Teaching Matters Edinburgh

In part two of this discussion, Student Wellbeing Adviser Tessa Warinner chats with Grace Clark, president of the University of Edinburgh branch of the 93% club. They highlight the impact of financial anxiety and class disparities on student mental health and university experience. This episode belongs to Podcast series: Student Wellbeing.

Link to Part 1: Student Wellbeing and the Hidden Costs of Financial Hardship.

Timestamps:

(0:00) – Continuation of discussion of Grace’s experiences growing up working-class in rural North Yorkshire

(4:09) – Means-tested benefits and the student finance model

(7:01) – Tessa asks Grace about her experience in high school with mental health education

(15:14) – How to get involved with the 93% club

(20:32) - Student Wellbeing Service at the university

In this episode, Tessa Warinner, Student Wellbeing Adviser at the university, chats with Grace Clark, president of The University of Edinburgh branch of the 93% club↗️. They discuss the challenges state-educated students face as they transition to university. Listen to how 93% club is making a difference in levelling the playing field for these students. This episode belongs to Podcast series: Student Wellbeing↗️

Timestamps:

(0:53) – Tessa and Grace - Introductions
(1:42) – What is 93% club? Who is it for? What do they do?
(5:00) – How mental health and wellbeing of the members fit into the club’s goals
(11:58) – How being economically and educationally disadvantaged can impact a student’s wellbeing
(12:16) – Financial hardships and discussion around access to financial assistance
(17:43) – Grace’s experience with growing up in a working-class family.

(2:43) - Student perspective 

(3:51) - Dr David Overend's opinion  - What is interdisciplinarity?

(4:55) - Could interdisciplinary way of working be taught? 

(6:12) - About the potential areas of conflict or tensions between disciplines

(08:49) - Dr Gill Robinson's opinion - What is interdisciplinarity?

(11:10) - How have you undisciplined yourself in terms of looking at other disciplines that you're not trained in specifically? 

(13:59) - How might we bring people together for interdisciplinary collaboration?

(23:05) - Reflection and conclusion

In the final part of this three-part podcast, Wellbeing Advisors Douglas and Tessa talk to Dr Mark Hoelterhoff the four transformations mentioned in the Wellbeing in the Curriculum report, incorporating diverse experiences and what the next few years look like for the wellbeing in the curriculum project. This episode belongs to Podcast series: Student Wellbeing↗️.

Timestamps: 

(00:44) Douglas and Mark discuss the four transformations outlined in the Wellbeing in the Curriculum project for a couple of years ago.
(03:54) Douglas and Mark discuss the importance of incorporating “diverse perspectives” into wellbeing initiatives at universities.
(08: 29) Douglas further asks Mark what he would say to students who are uncomfortable with speaking about wellbeing in an academic setting.
(12:53) Tessa asks Mark about what the plan is for the next couple of years.

Transcript↗️

In the second part of this three-part podcast, Wellbeing Advisors Douglas and Tessa talk to Dr Mark Hoelterhoff about the examples of other universities work on bringing wellbeing into the curriculum and they discuss some of the potential challenges of doing so. This episode belongs to Podcast series: Student Wellbeing↗️

Timestamps:

(00:45) Douglas asks about other university examples and Mark answers.
(06:11) Tessa talks about her thoughts on buy-in and Mark adds his thoughts.
(13:52) Douglas asks Mark about the challenges and opportunities in embedding wellbeing in the curriculum of different disciplines
(17:36) Tessa and Mark speak on the impact of Covid on implementation and wellbeing attitudes.

In the first part of this three-part podcast, Wellbeing Advisers Douglas and Tessa discuss with Dr Mark Hoelterhoff the definition of wellbeing and touch upon the origins of a group project that Mark was a part of called 'Wellbeing in the Curriculum'. They cover themes of different perspectives around wellbeing, positive psychology and the importance of wellbeing throughout the university experience. This episode belongs to Podcast series: Student Wellbeing↗️

Timestamps:

Transcript of this episode

Timestamps:

(03:48) impact of disruptions, cost of living, isolation, pandemic

(10:43) Implications of transition to Doctoral training centre model from prior models of PhDs being associated with larger research projects

(14:26) Going forward what can be done to offset PhD student isolation

In the first part of this two-part podcast, Sibyl and Lorna discuss the intersection of being a PhD student and wellbeing. They cover themes of cultures of overwork and acceptance of stress, relationship of student/staff wellbeing and individual vs structural responsibility.

In this podcast episode, three Student Wellbeing Advisers (Douglas, Sibyl and Tessa) introduce the service, including 1-to-1 support, drop-ins and proactive activities.

They also discuss some of the common themes in student wellbeing that they’ve seen over the past 2 years. Tessa discusses the significance of transition for students going from their family homes to an independent life as a student, especially when coming from a different culture. Douglas discusses the wellbeing challenges of online students studying from their home countries. The advisers reflect on the diversity of the student population, and with that the diversity of wellbeing challenges. Sibyl discusses the prevalence of isolation and loneliness amongst students and the particular barriers neurodivergent students might face when transitioning from the structures of family and school to studying at a university.

The advisers then introduce the upcoming podcast topics for the Wellbeing series.

⁠Transcript of this episode ⁠

(0:45) - Introduction of the speakers and the Student Wellbeing service

(2:08) - What does getting support from a well-being adviser maybe look like?

(6:31) - What are the common themes in student wellbeing?

(12:40) - Upcoming Conversations in the following podcast episodes

In this podcast episode, Kirstin Stuart James an academic and occupational therapist, shares the inspiration for her blog series. She discusses the link between her roles, offering a practical example of curriculum transformation through a pedagogy of occupation. This post belongs to the Hot Topic series: Through the Lens of Occupation↗️

(2:46) Inspiration behind the blog series and podcast episode

(4:50) Human occupations, occupational disruption and occupational marginalisation

(9:41) Framework for pedagogy of education: Links between Health and Education

(12:09) A practical example of curriculum transformation from the MSc Clinical Education program

(19:15) Conclusion

Transcript of the podcast episode↗️.