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exeposé
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ISSUE 741 8 FEB 2023 exepose.com @Exepose
THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1987
Staff “exhausted” and “broken” as UCU strikes begin Image: Pollyanna Roberts
Exeter celebrates LGBTQ+ History Month Page 3
We need to talk about antisemitism Page 13
Strikers out in Exeter on Wednesday 1st February spoke to Exeposé about their experiences, calling the current conditions under which they are expected to work “unsustainable.” UCU strike action is currently taking place in Exeter and across the country. The last of the 18 days of the strikes over pay, pensions and working conditions, are set to take place on Wednesday March 22nd, unless negotiations reach a conclusion prior to this date. Pages 4-5
“You can do a better job”: Parents react to University’s new welfare plan THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS CONTENT RELATING TO SUICIDE WHICH SOME READERS MAY FIND DISTRESSING
Amy Rushton News Editor
Look out for Campus Crushes...
Images (top to bottom): Exeter Guild, Peter HutchinsFlickr, Joshua Hughes
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HE Vice-Chancellor Lisa Roberts has responded to the coroner’s ‘Report to Prevent Future Death’ issued following the death of Exeter student Harry Armstrong Evans. The report was issued after the inquest into Harry’s death found serious failings in the University’s suicide prevention strategy and welfare services. At the conclusion of the inquest, the coroner, Guy Davies, declared his central finding to be “that the welfare service did not proactively respond to... concerns and did not
provide the necessary support for Harry.” The coroner’s report following the inquest identified specific areas of concern for the University to address in its response, in order to prevent future deaths. Harry’s parents Alice and Rupert, however, told Exeposé they found the Vice-Chancellor’s response and suggested changes to the welfare services insufficient, with Alice Armstrong Evans telling Exeposé she thought the University of Exeter “can do better than this.” The University’s response to the coroner’s report states that it “fully respects the Inquest process” and goes on to address each individual area of concern identified by the coroner. In response to the coroner’s invitation to review training for academic staff, the University stated they had “undertaken a detailed review” of the mental health awareness training courses for staff in student
facing roles. As an immediate response, they have introduced a phased roll out of training for staff at different levels depending on individual expertise and institutional role. An introductory online video on mental health awareness will be mandatory for all staff, and all student-facing staff will be required to participate in a half day of training, a course which the report states has already “been run for a number of years.” Selected staff in wellbeing based roles will also have to complete a two day “Mental Health First Aid” course, and staff in key student facing welfare roles will be required to complete a “Suicide awareness and risk screening” course. While Rupert Armstrong Evans suggested that these measures were overdue, as issues with staff training were previously raised at the inquest into the death of Exeter student Joel Rees in June 2017, he also told Exeposé that these particular improvements
were “welcomed, and evidenced by an internal email from the University registrar dated 16th November 2022 to all staff entitled — Support for Wellbeing and Mental Health.” The Vice-Chancellor added that existing processes would be reviewed for assessment periods to ensure communications sent out provide signposting for support available. On these changes to the mental health support around exam periods, Alice said it is “young people who have had a bad experience.. [or] a bad exam — either before or after the result,” who need the most help, saying that student suicides are often “exam-related” so this was a key area for the University to focus on when improving its hands-on pastoral support. Continued on page 6