Student LOVE <3
Free food in exam periods, talks on everything from heartbreak to study technics, stress-down-yoga and memory training is just a few examples. At VUC, the students get much more than academic input.
- Your studies are about the entire student life, not just studying, says the engaged welfare group. – At Volda University College (VUC), we care about each other!
The welfare group at VUC consists of representatives from different student offers with the common goal of making the life of a student easier, more fun and safe. We have councellors, student priests, a student humanist and library employees. The student parliament is represented, as well as the school administration, student service and the communication office. They know quite different things, but they work towards the same: Giving you the most amazing time as a student in Volda.
- Volda is something else, says Eli Anne Løksa, student councellor at Studentsamskipnaden. Student humanist, Lone Ellingvåg Knutsen (the first student humanist in Norway, ever!) agrees: - And everything here is laid out in a way making it easy to provide student love. There are short distances between us, literally (but adjusted to Corona restrictions, of course). Doors are open, no need wait in long lines, she smiles.
Mental Health Month and First aid for Exam
The welfare group first came as a result of the SHoT survey (a survey of health and wellbeing of students), and their mandate was to improve student welfare based on the feedback and needs of the students. The main message from the students at the time, was need for places to meet, so the welfare group set out to create social spaces. Classes in mental training, how to cope with stress and similiar offers were also some of their first measures.
They spent all of October, the month of mental health, to promote different offers serving a variety of needs, really setting welfare at the list of top priorities at VUC. Classes, free food, relaxing workouts, mental health lectures, teraphy and councelling was amongst the arrangements. The response was great – and the motivation grew. They wanted to do more. As a result, the First Aid for Exam came up in November. Making sure the students had everything they needed to be both prepared and to handle the pressure of the exam period. Again, great outcome. Long lines of students waited in line for free food at night (it’s important to eat well!), or to take part in common study time, the library offered help in academic writing, finding resources, and so on.
The studens asked for more: - Super nice! Came for free food, but then actually did my homework, one wrote in a feedback survey.
Innovative welfare in Corona time
2020 and Corona made it challenging, yet as important as ever, to reach out to the students. Like other organizations, the welfare group had to be innovative to work around the restrictions. With a closed campus and digital exams, the group went out to meet the students, and had several pop-up stations giving out First aid kits Corona-style, with healthy food and inviting to digital councelling or study help. They also used a lot of video and provided drop-in Zoom conversations to students feeling lonely or afraid, or simply wanted to talk about anything, encourage or help.
Another Corona measure was creating a podcast. – We wanted to reach out to the students sitting home. Not everyone are able to reach out or ask for help, so in addition to providing councelling, we wanted to create something everyone could access, says Lone. She and the fellow group members really felt for the students during the home office period. Some might being all alone, isolated at a small dorm room. – Everything from fear for the virus to it being hard to be alone, need for motivation or support. We know studying by your self can be tough. In times like these, our knowledge and offers really are needed, says Lone.
«Welfare tour» to new students
The Welfare group can’t wait to see the students again come semester start, and are really happy campus has opened again. Like the year before, they plan for a «Welfare tour» to new studens, telling them about the group and all the different offers VUC have in addition to the educational part of the student life. They hope to have more face-to-face meetings going forward, but are also preparing for more digital welfare.
– We don’t know yet how things will play out come fall, but we DO know that Volda is such a great and safe place to be a student. We want to provide you a warm welcome, and we promise to take good care of you. Together we can create student love, and an amazing study time, says the Welfare group.