Public authorities should have policies that enable higher education institutions to ensure effective counselling and guidance for potential and enrolled students in order to widen their access to, participation in and completion of higher education studies. These services should be coherent across the entire education system, with special regard to transitions between different educational levels, educational institutions and into the labour market.

Guidelines

Facilitating collaboration for effective counselling services

Public authorities should create conditions that enable collaboration between different public institutions that provide counselling and guidance services together with higher education institutions to create synergies and omit duplication of similar services. These services should uphold the principles of clarity and user-friendliness, because end users must be capable to understand them easily.

Supporting students with health challenges in higher education

Within a diverse student body, special attention should be directed towards students with physical and psychological health challenges. These students should have access to professional support to secure their success in accessing and completing higher education studies. Special focus should be placed on prevention of psychological challenges caused by the organisation of study and students’ living conditions.

Establishing ombudsperson institutions for conflict mediation

Public authorities should also consider setting up ombudsperson-type institutions that will have the capacity and knowledge to mediate any conflicts, particularly related to equity issues that may arise during accessing or participating in higher education, or conflicts that hinder the completion of studies.

Indicators

Public authorities ensure and support the provision of free, accessible and timely academic and careers counselling and guidance services to all potential and enrolled students in higher education.

Public authorities should ensure the provision of free and inclusive academic and career counselling and guidance to all prospective and current students in public centres and/or contact points within educational institutions. They should facilitate the cooperation among all providers of academic and careers counselling and guidance for higher education to enable exchange of good practice and omit duplication. Public authorities should consider funding higher education institutions, which provide free and inclusive academic and careers counselling and guidance to potential and current students.

Public authorities ensure and support the provision of free, accessible and timely psychological counselling and guidance services to all potential and enrolled students, as well as to staff in higher education

Public authorities should ensure and support the provision of free and inclusive psychological counselling and guidance to all students and staff in public centres and/or contact points within educational institutions. The timely provision of this counselling is key in helping to prevent the negative effects of mental illness for students, such as a worsening of their condition or study delays. They should facilitate the cooperation among all providers of psychological counselling and guidance for higher education to enable exchange of good practice and omit duplication. They should consider funding higher education institutionsthat provide free, inclusive, and timely psychological counselling and guidance to potential and enrolled students, as well as to staff. Public authorities should help higher education institutions to adapt their organisation of studies and students’ living conditions in a way that prevents or mitigates potential psychological challenges.

Quality assessment of career, academic as well as psychological counselling and guidance services in higher education is required

Public authorities, in cooperation with higher education institutions, should ensure that an appropriate body has the mandate to assess the quality of career, academic and psychological counselling services in higher education and whether beneficiaries are satisfied with these
services.

Existence of impartial bodies with a formal role in conflict resolution and in mediating conflicts related to the social dimension in higher education

Public authorities should ensure that an impartial body is mandated for conflict resolution and mediation specifically pertaining to the social dimension issues in higher education. Such a body should provide access to counselling and legal services to both students and staff if they have any concerns related to discrimination issues.