The following is a link to a resource from the 'Are You Ok?' website about healthy LGBTI relationships, including where to go for help if things get tough. Click here for more information.
You, Me/Us Booklet
"In our own words" - Student experiences of sexual violence prior to and during tertiary education
This report by Thursdays in Black is an investigation into student experiences of sexual violence prior to and during tertiary education in New Zealand. It includes statistics regarding the prevalence of sexual assault, an examination of the flaws in the current sexuality education at secondary school and tertiary level (particularly surrounding consent), and several urgent calls to action.
The report can be viewed here and the results of their sexual violence survey can be found here.
State of Positive Education
A report by the World Government Summit, in collaboration with the International Positive Education Network. "Positive education views school as a place where students not only cultivate their intellectual minds, but also develop a broad set of character strengths, virtues, and competencies, which together support their well-being [...] This report is broken into five sections: one leader’s perspective and introduction to positive education and its history; case studies from primary, secondary, and tertiary schools around the world that are actively implementing positive education; and policy perspectives on positive education."
The report can be found here.
Social Media: An Alcohol-Saturated Space
This policy brief covers the case for regulation of alcohol marketing on social media sites. This is a highly relevant issue for student drinking.
"The pervasiveness of alcohol-related content and alcohol marketing on social media sites works to normalise alcohol consumption, including excessive drinking [...] We summarise the evidence supporting the need for an urgent review of alcohol marketing via social media – a challenge that can no longer be ignored if New Zealand is to make a serious commitment to reduce the harm caused by alcohol to our young people and communities."
The full report is available here.
The State of the Tertiary Education Sector in New Zealand – 2013
"The Survey of Work and Wellbeing in the Tertiary Education Sector surveyed academic and support staff from New Zealand universities, polytechnics, technical institutes and wananga. Almost 3,000 respondents completed the survey, the majority of whom were union members. The findings detailed in this report paint a picture of deteriorating wellbeing, with intensifying workloads and reduced satisfaction with work in the sector."
Full report available here
A policy brief for promoting mental wellbeing in universities (Healthy Sydney University)
"The main aim was to review the effectiveness of population or settings-based strategies and approaches for promoting the mental wellbeing of students and staff within universities. This policy brief focuses on the papers relating specifically to mental health outcomes (around a third of the papers reviewed). The remaining two thirds of papers were focused on alcohol, tobacco or other drugs; we have included a short summary of these papers in the ‘Discussion’ section."
Full report available here
South Island Tertiary Forum Presentations - November 2016
The South Island Tertiary Forum was held recently on 16 November at the University of Canterbury, with about 50 people in attendance. This is the PechaKucha session with 8 short and punchy presentations on a range of topics including; Staff Wellbeing: why and how (Katharina Näswall, UC), The stories: international student wellbeing (Jonie Chang, UC), Student Wellbeing Advisory Group (Emily Barker, UCSA), Get-it-together Series 2017 (Catherine Staite, UCSA), Thursdays in Black and Mental Health Week (Jayne Smith, Lincoln), Building resilience in the curriculum (Tracy Clelland, UC), UC PERMA-culture: a healthy place to live and learn (Rose Reynolds, UC), and South Island Tertiary Health and Wellbeing Survey findings (Anna Thorpe, CDHB).
Videos of presentations are available here
Tau Ora - Staff Wellness Programme
"Tau Ora is a holistic organisational wellness programme developed at Te Wananga o Aotearoa. The programme was launched in 2007 and has been hugely successful with more than 50% of staff engaging with the programme each year."
Website available here
Wellbeing in Higher Education Website
"The Wellbeing in Higher Education Network (WiHEN) promotes the exchange of ideas, collaboration and supportive relationships for practitioners applying, and researching the application of, wellbeing science, organisational and positive psychology, and positive education in tertiary and higher education environments."
Website available here
Mental Health and Wellbeing Discussion Paper - UBC Vancouver
"This paper will present the following: 1. The post-secondary mental health challenge and rationale for institutional action; 2. The scope of the challenge at UBC; 3. Guidance from the literature, best practices research and key organizations on the components of a successful campus mental health strategy; 4. Overview of the draft UBC Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy; 5. Discussion of current mental health initiatives at UBC; 6. Discussion of priority actions and next steps under the UBC Mental Health and Wellbeing strategy"
Full discussion paper available here
A blueprint for student mental wellbeing in universities
This resource provides a research summary and recommendations for tertiary settings to encourage positive mental health and wellbeing. These recommendations include considering alternate academic strategies, infusing mental health knowledge and skills in the curriculum, developing and promoting the use of eHealth technologies, building healthy physical environments.
Full resource available here
Healthy University Sydney - Guiding Principles
"Healthy Sydney University (HSU) aims to create a healthy learning and working environment for students and staff at the University of Sydney. HSU brings together students, professional staff, academics and researchers from across our faculties and professional service units to plan, implement and evaluate healthy university strategies. These strategies are informed by the best available evidence and are rigorously evaluated to ensure we generate new evidence around healthy learning and working environments. Our focus is across three key areas: healthy people, healthy places and healthy policies."
Full report available here
Vision for a Healthy University - Simon Fraser University
"SFU is pleased to present our Vision for a healthy campus community. The vision has been co-created through campus-wide consultation, in which over 300 campus members from all 8 faculties and all 3 campuses shared their input and ideas in Fall 2014. The vision links well-being to the success of individiuals and the institution. It calls upon each of us to consider how we can be a part of creating a healthy campus community."
Full report available here
Tackling Student Mental Health and Wellbeing - Presentations
These presentations were from "two conferences regarding student mental health and wellbeing. The conferences provided an opportunity for colleagues from across the higher education and mental health sectors to come together and discuss how higher education providers can strategically respond to the growing demand from students for services and provision."
Presentations available here (scroll to the bottom of the page)
Five Ways to Wellbeing
A report presented to the Foresight Project on communicating the evidence base for improving people’s well-being. Improving wellbeing includes five components: connect, be active, take notice, keep learning and give.
Full report available here
Mental Capital and Wellbeing - Making the Most of Ourselves in the 21st Century
This UK report "has taken an independent look at the best available scientific and other evidence and has considered the factors that influence an individual’s mental development and wellbeing from conception until death."
Full report available here
Greater Good Berkeley
"The Greater Good Science Center studies the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of well-being, and teaches skills that foster a thriving, resilient, and compassionate society." This site offers a range of resources to assist with wellbeing initiatives, including Greater Good magazine, online courses etc.
Taking Wellbeing Forward in Higher Education: Reflections on Theory and Practice
This report is from the University of Brighton and focuses on wellbeing within higher education, " incorporating scholarly articles, case studies of practical interventions and personal reflections. It is designed to be an accessible and thought provoking resource, with reflections on theory and practice from a range of perspectives." It includes perspectives of wellbeing, wellbeing enhancement, and wellbeing in academic culture and research student learning.
Full report available here
PERMA and Higher Education
This article explores the concept of a ‘positive university’, through classroom and formal learning environments, social environments, local community and external organisations, faculty and administration work environments and residential environments.
Full article available here