Student Support Initiative Awards 2023

Two new UHI North, West and Hebrides projects commended in UHI Student Support Initiative Awards 2023.

These awards recognise innovative student support practice and once again a very strong field of entrants have demonstrated UHI’s extraordinary commitment to our students.

The winning entry came from UHI Inverness, 'Supporting student retention and wellbeing during the cost-of-living-crisis' provided a strategic commitment to addressing financial hardship through a variety of means, including the provision of a free breakfast and lunch for every student.

The panel also highly commended and commended two new projects from UHI North, West and Hebrides

• Free-tail therapy – this project aimed to supportgreen health and sustainable living and to help support the cost-of-living crisis by providing a range of items for free.
• Safe Plan  - was created to ensure that vulnerable students are at all times provided with appropriate levels of safeguarding, oversight, and protection from harm, in and outside the classroom.

Nine other projects were commended by the panel, including two entries from our students’ association. Activities ranged from mental health support, to safeguarding support for vulnerable students, and to encouraging students to learn about gender-based violence and gender equality.

Dr Iain Morrison, UHI’s Dean of Student Experience who runs the scheme, commented that: “I set these awards up a few years ago because I wanted to capture and celebrate one of our core institutional strengths: the support we provide to our students.