Study environment inspections

Study environment inspections are an integral part of study community work and help to promote physical, mental and social well-being in your study community. In practice, the inspections may check to see if students have time to eat between lectures, whether the ergonomic aspects of study premises are appropriate, and whether students face harassment in their study communities. The inspections provide the educational institution with information about the well-being of students and the strengths of the institution itself. They also provide FSHS staff with a better understanding of study communities and more tools to support students with the challenges they may encounter in their study environment.

One of the responsibilities of the FSHS is to promote and monitor the health and safety of the study environment in educational institutions and student well-being in study communities. The inspections are coordinated by student healthcare and carried out together with students, the staff at the educational institution and the health inspector of the municipality in question.

Study environment inspections are carried out at all universities every three years, and annual checks are made to ensure that proposals for improvements are implemented. Inspections are carried out by student representatives (such as members of the students’ union), university representatives (such as persons responsible for the premises and teaching development), FSHS representatives (usually a general practitioner, psychologist and public health nurse), and a municipal health officer. The FSHS will inform the person responsible at the higher education institution when the check is about to be carried out.

Study environment inspections required by law began in the early 2010s and are an integral part of the study community work carried out by the FSHS.

Study community action models provide support for students

A thriving community benefits the life of all students. Inspections provide information about how students are doing in their study communities and how the study environment could improve students’ well-being even more.

As a result of the inspections, institutions of higher education have compiled instructions and action models for study communities; these include an early intervention model, a programme on substance abuse prevention, and an action model for intervening in cases of harassment and inappropriate conduct.

The instructions and action models for your study community can be found on your community website. The website also contains instructions on who to contact about harassment, bullying or indoor air problems, or other problems in the study community. Your higher education institution or student union representatives can provide you with more information.