Student Wellbeing

Postgraduate Support

We know that postgraduate degrees can be very different to your experience as an undergraduate and adjusting to any new way of working can sometimes be stressful.  As such, we want to ensure all of our postgraduate students know where to receive advice and support.

Newcastle University Students’ Union and Newcastle University have collaborated on this page to share resources available to all of our postgraduate students.

Some of the resources listed, such as staff-student networks, are more suitable for postgraduate research students, whilst others are open for all postgraduates to use. Remember all services are FREE.

We hope that both postgraduate taught and postgraduate research students make use of these FREE resources.

Staff-Student Networks

There are several staff-student networks at the University. Some are more tailored at postgraduate research students, but any postgraduate can contact them with a query. These networks are especially a good source of support for our students from under-represented groups, who may benefit from the social support of meeting other students and staff with similar experiences or backgrounds. Many of the networks have a mailing list with regular emails circulated, as well as specific events and opportunities advertised within the networks.

Resources

NUSU Postgraduate Officer

Your Newcastle University Students' Union (NUSU) have a Postgraduate Sabbatical Officer, who you can ask for help and they will assist you in finding support, both in person or online.  The Postgraduate Officer works as a student representative for all postgraduate (PG) students and can help raise issues to different departments within the Students' Union and University.  They can't take on individual casework, but they can direct you to the right support services and give you contact information.

Contact the PG Officer by email: pg.union@newcastle.ac.uk, or you can also connect with them on social media. Find out more on the PG Sabbatical Officer page. Your PG Officer will be more than happy to listen to you and try to help support you.

Your PG Officer runs events, activities and drop ins every month, such as PG Coffee Morning and PG Games Night. You can find out more on the NUSU events calendar.

You can also get more information about funding, study resource, wellbeing support and read useful blogs at the the NUSU PG Hub.

Student Union Advice Centre

Newcastle University Students’ Union runs the Student Advice Centre.  All students, including postgraduates, can receive specialist advice in the following areas:

  • academic
  • financial
  • housing
  • personal
  • employment issues

You can choose an in-person, online or telephone appointment depending on your personal preference. The Student Advice Centre is independent from the University.

Postgraduate Advice Line

The 24/7 Advice Line is free and confidential and is available for all postgraduate students.

Here you can talk to professionals 24/7 and receive advice on common life concerns e.g.:

  • family
  • mental health
  • stress
  • finances
CALL 0800 030 5182

or sign in online with the username: Newcastle and password: University to access support resources on the website. 

Student Health and Wellbeing Services

All postgraduate students can use the Student Wellbeing Service to access finance support, faith and spirituality services, disability support and counselling appointments, support after and experience of sexual violence or a hate crime.

Other free resources include:

  • Silvercloud which hosts a suite of online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy programmes, which can be tailored to your specific needs. Sessions relating to stress, depression, anxiety and positive body image are available to all students at no cost.
  • Talk Campus a confidential 24/7 peer support service.

Wellbeing Workshops & Practical Support

Many postgraduate students will be familiar with the NCL Workshops site, which hosts many researcher development workshops. There are also wellbeing workshops offered by the Student Health Wellbeing Service, including specific workshops tailored for PGRs which focus on resilience and mental health. These are free and offer an opportunity to engage with a practical workshop run by trained staff from the Mental Health and Counselling Team.

Race Equality Network

The 'Newcastle University Race Equality Network' (NU-REN) is an inclusive, cross-faculty, collective space that serves as a community of support and a platform of institutional engagement for all Newcastle University’s staff PhD, MPhil students and/or Postgraduate Researchers minoritized on the grounds of ethnicity.

The network is underpinned by the firm belief that for every university employee to reach their full potential, there must be no fear of discrimination, victimisation or prejudice; and that career opportunities, progression and experiences of work must not be predetermined by ethnicity or skin colour.

The network is run by and for colleagues listed above and will include academic staff, professional services staff and postgraduate research students.

There is an online form to register join the network

Disability Interest Group

The Disability Interest Group (DIG) is for anyone who wants to help promote a positive, safe and respectful environment for disabled students, staff and visitors. It is a joint network, open to all disabled and non-disabled staff and students at Newcastle University.

You can contact them at: contact.dig@newcastle.ac.uk.

NU Carers

NU Carers is an informal group of staff and postgraduate researchers who are carers and others who want to support carers at Newcastle University. Staff and postgraduate research students are welcome to join.

You can contact them or request to join their Teams group by emailing: karen.hendrix@newcastle.ac.uk or join their mailing list.

NU Parents

NU Parents’ Network is a network for all parents at Newcastle University, including students. They aim to build and oversee an interactive and supportive network for parents and to be a voice for parents with children of all ages at institutional level.

You can request to join their mailing list.

NU Women

NU Women supports all women employed at Newcastle University. The network is open to anyone who works at the university and provides a voice for staff working in every aspect of the university, at all levels.

You can contact them at: contact.nuwomen@ncl.ac.uk.

Rainbow Network

The Rainbow Network has been established by and for members of the University community with the purpose of:

  • supporting LGBT+ staff and students
  • challenging heteronormativity
  • promoting inclusion of people of diverse genders, sexualities, and relationships

Rainbow is open to staff and PGR students of all genders and sexualities. This is in all grades and roles (admin/technical/research/academic/support). They engage in and provide advocacy, education, celebration and promotion of diversity and inclusion.

You can contact them at: rainbow@newcastle.ac.uk.

Support Group

Peer support group for Newcastle University Post Graduate students, to get together in a supportive group led by a Mental Health Concern Peer support worker

The group will aim to combat social isolation with participants being able to share own lived experience of aspects of being a post graduate student that can sometimes be a barrier to maintaining healthy mental wellbeing. The group will support good mental health, social connection and social support within the University and wider community.

Topics and focus of discussion can range from but are not limited to; post COVID 19 effects, being new to the city, mature & international student experiences, sharing and identifying key social and accessible ‘hubs/assets’ within the city and helpful mindfulness like ‘tips/tricks’ that participants may find beneficial. The group also has the option to incorporate different activities within the session, such as arts and crafts, or hosting a guest speaker on key relevant topics. However this aspect is led purely by the want and needs of the regular participants of the group. 

When: Every Wednesday 5pm-6pm
Where: Henry Daysh Building, Ground Floor, Room G.08

For further information or if you wish to have a discussion with the group facilitator prior to attending, please send an email to clinicallead@newcastle.ac.uk

PLEASE NOTE ON THE FOLLOWING DATES THE GROUP WILL TAKE PLACE FROM EVENT SPACE 1.04, LEVEL 1, HENRY DAYSH BUILDING:

  • 24/05/23
  • 31/05/23
  • 07/06/23
  • 19/07/23

 

 

 

 

Mental Health Concern