutors, Master’s Lodge
- 2.30pm-3.30pm – Focus group discussion with staff, Bridgetower Room
- 4pm-5pm – Focus group discussion with Fellows, Bridgetower Room
- 7pm-8pm – Focus group discussion with students, Bridgetower Room
Continued discussions over Michaelmas and Lent terms
After hearing from and questioning Dr Gareth Hughes on the link between wellbeing, learning and academic performance; on the day and over the subsequent weeks, college stakeholder groups (including Directors of Studies, Tutors, JCR/MCR members and staff teams) will be invited to discuss and reflect on the following question:
‘Now that we recognise the link between wellbeing, learning and academic performance, what does this mean for us as a college, our values, and how we do things?’
Discussions will also consider how we can best utilise the contact hours that exist already within the College setting:
- Pre-induction
- Induction/Bridge week
- Post-induction
- Supervisions
- Beginning and end of term meetings with Directors of Studies
- Beginning and end of term meetings with Tutors
Discussions will also consider what other opportunities exist.
Question and Answers for Staff
How is this relevant to me as a staff member?
Regardless of which department you’re from, as a staff member you play a key role in supporting the wellbeing of our students, and this project recognises and celebrates this!
Whether you’re ensuring students have access to warm and clean spaces, tasty and nutritious food, a friendly welcome, or a reliable web connection, you help to create a safe and inclusive environment in which our students can flourish personally and academically. And this in itself helps students to learn better!
We want to invite you to be inspired and to share ideas and thoughts on how we can further improve our environment to support the wellbeing and learning of our students and see them through to graduation and beyond. This session will enable you to reflect on how your role supports the College’s goals to ‘support the wellbeing of all our community’ and to ‘develop brilliant, confident and well-rounded graduates’.
What do you need me to do?
We don’t need you to do anything in particular, but we would love it if you would come along, get inspired, and share thoughts on the great things you and your team do already, as well as your ideas on how we can build upon this and improve things further.
Contact
If you have any questions about the project, please contact Head of Wellbeing Lisa Déry.
