Presentation: Embedding Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Curriculum

open & Inclusive Special Interest Group
Monday 9th November, 14:00 – 16:00
ONLINE: Adobe Connect
Adobe Connect Link for OU Staff
Link for external participants

openTEL and SeGA are pleased to announce that the next Open & Inclusive Special Interest Group will include presentations from Helena Gillespie and Emma Sutton from UEA. Join us online!

Embedding Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Curriculum

Abstract:

The multi-disciplinary team at UEA have been working on embedding mental health in the curriculum over the last 12 months, as part of a collaborative project with Advance HE. Despite (and perhaps even because of) the upheaval in Higher Education caused by Covid19, the project has made good progress in some areas. In this presentation, we will report on progress so far, encompassing, university systems, assessment and assessment literacy, student skills and identity and the role of communications in promotion good mental health. We’ll discuss how we have collaborated across teams at UEA and how we intend to approach the evaluation of the project’s long term outcomes.

Bio:

Helena Gillespie is Professor of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education and Academic Director of Inclusive Education at UEA in Norwich. With a background in school teaching she has an interest in equality and diversity and is academic lead for the university’s Access and Participation Plan. Helena is about to begin work on a 3 year European University project, with a focus on how universities can be agents for social transformation.

Emma Sutton is Professor of Health Professions Education and Academic Director of Taught Programmes at UEA. She began her career as a registered mental health nurse working in specialist areas of crisis intervention and working with those who engage in self injury. Despite moving into an academic role more than twenty years ago, she remains a registrant and strong advocate for individuals living with mental ill-health and those that are close to them. Emma has led the ‘Embedding Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Curriculum’ project as part of an institution wide strategy and is about to launch a whole-scale curriculum review across the UEA.