By Divya Jindal-Snape
We have created a comic, ‘University lives in transition’, to illustrate the impact of COVID-19 on multiple and multi-dimensional transitions of university students and staff. This comic, written by Jonathan Glazzard, Samuel Stones, Divya Jindal-Snape and Chris Murray, draws on the lived experiences of some students and staff, as well as our research about higher education transitions.
Students across the world have been experiencing multiple transitions related to their studies, family
The comic also highlights the multiple transitions that university staff have been facing related to working from home, changes in their teaching style and interactions with students, preparing for online learning, creation of digital resources, dealing with uncertainties about when university campuses will open, financial loss faced by the universities and security of their employment. It also illustrates that transitions experienced in their professional life have an impact on their personal life and vice versa; their partner and children have had an impact on their professional transitions, for example in the case of the university staff who have been furloughed for childcare reasons. Finally, it provides some strategies for managing these transitions for staff and how they can support their students.
Here is a link to the information published by UUK to support the university community which might be helpful to staff and students. You can also find some resources to help with your mental health here.
