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About #QUBeWell

Ian Greer 800x533
A WHOLE UNIVERSITY APPROACH TO WELLBEING

For our students and staff, there is nothing more important to us than your health & wellbeing.

All members of the Queen’s, staff and students, play an important role in the success of our community. Whether we support the infrastructure of the University, or we have roles that interact with our student community, or we are here to study or undertake research, keeping mentally well helps us be successful and leads to a more fulfilling experience. But when things do not go to plan, it is equally important that we have resources to support you.

#QUBeWell is the Framework within which we will continue to develop our awareness of the needs of our people so that we can respond appropriately.

Our University is a place where people study, live and work. It strives to be a nurturing and supportive environment that empowers our students and staff to be mentally well. Moreover, we must seek to create parity of esteem between our physical health and our mental health. Experts show that focusing this on a setting – our healthy campus – will allow us to succeed on that mission.

Professor Ian Greer
President & Vice-Chancellor
Headshot of Katie Ní Chléire - Student Officer Welfare, QUBSU
A MESSAGE FROM THE STUDENTS’ UNION WELFARE OFFICER

Mental Health is Queen’s Students’ Union’s Number One Priority

In 2019, Queen’s Students’ Union launched OMNI – all in for mental health – and launched a student-wide survey. As part of that survey, 2,535 students told us that academic and financial pressures were having the biggest impact on their mental health.

Since then, we have been continuing to catalyse the conversation on mental health, and we are delighted to be a key partner in the development of the University’s #QUBeWell Framework.

Katie Ní Chléire
Student Officer Welfare, Queen's Students' Union
Staff Member and Student Sitting in seats of QUB Upper Malone Playing Fields Stadium
Our Journey So Far

Since 2019 we have been starting something exciting

The work of developing the Framework has both been stalled and accelerated by Covid-19. Stalled because we have had to pivot to new ways of working very quickly that meant our consultation process did not progress as planned. But accelerated as we have learnt, now more than ever, about the importance of managing our wellbeing and providing support where is it needed.

Our Timeline So Far →

Staff member smiling at a student providing a guidance appointment
JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Queen’s is on a journey to transform the culture of wellbeing at the University. As a student or staff member, we invite you to get involved, contribute to the conversation, and work together to address our issues and share our strengths.

The #QUBeWell Framework is ultimately about putting our people front and centre – whether we are a student or staff member, we bring ourselves to the University, and it is this shared humankind which will be at the centre of our vision.

The Framework will be developed in line with our Core Values and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Student holding basket of laundry in Elms BT9 Laundry Room
How will we do it?

We will continue to collaborate with staff and students across the institution to understand what the wellbeing issues are.

We will co-design impactful projects, implement changes, and effective interventions. Over the next few years, the health & wellbeing of our entire student population and workforce will be a top priority.

A comprehensive communications and engagement plan will be developed and shared across different areas of the University.

We will also establish a meaningful co-production process, allowing all members of our University community to have input, and co-create the next stages of developing the #QUBeWell Framework.

Student studying in Graduate School room

Queen’s will:

  • continue to build appropriate forums to actively listen to staff and students on their Health & Wellbeing issues
  • continue to promote a health and wellbeing culture at Queen’s
  • continue to engage leaders to be ambassadors of health and wellbeing for all staff and students
  • continue to identify health and wellbeing trends and seek tools and techniques to address poor mental health & wellbeing, where possible

As we navigate throughout the challenges presented by Covid-19, we must take the rich datasets we already have, and re-assess these through the lens of what we have learned from Covid-19.


Image of Student sitting on Pool Table
Setting Out Our Vision For a Healthy Campus

Student & Staff mental health and wellbeing is everyone’s responsibility. In recent years we have made significant improvements in support & resources for students & staff, but we have much more to do.

Over the next number of months, we will work alongside you – our students & staff – to co-create our #QUBeWell Framework.

Towards a Healthy Campus: Building our Framework Together [PDF] →


Get Involved