Student Support Strategy

We will build a visible student support service that is integrated across the University and proactively engages with the student community to improve their health and wellbeing, from the moment they consider joining us and throughout their time here.

By doing so, we aim to:

• Build a strong community that fosters friendships and a sense of belonging.
• Increase students’ preparedness and awareness of resources for managing their health and wellbeing.
• Address accessibility issues early on.
• Provide tailored support for international students to help them integrate into the University and local community.
• Build students’ confidence and resilience, supporting their academic and personal growth.

This strategy aims to reduce acute welfare cases by improving overall mental health and wellbeing. Enhancing Student Support services will support the University’s ambition for growth and using our existing data, we will ensure that we can identify students at risk so we can proactively intervene to provide support. Our strategy and operational plan revolve around three main themes:

• Improving Wellbeing
• Intervention
• Integration

These themes align with other University strategies, such as the Creative Learning strategy, ensuring a cohesive approach to student support.

Student Support at Norwich University of the Arts has traditionally had a strong track record of providing support for students who sought help or were referred to the service. Our new strategy shifts to a proactive model, aiming to anticipate and mitigate issues before they arise. This anticipatory approach is crucial given the significant increase in students presenting with poor mental health and wellbeing — a 176% increase in student support appointments over five years. Our strategy is data-informed and aligns with the University’s growth plans, focusing on both domestic and international student needs.

Aim

We aim to maximize student engagement and wellbeing, preventing the causes of poor mental health by fostering a sense of belonging, providing a range of wellbeing interventions alongside traditional therapies, embedding wellbeing in the curriculum, and targeting support for different social groups.

Deliverables

• Belonging
• Social Prescribing
• Wellbeing in the Curriculum
• Study Skills
• Student Campaigns
• Accommodation
• Supporting Free Speech and Debate
• Removing Barriers to Engagement

Aim

To identify students in need of support and intervene proactively, preventing issues from escalating, through the coordinated use of data available from a range of sources.

Deliverables

• Learning Analytics
• Case Management
• Integrated Systems

A Shared Responsibility

Aim

Adopt a whole-university approach to student support, ensuring all staff are aligned and equipped to contribute to the strategic mission. We believe that supporting students is everybody’s business!

Deliverables

• Effective Communication
• Staff Training
• Anticipatory Approach
• Accessibility
• Reasonable Adjustments
• Championing Diversity