Student Support Team offers listening ear and advice after upsetting incidents
From a disruptive campus occupation to a fellow student falling ill during a lecture – an incident at university can leave a lasting impression. The new Student Support Team visits university buildings where such incidents have happened, offering support to students in need.
‘Students can always reach out to university staff like student psychologists and academic advisers’, says Maarten Fischer, head of the student psychologist team. ‘But this is usually by appointment, booked some time in advance. If something distressing happens, students may want to talk to someone sooner.’
This could be a disruptive protest, building occupation or evacuation due to fire or a violent incident, or something entirely different, such as seeing a fellow student have an epileptic seizure. ‘With experiences like that’, Fischer adds, ‘it really helps not to have to wait for an appointment but to be able to speak to someone soon after.’
Someone to talk to
The new Student Support Team visits the university site where an incident has taken place, giving students the chance to talk in confidence. Alongside Maarten Fischer, student psychologist Petra Penning is on the team. ‘Students have been saying for some time that there is a need for this. The team’s strength is our flexibility’, Penning says. The team currently comprises ten staff members from the Student Support Services department and aims to provide rapid assistance in the event of an incident.
Contacting the Student Support Team
- If a serious incident has occurred at the university, contact the team by email at studentenopvangteam@sea.leidenuniv.nl or phone 071 527 8026
- The coordinator will assess the situation and decide how to respond.
- You will be contacted within one working day. A follow-up session (onsite or online) will offer space for reflection and support.
- The team is available during office hours only. For urgent support outside these hours, contact Victim Support (24/7 on 0900-0101).
- Find out morme about the Student Support Team.
Victim support
All team members have completed the Support and Aftercare Following Traumatic Events training provided by ARQ/IVP, a specialist centre in psychotrauma. During the course, they practised talking with victims, eyewitnesses and others affected by traumatic incidents.
‘People respond differently to distressing situations’, says Fischer. ‘Some may feel fine after a brief chat, while others may start to struggle days later. We can explain how the body and mind respond to shocking events and offer advice on how to take care of yourself afterwards. If needed, we also help students find further support options inside or outside the university.’
World in turmoil
Fischer and Penning visited the Wijnhaven building on 7 May, the day after it was occupied, to listen to anyone wanting to talk. ‘The world is in turmoil right now, and we can see that geopolitical tensions are also impacting students’, says Penning. ‘We provide a space where students can talk in confidence, whatever their views may be.’
Staff support team
This year, the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs also launched the Collegial Support Team to help staff deal with distressing events at work. The pilot will run throughout 2025 and will be evaluated before any decision is made to expand the initiative to other faculties.