Pro-rector: "Delivering high-quality degree programmes is not enough"

The results of the latest student survey confirm once again that students' satisfaction with the academic level at Aarhus University is high.

"Of course, we’re very pleased that satisfaction with the academic level remains at a high and stable level," pro-rector Berit Eika says.

The Danish Student Survey is a national survey that collects data once every two years among students and recent graduates from higher education institutions under the Ministry of Higher Education and Science. 

The survey uncovers, among other things, the students' learning environment, learning approaches, student well-being, and the physical and psychological study environment. The results are used to develop and strengthen the degree programmes based on the students' perspective and to continuously improve the framework for learning and well-being.

At Aarhus University, 12,447 students responded to the survey. This is satisfactory, but the response rate should be a little higher. The students' answers play an important role in developing the university, Berit Eika states.

"There’s a deep ethic in doing things properly and that we listen to the students. In a time when there are many demands on young people, it matters that the social and human environment is also good,” she says.

While students are often assessed on their academic qualifications, it’s crucial for Berit Eika that there’s also a focus on students’ social well-being.

"We have a shared responsibility for the full student life. Like the rest of society, AU has changed its perception of our role over time. Delivering high-quality education is not enough. You cannot separate the academic well-being from the social and human well-being. The road to the professionally skilled is through well-being."

The discussion about young people's well-being is neither new nor isolated to educational institutions such as Aarhus University. Therefore, it’s not a task that should be carried out by the university alone.

"As a university, we must take joint responsibility for how the students feel. We don’t have all the responsibility, but we must be aware of what we can do and support the places where it’s possible to help students to have a good everyday life and student life at Aarhus University," says Berit Eika.

One of the trends that, unfortunately, has persisted in student surveys over time is the problem of loneliness among young people.

Despite a decrease from 14 percent in the student survey two years ago, there are still 12 percent of the students who, according to the survey, often or always feel lonely.

With just over 32,000 students, this corresponds to 3,840 experiencing loneliness.

"Loneliness is a very complex problem. There are no solutions that work overnight. But there’s still something we as a university can do to try to ease the feeling of loneliness," Berit Eika says, pointing to the many associations at the university as one of the most important tools.

There are more than 400 student associations at Aarhus University, and they range from the famous regatta over chess, knitting, female leadership and student politics to international friendships, hiking clubs, sports, Friday bars and much more.

But it’s not certain that students, who may have moved far away from their family and friends to begin a demanding study in a completely new city or another part of the country, have the energy to investigate which associations exist, let alone reach out to them.

"It’s really difficult to reach those who don’t reach out to the associations themselves. Fortunately, many older students take on a big task of helping new students into the social communities. But there are also some programmes that are new and small, and where strong traditions and stable association cultures haven’t yet been built," Berit Eika says.

To support the associations, as part of the university's campus strategy, money will be allocated to a fund that the associations can apply for. And then work is being done on an association day to present the rich association life to the students. 

"In this way, we hope to reach some of those who aren’t so outgoing themselves, but who can meet the various associations here," Berit Eika elaborates.

Loneliness among students can also be due to not being able to find a community with the other students that you feel comfortable in. 

The academic environment council, which consists of two students and two members of academic staff (VIP) at each faculty advising the education committee, has, among other things, worked actively to get more alcohol-free events on the way for students who may not be into parties and Friday bars in the classic sense.

And then there are various challenges that constantly require focus on the individual programmes.

"It’s a point that large programmes have different challenges than small programmes. Proximity to the teacher is an advantage in small programmes, where you instead are vulnerable to the challenges that exist in smaller groups. But in essence, it matters that you, as a student, are seen and feel that it matters whether you show up or not. If the teacher knows your name, someone is waiting for me, and that kind of thing is very important," Berit Eika says.

NEW UNIVERSAL APPROACH TO THE FRAMEWORK

The university is working to improve the framework. Both around the teaching and also around exams.

"We are experiencing a doubling of students who receive special educational support. The increase has mainly occurred because more students have mental health diagnoses, and to this must be added a dark figure. We are drowning in applications for dispensations. Both for exams and for teaching in general," Berit Eika says.

Of course, the university is obliged to ensure that it’s possible to study at the university, even when you need special educational support. But the many resources spent on special educational support must be perceived as fair by those who don’t need support.

The money can only be used once, and therefore, the university is investigating the possibilities of thinking in terms of 'universal design'. It’s about creating a framework that can be used by all people, regardless of their functional ability.

"By thinking about the conditions differently, we can make the framework better for most people, so that fewer people need extra support. We have a shared responsibility, because the trends that exist in society outside the university naturally follow the students into the university. We must be able to accommodate this, and we must do everything we can to ease the challenges the students have," says Berit Eika.

Unfortunately, loneliness isn’t the only challenge that studies focus on. Stress among students is an insidious trend through recent studies and, just like loneliness, it seems that stress has taken hold in some of the students.

"Young people have a busy life, where they want to succeed with everything from their studies and social life to their appearance. It requires a lot of decisions and tough prioritisation. Unfortunately, there’s limited what we as a university can do to counteract stress. But what we can do is to be clearer about what we expect of the students, create a clear connection between teaching and exams and contribute to career clarification. We are constantly working on this," pro-rector Berit Eika says.

Overall, the university's management and staff are constantly trying to improve conditions for the students. Berit Eika praises, among others, the many teachers who constantly work to improve their own teaching and the older students who make a great effort for the students who come after them.

"We are and must continue to be an attractive place to study," Berit Eika says.

This text is machine translated and post-edited by Lisa Enevoldsen.