The essence and features of social support for students at the national research university «BelSU»

The article indicates the categories of students at the National Research University «BelSU» who need additional help and support from the university. The socio-psychological, social, household, material direction of the university's activities to assist students who find themselves in a difficult life situation is considered.

Keywords: social support, difficult life situation, support, socio-psychological adaptation.

Rapid economic and political modernization in Russia has provoked serious social stratification, a decline in the standard of living of the majority of the population and other negative consequences. As a result of these changes, students are a vulnerable category in need of additional social and material assistance and support. Our main role is to create optimal conditions for personal self–development, satisfaction of internal needs and requests.

The system of social support for students plays a leading role in ensuring accessibility and high performance of higher education. The progress of the system of social support for students, along with other formations in the field of higher education, is a guarantee of the formation of an innovative economy and the inclusion of our country among the leading world powers.

Thanks to the introduction of a competent financial and economic program, BelSU managed to implement many significant social projects, create the most favorable and comfortable learning conditions, promote the personal growth of students, and establish a high level of student satisfaction. The university has organized highly effective work to obtain social protection and support for participants in the educational process.

Currently, 13,000 people receive education at the National Research University «BelSU», 6.5 % of them are socially unprotected category of students. These are students from among orphans, children left without parental care; students exposed to radiation as a result of the Chernobyl disaster, students receiving social assistance, students from poor families, students from large families, students with disabilities.

The main forms of financial assistance and social support for the above categories of students include:

1. Scholarship provision for students. The university pays more than a dozen different scholarships:
2. Financial support for socially vulnerable categories of students who find themselves in a difficult life situation. The following cases fall under this definition at the university: death of close relatives; loss of personal property as a result of man-made or natural disasters; serious illness and medical expenses.

Orphans need the most support and assistance. The care and support of this category of students from the university is to provide them with housing — free accommodation in a hostel; financial assistance. Health-saving activities: free medical care and treatment in the health center of the National Research University «BelSU», conducting medical examinations, regular medical examinations. In addition to the above, compensation is paid for travel in public transport and for travel to the place of residence; an annual allowance for the purchase of educational literature and writing materials.

The university pays great attention to student families. Traditional values are brought up among students, the institution of the family is popularized. When raising a child, targeted financial support payments are made to student families, single mothers, (in 2021, 5 female students are single mothers). Student families with children receive a social scholarship, quarterly financial assistance, have the right to provide a room in a student dormitory.

3. Reduction of paid educational services for students on a contractual basis. Support is provided to students studying on a paid basis who find themselves in a difficult life situation. Tuition fees for 23 students will be reduced in 2022.
4. One of the areas of social support for students at the university is the settlement of nonresident students in dormitories. The quality of a person's life is determined by the degree of satisfaction of his needs. Physiological needs are fundamental, the satisfaction of which is the key to successful self–development. The first step into an adult, independent life for a student begins with independent living. Living in a dormitory, a student acquires new communication skills, empathy is cultivated, the ability to get along with other people and their habits develops, adapt to the situation, solve problems independently.

NRU «BelSU» has 7 dormitories. All nonresident students belonging to the preferential category are settled in the dormitories of the university.

Currently, the following social support measures are provided for those living in the dormitories of the National Research University «BelSU»:

— non-payment of fees for utilities and household services in case of temporary eviction from the hostel for the period of distance learning;

— equipment of additional places in dormitories for the organization of educational activities of students during distance learning. Allocation of computers for equipping workplaces and provision of free Internet access in study rooms;

— the dormitories of the university are equipped with sections for students with disabilities. Cohabitation of students with disabilities and students without disabilities improves the psychological state of the disabled, promotes their socialization. Teaches mutual assistance and tolerance towards the problem of disability.

5. Health protection of students is an important form of social support. The health-saving policy is implemented on the basis of the created health-saving infrastructure. In the Polyclinic of the National Research University «BelSU» medical examinations of students are conducted in order to assess the state of health, timely detection of pathological conditions, diseases and risk factors for their development, determination of groups of health and physical education. A medical examination of students living in university dormitories is systematically carried out.

Due to the epidemiological situation in the country, the university has organized a free COVID-19 test for students returning to dormitories after distance learning.

When faced with personal psychological problems, students experience serious difficulties in the process of socio-psychological adaptation to the conditions of the university, to the requirements of teachers, to the peculiarities of the courses studied, to the new academic staff, and need professional help. In the structure of psychological and pedagogical support of students, regular monitoring on the main aspects of student life problems serves as a fundamental element. In order to successfully adapt students, it is necessary to create a special socio-pedagogical support.

Psychological and pedagogical assistance to students in solving problems of a communicative and psychological nature is provided by the psychological service of the National Research University «BelSU» and the student association «Student Psychological Service». Specialists and students of the Faculty of Psychology of the Pedagogical Institute conduct diagnostics, psychological counseling, trainings, individual work with students; they identify students who are in the «risk group», give recommendations to curators of academic groups. In 2021, the Psychological Service conducted over 50 trainings for more than 1,500 university students, 120 individual psychological consultations (including with parents and curators), during which problems relevant to students were solved — relationships with the opposite sex, self-attitude, emotional problems and suicidal intentions.

In September 2021, the Psychological Service of the National Research University «BelSU» organized psychological diagnostics of first-year students. A series of «Helmsman» trainings were also conducted for the elders of the first-year full-time study groups in a distance form by filling out an on-line questionnaire by students.

The optimal combination of all the above forms of assistance allows us to talk about the formed institute of social assistance. It should be noted that the National Research University «BelSU» has a single-sided effective system of social support for students, the experience of which can be applied in other educational institutions of the Russian Federation. At the moment, the university is actively considering a proposal to introduce additional social support measures.

References:

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2. T. Nikulina. «Socio-cultural environment of the university» / S. Ostrikova, T. Nikulina //Higher education in Russia» /. — 2016. — № 2. — pp. 126–131.
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