Institutional Compassion in Student Transition to University: Findings from the Nurture-U Compassionate Campus Project

Compassionate university practices can increase students’ sense of belonging and lead to higher wellbeing. This study presents qualitative data from a UK university collected as part of the Nurture-U Compassionate Campus project. Experiences of transition to university were gathered from 32 students across five focus groups. Data were analysed using narrative analysis, conducted jointly by an academic researcher and Nurture-U student advisors. Results are presented across three phases: (1) Expectations: participants hoped for liberal and inclusive university environments, but the university’s reputation as a white, middle-class university raised concerns for some. (2) Navigating a new social environment: on arrival, compassion was visible in welcoming individuals, but lacked where participants felt othered. (3) Finding your people: many found friends who had shared experiences, but this took time and could cause further isolation. Participants identified specific compassionate practices universities could implement in universities supporting transition. These included (i) implementing communication prior to arrival that actively promotes and highlights available support, (ii) creating structures where students and staff can interact and support each other in small groups, and (iii) holding accessible and free events for students to interact which are not reliant on societies.