University supporting Student Minds

Glasgow Caledonian is once again joining universities across the UK in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of both students and staff.

The University is committed to enhancing mental-health initiatives through its ongoing participation in Student Minds' University Mental Health Charter (UMHC) Award programme.

Glasgow Caledonian was one of just three UK universities selected in 2020 to trial this prestigious award, which benchmarks and recognises best practices in mental-health support across higher education institutions. This year, we are once again supporting Student Minds in trialling its re-accreditation process for UMHC programme participants, and we look forward to receiving the outcome from this process in the summer of 2026 and seeing the change this will shape for our staff and students.

Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Stephen Decent emphasised the significance of Glasgow Caledonian’s involvement in the UMHC. He said: “Engaging with the University Mental Health Charter has helped enhance the support for mental health and wellbeing for our staff and students. I am delighted that we are continuing this very important partnership and very much look forward to building on our relationship and further promoting positive mental health and wellbeing.”

Director of Student Life and University Mental Health Charter Lead Avril Williams said: “The University Mental Health Charter programme has been invaluable for helping to strengthen the further development of a whole university approach towards supporting the mental health and wellbeing for our students and staff. We have seen significant change across our institution as a direct result of participating in the programme and are delighted to be recognised as an award holder.”

Rosie Tressler, CEO of Student Minds said: “Joining the UMHC Programme means making a real commitment to do the work required to embed mental health and wellbeing across every aspect of university life, and we are so proud of the progress our Programme Members have made to date. The impact we have seen from the Programme thus far has been remarkable, with universities and their partners driving meaningful change in policy, culture, and practice. The hard work universities are doing is making a tangible difference to student and staff experiences at universities across the country.”

Central to Glasgow Caledonian’s approach is the active involvement of the University community in shaping our mental-health initiatives. This year, students from our Design for Change module are developing a campaign to highlight opportunities for students and staff to engage in this work.

If you have any questions or wish to get involved, please email our University Mental Health Charter mailbox: UMHC@gcu.ac.uk

To learn more about the University Mental Health Charter at the University, visit the dedicated webpage.