We spoke about this topic with Sofia Frumkina, the Vice-chair of the 2022-2023 EB Faculty Student Council (FSR).

What is your connection to social safety?

At the FSR, I’m also the file holder for Accessibility, Mental Health and Social Safety and committed to ensure that fellow EB students know exactly where to go to if they need help on these matters. EB students can always reach out to us to discuss social safety. We can guide students to the support services available for them thanks to our close contacts in the organisation.

How can we work together to create and maintain a safe study environment?

The keyword is respect, and respect goes both ways. From both students and lecturers, and in how students treat each other. In a safe study environment where people respect each other, everyone feels comfortable sharing their opinion.

In my experience, this often goes well at EB. But it’s important to keep paying attention and keep talking about social safety and respect for each other. This is essential for lecturers to feel safe to teach and for students to feel safe to learn.

What is your advice to students who may see or experience undesirable behaviour?

Undesirable behaviour can lead to stress and psychological or physical symptoms, so it's crucial to discuss the situation with someone before things get out of hand. My first advice is to talk to someone about it. Don’t keep it to yourself. It’s always better when these issues are addressed. You can discuss it with your lecturer first. You can also go to the study advisers, confidential advisers or the ombudsperson. These conversations are always confidential. If you’d like to talk to a fellow student, it's good to know you can always reach out to us.

Do you want to get in touch with the FSR? Visit the FSR at the Roeterseiland Campus (E0.06) or contact us via fsr.feb@gmail.comExternal link.