Creating a sense of belonging at RGU

At Robert Gordon University (RGU) we strive to create a community campus which students and staff as a whole feel safe, welcome, and comfortable.

Amid the cost-of-living crisis; pressures from many angles; and through many conversations with peers on campus; I appreciate that it can be more difficult than usual for many of our students. 

In my role as both VP for Academic Development and Student Experience at RGU and Mental Health Lead for Universities Scotland, it is imperative that I listen to the current needs of students and do as much as I can to ensure that the difficulties faced by students are minimised.

And today (9 March 2023) which is University Mental Health Day (UMHD),  we need to not only bring mental health to the forefront of our minds but we also need to challenge ourselves and each other and ask – can we do more to ensure that mental health is a key priority throughout the year – not just for 24-hours each 365 days?

Here at RGU, I’ve been proud to oversee a range of initiatives across the University be launched in a bid to try and do just that.

From our free gym membership and breakfast club to financial aid and counselling and wellbeing services, we’re hopeful that students remain supported all year round and know where to go if they have additional requirements or queries.

For this year’s UMHD our RGU Peer Support team has booked out the Union’s social space on level 4 of the Riverside Building for students to have somewhere to visit, relax and also speak to support volunteers about anything that might be on their mind.

As well providing a comfortable and safe environment, they’ve also planned activities for students to get involved with and have some fun – from self-care bingo sheets to random acts of kindness envelopes. Lunch will also be provided with the opportunity for other societies and networks to use the space in the afternoon to mark the day in their own way.

Initiatives like these are so important to harness the feeling of community on campus that I and my fellow colleagues strive to create for those attending RGU. What’s especially satisfying is that teams, whether it be different departments or student societies, plan these initiatives off their own back for the benefit of others.

In an article in Wonkhe last year they examined the level of belonging within students who went to university. While most respondents did feel like they belonged to their respective institution, the most popular choice to feel an even greater sense of belonging was to develop closer or more friendships.

It finds that not only are friendships, both at a constant and evolving level, necessary for a better mental health but also that the majority of students are indeed open to forging closer relationships with their peers.

The vibrant campus initiative and activities like it, such as the breakfast club, are steps to ensure and maintain that friendships at RGU are forged and that a sense of belonging is achieved. I know that I’ve met many friends here at work and I, like all of my colleagues, hope I’m helping to create an environment where you already have and will continue to do so too.