The University offers a wide range of services that support the academic experience by enabling students to focus on and remain engaged with their programs of study.
You can now use the Specialist Advice and Support for Students (Red Book) AI Assistant to ask specific questions about student situations and support. Single Sign On (SSO) is available or you can use your University of Sydney email address to 'Log in with Microsoft'.
Staff can refer students in need of support with Student Life, including Wellbeing, using Student Wellbeing Care Reports. Care Reports ensure that students receive timely, individualised and holistic care – connecting them with the right care at the right time.
If you would like to discuss a student’s needs prior to making a Care Report, during business hours please call 02 8627 8433. For urgent matters after hours, contact Protective Services on 02 9351 3333.
Find out how to direct students to the advice and support they need:
Students can access information on support services directly from the Student life, wellbeing and support web page.
Staff may feel distressed or overwhelmed when supporting students. Visit the Counselling, Coaching and Support page for details of support available for staff.
Whilst consent is not required to initiate a care and support response from the University, knowing if consent has been obtained helps Student Wellbeing staff frame their conversation when reaching out to the student. Where possible we recommend informing students of the availability of support services and if you are intending to make a care report.
The University is able to use a student’s personal information to administer and manage the provision of services, such as to facilitate student support.
You can disclose information about a person without their consent if you are concerned about them and feel that you need a professional to support you in the assessment of a health, wellbeing and/or safety need. The University will act on the information to highlight appropriate support services and, if we believe it is necessary, to further assess, prevent or lessen the impact of the concern(s) on the individual or another person.
If you would like to discuss a student’s needs prior to making a care report, please call 02 8627 8433 during business hours.
Refer the student to Safe Places for information about culturally safe places on campus such as the Gadigal Centre in John Woolley Building (A20) or the Yooroang Garang in the Susan Wakil Building (D18).
Refer the student to the Gadigal Centre which provides pastoral care, social and cultural opportunities and referrals to other support services offered by the University. More information is available in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander support and safe places.
The Careers Centre supports currently enrolled students to gain the career management skills they need to identify their career options, build their employability skills and find job opportunities. This includes:
For any other careers-related enquiry, they can contact the Careers Centre at [email protected].
Students experiencing financial difficulties may be eligible for financial assistance. Rule and regulations relating to financial support can be subject to change. Staff are encouraged to refer all students who seek advice.
Student visa holders will often have queries relating to their visas, particularly when they are approaching the end of their course or wish to seek to apply for a new student visa. As visa rules and immigration laws are complicated, only the Department of Home Affairs or a MARA registered migration agent can provide visa-specific advice to students.
The University’s Accommodation Services provide short-term emergency accommodation and referral to resources within the community for students who are homeless.
If you discover a student who requires emergency accommodation:
When a student raises concerns about the impact of a disability on their ability to study, the student should be encouraged to contact Inclusion and Disability Services (previously called Disability Services). Students may benefit from reasonable adjustments and support to enable them to participate in their study at the same level as students without a disability.
Faculty Disability Liaison Officers are also able to provide registered students with faculty specific advice and support.
For more information on assisting students with a disability please visit Disability Support.
The University Health Service is the on-campus general practice that can assist students with acute illness and injury and long-term medical problems.
When assisting a student experiencing difficulty, there are three levels of response.
Is the student a danger to self, or others, or does the student need immediate emergency assistance? Refer to the table below for responses.
Yes/ Unsure/ No |
Situation | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | The student's behaviour is clearly and imminently reckless, disorderly, and dangerous. The student is threatening self-harm and/or possible harm to others. |
|
| Unsure | The student shows signs of being in difficulty but I am unsure how serious it is. My interaction with the student has left me feeling uncomfortable and/or concerned for their wellbeing. | During business hours:
After hours, weekends and public holidays:
|
| No | I am not concerned for the student’s safety or that of the public. However, the student is experiencing significant academic and/or personal difficulties and could use support. |
|
For more information, visit Students of Concern and Critical Incidents.
1. Seek the student's consent to refer them to the Safer Communities Office to discuss their support options both within the University and externally:
Office hours: 8:30AM – 5:30PM Mon-Fri
More information about the Safer Communities Office is available at: Safer communities - The University of Sydney
2. Alternatively, students can contact the Student Affairs Unit directly if they would like to lodge a complaint or discuss the complaints process:
Student Affairs Unit
1. Identify whether the student has reported the crime and, if not, help them to decide whether to do so.
In most cases, when a person is a victim of crime, it is their decision as to whether or not to report that crime. This can be a difficult decision. If a student tells you about a crime they have experienced but not reported, seek to ensure the student has the support they need to think through their next steps. We suggest you:
2. Help the student access the support available:
After experiencing a crime, people can be affected in different ways:
As a university, we need to be aware of our responsibilities in responding to practical issues of faith observance on campus and requests from students for adjustments. Students may come to you with a variety of questions about faith.
Refer the student to the Child Care Information Office which provides information to staff and students about the child care centres including the location of the centres, the fees and the contact details.
You may become aware a student is missing through a report from a student or staff member, a report from a friend or family, or your own observations of absence from tutorials, labs or lectures. If you have the student’s contact details or a way to contact the student you should attempt to do so.
A missing student is considered a critical incident so please refer to the actions required outlined on the Students of Concern and Critical Incidents page.
o 1:1 online consultations
o drop-in sessions
o workshops and adjunct tutorials
o bridging courses, and
o self-access online resources
Staff can help any student in need of additional learning support by referring them to the Learning Hub. Use the Student Referral Form to refer one or multiple students. The process will only take a few minutes.
Once submitted, the Learning Hub will reach out directly to the student and offer relevant study resources and targeted support.
"I find the Student Wellbeing Care Report an easy to use tool, as there is just one central place for us to go to that asks simple questions anf provides prompts for the necessary information. It is helpful that if there are other people in the University who have had interactions with the student and also lodge a report, the information is collated, allowing the Wellbeing team to have a more holistic approach. Initially I was concerned that not having a phone number or email might cause a delay or give a compassionless auto response, but I have found the opposite to be true. I would encourage all stakeholders in the University to use the Care Report to give support to students."
SUPRA’s Postgraduate Advocacy Service offers confidential, independent advice and advocacy to postgraduate students on academic and welfare matters. Our service is staffed by five professional caseworkers.
Our service has had an extremely positive experience using the Student Wellbeing Care Report. Caseworkers have found the process easy, accessible and the critical incidents staff to be very responsive. In our experience the critical incidents staff have worked collaboratively to ensure the student receives immediate support, including contacting other key support services and doing regular follow up. The response is fast, and we feel the students have appreciated the support they have received.
As the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Associate Dean Student Life, I commend the Student Wellbeing team for their work. Colleagues frequently contact me out of genuine concern for students who are struggling or whose safety is at risk. In those circumstances, I recommend that staff complete the Student Wellbeing Care Report since it is the best way to receive prompt, individualised care for their students and themselves. The well-being team members put the students' needs first, manage student welfare holistically, and collaborate with emergency service employees and other health and well-being professionals. The Student Wellbeing Care Report form also provides clear information and contact details for authorities to call during or after business hours. Those who submit the forms receive a message reassuring them that their report has been received and is being managed. I consider the Student Wellbeing Care Report an invaluable tool that supports staff to support students.
I’ve used the report for escalating wellbeing issues that go beyond my team’s case management and referral expertise. Students whose issues we want to escalate are often experiencing multiple, complex, and intersecting stressors and we’re glad to know that there’s a team able to tease out those issues and work with the student to begin to address or stabilise the situation with empathy and a joined up, solutions focus. I’ve found the Wellbeing Services team to be great partners after we submit a report – they share what they can, are receptive to on the ground information and ultimately give us peace of mind that our students are receiving specialist support.
We have wonderful, passionate educators and professional staff who take a holistic and student-centric approach. When students are experiencing significant challenges, however, colleagues can feel adrift in how to help, or take on the emotional burden that comes with wanting to do so. I’d recommend those colleagues escalate internally and engage with the Wellbeing team – we practice both risk management and self-care by involving our Wellbeing colleagues.