2024 NATIONAL WELLBEING SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS URGENT NEED FOR TIMELY, SCALED SUPPORT IN POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION

TORONTO, Sept. 10, 2024 /CNW/ – The recent Student Wellbeing Survey, conducted by YouGov on behalf of Studiosity, sheds light on critical challenges facing Canadian post-secondary institutions in 2024. Findings suggest that universities will need to prioritize timely, accessible support for students, aligning with the diversity of students’ schedules and commitments.

“Many of the students are concerned that we are not thinking through the benefits of AI for instructional purposes, that universities are not sufficiently attentive to their needs for peer mentors, for personal program and study advice, and for creating an environment that is committed to teaching and learning, not just achieving high rankings in the global marketplace,” says Dr. Noreen Golfman, Former Provost and Vice President Academic at Memorial University, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.

“Reading this report validates so much of what we already suspect. The integrity of the learning experience is undermined when our universities are too slow or too reluctant to respond to our students’ needs for more support in a variety of ways. How quickly and thoughtfully we respond to the recommendations in this study will determine how successful we are in keeping pace with an increasingly diverse student body.”

Key highlights:

Timely support is crucial: The survey underscores the need for universities to offer support that accommodates students’ busy schedules and commitments, emphasizing the importance of scalability in scaffolding for mental health, financial assistance, and intensive academic help.
Students demand AI-based support: Over half (54%) of Canadian students expect their university to provide AI support tools, citing reasons such as speed, confidence, and grade improvement.
English as first language, a predictor of increased stress: Students reporting English as their first language show a higher likelihood of daily stress (29%) compared to those with English as an additional language (18%). Time-related stressors, financial concerns, and academic difficulties are prevalent among Canadian students.
Students are asking for peer mentorship: A significant portion of students express the need for peer mentorship, with 47% indicating a desire for a senior student mentor. The survey highlights varying mentorship needs across disciplines, with STEM, medicine, nursing, and creative arts students showing the highest demand.
Cost can be an influence of enrollment decisions: While the majority choose courses based on relevance, a notable 25% of business-based degree students list ‘cost’ as their primary reason for enrolment.
Diverse support ecosystem needed: Qualitative responses reveal that students are most satisfied when they have access to a range of support options, including official university resources, online tools, and social connections. The diverse nature of student experiences underscores the necessity for a comprehensive and scaled support ecosystem as a strong baseline for first-tier access.
Leadership call to action for belonging: Leaders in post-secondary education are urged to foster a sense of belonging through initiatives and support accessible both on and off-campus. Recognizing the diversity of student experiences, institutions are advised to focus on scalable online study supports, peer mentoring, and enhanced teacher capacity.

In 2024, post-secondary institutions are challenged to prioritize student-centric approaches, ensuring all students feel supported, engaged, and empowered to navigate their academic journeys successfully.

“The findings should be gratifying to our partners here in Canada; institutions accelerating student success via fast, accessible feedback for all. It’s clear that all post-secondary institutions will need to move quickly to this level of support, including our AI-powered, ethical Studiosity+, which is necessary to increase the academic support and sense of belonging with other students. Not only because students are explicitly asking for this as we can see in this year’s survey – but also to protect institutional and reputational growth,” reflects Chris Helsby, Vice President for Studiosity Canada.

Studiosity produced the questions for this survey with advice from YouGov to ensure robust data collection. YouGov gathered the responses from students in Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates via an online survey.

The survey ran from 23 November to 29 December 2023 and gained 10,189 responses, of which 1,035 were in Canada, with 94 Canadian post-secondary institutions represented.

https://www.studiosity.com/2024-can-wellbeing