Peck will advise institutions for a two-year term on how to keep students interested in all parts of student life, including how to recognise the early warning signs of students who may be having difficulties with their schoolwork or mental health.
“The champion’s ultimate purpose will be to give sectorial leadership, share best practises, and push new initiatives to ensure that students are supported and engaged with their courses,” Donelan added. “Because the research suggests that a student getting disengaged with their course isn’t just a problem in and of itself,” she said, “but it’s also a vital warning indicator for mental health concerns, which, as we all know, can have disastrous effects if left unchecked.”
Donelan made the statement during the HEPI annual conference, where he highlighted the findings of the Student Academic Experience Survey 2022, a recent joint report by HEPI and Advance HE. The survey focused on student well-being and discovered that mental health is the most prevalent reason students provide for considering dropping out, with 20% of students reporting that they are lonely the majority of the time.”I am delighted and encouraged that Minister Donelan has asked me to advocate for methods to assist higher education students in continuing and completing their degrees. “She is correct in highlighting the issues that both providers and students confront, particularly those related to mental health, so that we can pursue change,” Peck added