The information and links on this page have been gathered together to provide students with a one-stop-shop for all matters concerned with welfare.
This is in addition to the University pages for student well-being here:
https://www.studentwellbeing.admin.cam.ac.uk/
On this page students will find information on the following topics:
- Wellbeing
- The University Counselling Service
- The Student Advice Centre
- The Disability Resource Centre
- Equality and diversity
- Harassment and sexual misconduct
- How to make a complaint about teaching and examining
Wellbeing at the Philosophy Faculty
The Faculty has always been keen to support wellbeing activities, especially those that encourage people to take a break from their desk and come together, and is always interested to hear of suggestions for such activities from both students and staff. The Philosophy Library organise 'Philosotea' breaks, where students and staff are encouraged to pause from their work and get to know each other informally over free hot drinks and treats. The Faculty Office have previously organised Well-Being walks, which were open to both students and staff, and would welcome ideas on well-being events which could be organised during the pandemic.
University Counselling Service
The University Counselling Service is available free of charge to all students. The Service is staffed by a team of trained and accredited counsellors and therapists. The counsellors are all experienced in helping people from many different backgrounds and cultures, and with a wide range of personal and work issues. The Service has a BME counsellor and also a Sexual Assault and Harassment Officer. An overview of the services available for students is here.
The Counselling Service run a number of workshops, focused groups and longer counselling groups for students. The workshops are generally one-off events and do not require any ongoing commitment. The focused groups are for people who want help with a particular issue. Longer counselling groups offer support over a period of several weeks. More details on these are here.
The Counselling Service is located on the 3rd Floor of the Student Services Centre which is on the north (market/Guildhall) side of the New Museums site. Access is via Bene't Street or from Pembroke Street entrance or through the archway on Free School Lane.
Student Advice Service
The Students' Unions' Advice Service offers free, confidential and independent support to students. They can help you understand the University and College regulations including intermission, extensions to submission deadlines, exam reviews and examination allowances, disciplinary issues, and offer support with mental health issues and welfare concerns.
Disability Resource Centre
The Disability Resource Centre (DRC) is the University's disability service, and provides a confidential and accessible service for disabled students and those staff supporting them. The current Code of practice: Reasonable adjustments for Disabled Students can be found here. The DRC supports individuals with any disability, medical matter or injury, including those with:
- Specific learning difficulties (including dyslexia, dyspraxia)
- Physical/mobility impairments (including people who are wheelchair users, Upper Limb Disorder - also known as RSI)
- Sensory impairments (including hearing loss, visual impairment)
- Mental health conditions (including depression, schizophrenia, anxiety disorder)
- Long-standing illnesses/health conditions (including cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, HIV, diabetes, epilepsy)
- Asperger syndrome and autism
The DRC can provide confidential information and support, study skills tuition and mentoring, assessment for dyslexia, the loan of specialist equipment and assistance with funding applications. The DRC can also work with you, your college and department to help ensure that you have effective support for your studies and help you apply for Exam Access Arrangements. Undergraduate students, and students taking the MPhil in Philosophy (Taught Masters students) can also consult guidance provided by the Examination Access and Mitigation Committee on Examination Access Arrangements and Adjusted Modes of Assessment. This can be found here. More information about all these issues can be found on the DRC's website. Students who have a disability, and need support from the Philosophy Faculty, should contact the Faculty's Disability Liaison Officer, Clare Dickinson, in confidence.
Equality and diversity
The Faculty’s adviser on racial and sexual harassment is currently Professor Rae Langton, and anyone with concerns on such matters is invited to consult her.The Faculty’s Athena Swan Academic Lead & Gender Champion is currently Dr Angela Breitenbach, and anyone with concerns on these matters is invited to consult her. Details of University-wide Equality & Diversity champions are here.
Preventing harassment and sexual misconduct
The Faculty of Philosophy endorses the University's campaign 'Breaking the Silence – Cambridge speaks out against sexual misconduct' which draws together all aspects of collegiate Cambridge's work on prevention, reporting and supporting in regard to harassment and sexual misconduct affecting both staff and students. The campaign has launched a website drawing together all relevant information into one central resource:
The Faculty's activities to tackle harassment and sexual misconduct focus on:
- fostering a zero-tolerance culture free from coercive behaviour, harassment and sexual misconduct;
- providing support and guidance to members of the Faculty in relation to harassment and misconduct;
- handling in an exemplary manner allegations of harassment and sexual misconduct between students and students, and students and employees.
Staff may find it useful to attend a University run course on 'How to be an Active Bystander at work'. This course includes simple changes and actions you can take to support others around you without confrontation and, over time, support a more inclusive environment for all of us to live and work in.
University sexual harassment and assault advisor
A new role of Sexual Harassment and Assault Advisor has been created within the University Counselling Service to provide specialist advice and support to anyone who has experienced sexual harassment or assault. This advisor will also be able to provide information about the internal and external support and reporting routes.
How to complain about teaching or examining
If you are unhappy about any University teaching, service, department, facilities or staff member, the University has a student complaints procedure for you to use in order to try to resolve the situation. You should first try to resolve the problem at local level by speaking to your Director of Studies/College Graduate/Course Manager.
If you do not feel comfortable raising the matter with this person then you should speak or write to the Responsible Officer (in the Philosophy Faculty, the Chair of Faculty is the Responsible Officer). You should raise your complaint as soon as it occurs or at least within 28 days of the matter arising. Many issues can be resolved easily and quickly if you communicate your problem to someone.
All complaints are treated seriously and are handled sensitively. We understand that it can be a stressful experience to submit a complaint, particularly when it is about an individual staff member, for example a PhD supervisor. We recommend that you seek support and advice from your College Tutor, Graduate Tutor or the Students' Unions' Advice Service.
