He aha te mea nui? Māku e kii atu, he tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata.
What is the most important thing in the world? Well, let me tell you, it is people, it is people, it is people.
Te Kura Tura | UC Graduate School is committed to supporting graduate students’ wellbeing.
Broadly speaking, wellbeing means ‘feeling good and doing well’. Under the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021, wellbeing and safety refers to “having a positive frame of mind, resilience, satisfaction with self, relationships, and experiences and progressing towards learning outcomes sought. It also means being healthy and feeling secure.” At UC, there are well-established resources supporting all students' health and wellbeing, and Te Kura Tāura | UC Graduate School works collaboratively across campus to care for UC graduate research students.
Te Kura Tāura | UC Graduate School understands that the doctoral degree journey is nuanced and vastly different to coursework-based programmes. We also appreciate that our graduate research students come from diverse walks of life and require contextualised facilitation to maintain or enhance their wellbeing.
Our goals – graduate research student wellbeing outcomes
We want our graduate research students to do well academically and feel well at the same time, and we believe that we have achieved our goals when
- Our research students are prepared, welcomed, connected, and integrated into their respective disciplines and UC.
- Our students have access to information, resources, and services pertaining to their scholarly development, health, and wellbeing.
- Our students know how to contextualise and assess their needs, be they professional, academic, or mental health needs, and to access support to satisfy these needs.
- Our students have the skills to maintain functional relationships with supervisors, peers, scholarly community, and whānau while studying.
- Our students embody an inclusive mindset, are interculturally competent, globally aware, reflective and reflexive.
How we contribute and support graduate research students’ wellbeing
At Te Kura Tāura | UC Graduate School we are dedicated to enhancing the academic wellbeing of our graduate research students through a systematic approach. Our mission is to provide exceptional academic services, administrative support, and skill development opportunities for both students and their supervisors as they navigate the research journey together.
We are guided by international best practices and UC values and continue to refine our policies and processes. One of our key initiatives is the Kaitoko | Research Student Advisor support, which is offered both in-person and online. Regular check-ins help clarify institutional expectations and outline the rights and responsibilities of our graduate research students, thus reducing confusion and mitigating stress. They also provide an opportunity for students to explore development offerings at UC.
We understand that the research process can be unpredictable and challenging, often leading to emotional and psychological stress. Recent studies highlight the importance of skill-based training, guidance on navigating supervisory relationships, and opportunities for social engagement in promoting student wellbeing. With this in mind, we have developed the UC Researcher Development Framework to provide our students with the skills and tools they need to manage their research progress, professional and social relationships, and future career readiness. A variety of workshops have been developed specifically to support students' wellbeing whilst conducting their research.
We invite you to take advantage of the opportunities on offer and look forward to your feedback. Together, we can create a supportive and thriving academic environment for all our graduate research students.
