CRUCH begins a series of conversations about student coexistence and mental health

This week a dialogue process began with Directors of Student Affairs from the 30 CRUCH universities to gather their views and problems regarding student coexistence, considering its relationship with mental health.

The initiative is organized by the CRUCH University Coexistence and Mental Health Commission and aims to obtain an updated overview to generate proposals focused on promoting good coexistence and mental health in universities, as well as improving the quality of life of students.

The coexistence and mental health of students is a permanent concern of universities and the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH), a concern that has increased recently, with the effects of the pandemic, the social uprising and the ongoing constitutional process, highlighting the need to delve deeper into these areas.

To respond to this context, the CRUCH University Coexistence and Mental Health Commission is working, in the first instance, to generate a diagnosis of the current scenario, through a cycle of conversation groups with Directors of Student Affairs from the 30 universities that make up the Council.

The cycle, which began this Wednesday, June 14, and includes five discussion groups during June, will allow the collection of the visions and experiences of the CRUCH universities, which will translate into an updated characterization of the approaches and problems of student coexistence, considering its relationship with mental health.

Regarding the importance of carrying out this series of conversations, the president of the University Coexistence subcommittee and academic of the Alberto Hurtado University, Rosa María Olave argues that “universities have been experiencing difficulties in fostering positive relationships for some years now, a situation exacerbated by the pandemic. Conflicts among students are not always addressed preventively, making it essential to develop stronger skills within university communities to resolve conflicts constructively and through dialogue.” She adds that this is necessary “so that the university can be a constructive, dialogical space that allows different perspectives to coexist harmoniously.”.

According to Rosa María Olave, who is also the Director Mediation and Conflict Resolution Program of the Faculty of Law of the UAH, This dialogue process “will allow us to understand the visions and perceptions of university life, identify existing problems, as well as possibilities for promoting actions that strengthen coexistence. It will also allow us to learn about initiatives and good practices that universities are developing at different levels.”.

Conversation groups

The first discussion group included Directors of Student Affairs from the universities of Santiago (USACH), Austral de Chile (UACh), from Antofagasta (UA), from Talca (UTalca), Catholic University of the Most Holy Conception (UCSC), of the Andes (UAndes), and was moderated by the Director of Student Affairs of the University of Chile (UChile), Pamela Díaz-Romero.

Meanwhile, the second group met this Thursday, June 15, and included the participation of Directors and representatives from the universities. from La Serena (ULS), from Concepción (UdeC), Catholic University of the North (UCN), Metropolitan Technology (UTEM), Catholic University of Temuco (UCT), of O'Higgins (UOH), of Magallanes (UMAG). On this occasion, the facilitator of the dialogue was the Student Mediator from the Ombuds Office and Academic Mediator from the School of Psychology of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Valeska Grau.

The next three sessions will take place on June 22, 27 and 28, and will include Directors and representatives from the other CRUCH universities.

The University Coexistence and Mental Health Commission was created by the plenary of rectors in July 2022, with the purpose of improving the quality of life of students, through proposals aimed at promoting good coexistence and mental health in CRUCH universities.

The group is made up of academics and experts from various CRUCH universities and has the support of the rector of the Catholic University of Chile, Ignacio Sánchez, as well as the rectors of the University of Chile, Rosa Devés, and the Metropolitan University of Educational Sciences, Elisa Araya.

Text: CRUCH Communications

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