Belonging, Inclusion & Well-being for Students with Disabilities at UCPH (BELONG)

• Pilot Study and Preparation: Conducting preliminary analysis through pilot interviews and developing interview guides to refine research focus.
• Empirical Fieldwork: Comprehensive fieldwork with individual interviews, group interviews, focus groups, and participant observation.
• Data Processing, Analysis, and Publications: Analyzing collected data and preparing multiple publications, including thematic papers and academic articles, that will inform future research and interventions as well as practical recommendations to be implemented by faculty and staff at UCPH.
• Development of Practical Recommendations for faculty and staff at UCPH: We aim to create specific, practical recommendations tailored to various UCPH units working with the target group, such as the Student Service at the Faculty of Social Sciences, the Student Counselling Service, and UCPH’s Special Educational Support to foster effective support and inclusive practices.
• Development of Additional Studies and Future Fundraising: Preparing further studies and possibly a survey on student well-being, potentially integrating it into UCPH’s existing student surveys or establishing an independent measurement tool.

This project combines completed and upcoming activities to enhance understanding and support for students at the Social Science Faculty facing mental health and well-being challenges.

Activities

Preparation and Recruitment: Initial survey data analysis identified trends among SAMF students, and recruitment focused on students with mental and/or physical disabilities.

Fieldwork: Interviews, focus groups, and observations have provided insights into SAMF students' experiences of mental health, well-being and inclusion.

Conference Participation and Professional Development: Findings have been shared at the yearly department retreat at the Department of Anthropology, as well as the OREO seminars about ‘Economies of Well-being’ organized within the department. Research team members have thus far also participated in courses on teaching strategies for student support, such as the How to teach an inclusive classroom DEI course offered by faculty staff at TEACH (Søndre Campus), as well as in webinars about inclusion.

Upcoming Activities

Further Fieldwork and Analysis: Expanded fieldwork will continue to explore key themes of well-being, belonging and inclusion across a broader sample of students.

Development of Practical Recommendations: Creating specific practical recommendations tailored to various UCPH units working with the target group, to enhance support and inclusion efforts.

Ongoing Dissemination: Findings will be shared with UCPH stakeholders and in academic publications to inform policy and practice, including thematic papers that will inform future research and interventions.