My thanks again for your replies! There is some great advice here! In terms of letting students know about the supports available, it sounds as though this may be an area programs can also look at, rather than just the supervisors. Some of your suggestions include:
- students being informed from the first day of supports available
- making this information very clear and not hidden anywhere students need to go 'searching' for this information
- having a clear point of contact when a student may need additional support - from my own thoughts, it sounds as though programs could make it more clearly known that students are welcome and encouraged to talk to their supervisors if they are experiencing some personal challenges, that the supervisor is not limited to academic conversation. Is that a fair interpretation?
- develop a clear resource for students of the types of supports available - this would include clear signposting with links from the programs' Learn or Moodle
- a separate discussion board that does not pertain to any academic questions - dissertation or coursework - could also enable students to learn from and encourage each other in seeking out support
Great suggestions!!