Supporting student well-being and Coronavirus at La Trobe University Sydney Campus
Dr Jane Rouse explains
bringing with it unexpected changes.
Lockdown meant being confined to her one-bedroom unit, travel restrictions, online classes, disruption to daily routines, poor quality sleep and limited interaction with others. Gigi began to feel trapped, helpless, frustrated, sad, stressed and lonely.
Gigi’s story is similar to many others I’ve heard as the on-campus Psychologist at LTUSC since the start of the pandemic.
Colleagues confirmed that many environment.
One of LTUSC’s defining characteristics is the drive by staff members to ensure positive outcomes for students. We are a small campus, and our team collaborates closely to build solid educational and support foundations.
The key to student success since Covid-19 began has been staff proactivity in identifying students at risk and working creatively together.
Jumping
in
to help
Meet Gigi*. Life in Australia was going well for this 19-year-old student at La Trobe
University Sydney Campus (LTUSC).
Recently arrived from China, she was excited to begin a new chapter in her life. She was looking forward to her studies, to meeting new people, getting a part-time job and exploring a new city. Just as she was settling in, the COVID-19 pandemic hit,
students were struggling; academic
performance was poor, and assignments were late. Students were skipping classes and expressing concerns of not being able to continue with their studies. Collectively, staff wanted to address the problems. Clearly, supporting the students’ well-being would require realistic adaptations of work practices to fit the new, predominantly online environment.