Why address social well-being? What is the relevance of a top policy agenda for social well-being at the University of Malta?

University can be incredibly stressful: for staff, it is the pressure of high-level work and academic responsibilities, while balancing private life and leisure time. The number of students at University is rising every year and, as a consequence, they are compelled to go through a system originally planned for far fewer.

For academic and support staff, this means a more intensive workload, even more pressure and stress. For students, it is the pressure of attaining good results, maintaining relationships and other social and emotional well-being issues.

Examinations have the capacity to impact negatively on the health and well-being of students. Admittedly, a number of programmes have evolved at the University that attempt to address coping strategies and time management. Such well-meaning initiatives are good and do good; however, they tend to happen sporadically.

Moreover, many students balance multiple identities, and often fall outside the typical demographic of an 18-year-old sixth form school-leaver. Students come from diverse socio-economic backgrounds and may be studying full-time or part-time, with a variety of life roles: mature students, women with care responsibilities and others challenged by disability or sexual orientation. Whatever the situation in life, each diverse identity places increased demands upon the student’s time and private life.

It is therefore the aim of a social well-being policy to foster confidence in its approach to academic learning and to eliminate discrimination in favour of a more inclusive learning environment. The principles of equality and diversity such as gender or disability are essential for a true understanding of social well-being, and these principles need to be included in our policy document and implemented in practice.

Besides worries about assignment deadlines and writing exams, many students are economically active in the labour market, some on a part-time basis, while others are employed full time. I am not sure the trend is in line with University of Malta regulations. Nevertheless, that is the situation.

These pressures during study are coupled with the added realisation that the job market is volatile, with no guarantee of secure employment in the years to come. Moreover, those from non-traditional backgrounds such as mature students, may be especially vulnerable to such pressures. So it is not only academic concerns that come in the way of student social well-being but also other challenges which link with labour market participation, that may indeed lead to high levels of stress, anxiety or frustration.

University life contains numerous stress factors and, even though students may not have formally disclosed their mental health difficulties as a disability, such as depression and anxiety, difficulties may indeed be triggered off during the course of their studies.

The scenario of diversity on campus leads me to point to the concept of healthy universities as a vision for our University. There is an increased interest and activity, at European and international level, in the promotion of social well-being on campus, through an organisational approach embedded into the ethos, culture, policies and daily practices of a university.

Pressures during study are coupled with the realisation that the job market is volatile, with no guarantee of secure employment in the years to come

Some objectives for the implementation of a social well-being promoting university include the enhancement of an occupational health and safety policy and a commitment to address common issues such as mental well-being, physical inactivity, unhealthy eating and substance misuse.

A deeper understanding of the concept further reveals the necessity of a constant commitment to positively influence the life and work of all staff and students, and is entirely opposed to the historical approach where health and social well-being are primarily supported through the delivery of specific projects and isolated initiatives.

Generally, psychological intervention and counselling is the method most often recommended for students experiencing stress. However, physical activity tends to have more significant benefits in optimising academic performance and social well-being.

While counselling may be beneficial for the extremely stressed student, physical exercise like group walking and social team sport may be more effective. It is widely reported in the exercise science and sports psychology research that physical activity has a beneficial effect on anxiety reduction and stress reactivity. It is also believed that physical activity can act as a distraction from unpleasant events or negative stimuli.

For instance, the University promotes cycling as a means of transport in support of the Green Travel Plan. Admittedly, the initiative is more about sustainability and the environment, apart from a solution to the parking problem. However, cycling improves our mental health and well-being and is also a free personal de-stressor, as it takes our mind off work or study and tends to trigger off healthier choices as part of an overall lifestyle.

I look to the day when the University establishes itself as a national contact point on the European Network for Health Promoting Universities with a strong commitment towards social well-being high on the policy agenda, sensitive to the needs of a diverse university population.

A working document published by the World Health Organisation Regional Office for Europe provides conceptual and practical guidance on how to set up and develop a health-promoting university project.

Moreover, the integrity of our communication system, especially between colleagues needs to be well guarded. For instance, I would argue for an e-mail policy that discourages the use of bcc of communication without telling the original addressee. If people begin to suspect the confidentiality of our communication process, the social well-being we strive to build is forever lost.

Finally, the implementation of an exploratory research study about aspects of university life, stress factors in teaching and learning activities and how these impact on individual experiences would provide an understanding of the general quality of life, and how this can be improved for staff and students at the University.

The author is Associate Professor of Social Policy at the University of Malta.

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