CUHK
News Centre

Dear Colleagues,

We are all saddened by the recent wave of university students, including, ours taking their lives.  For those of us who work and live on this campus, CUHK is our big family and our students are close family members.  Since last September, the University community has mourned the loss of five of our precious students.  The loss is keenly felt beyond their immediate families.

From the open letter of Professor Dennis Ng, University Dean of Students, you should have learned that the Task Force on Student Mental Wellness and Support Services, co-chaired by the two of us, has been established to conduct a comprehensive review of the mental well-being of our students.  The Task Force hopes to understand the roots of the students’ problems and make recommendations to strengthen the framework of counseling and mental health support.  Members of the Task Force include teachers of psychology and psychiatry, professional counselors, college and student representatives.  The Task Force is in full gear now.  We believe that you share the aims of our Task Force, namely, to prevent similar tragedies from happening again by helping the students with emotional needs in particular and by helping the student body in general to develop positive outlook and psychological resilience.

In the past three years, those who have received counseling services from the University included undergraduate and postgraduate students coming from all years of study and from all 8 Faculties.  In 2014–15, our counseling unit had handled 725 cases, and the problems they encountered ranged from personal growth and studies to emotional, psychiatric or family problems.  Post-counseling surveys show that over 60% of the students found the counseling useful and their problems had either been resolved or received referral for better care. 

Given the large number of students in CUHK, no matter how many counselors are employed and how well they have done their job, the problem will not be entirely eliminated.  In particular, we note that many of the students in distress do not come forward.  We should pay special attention to these off-the-radar individuals by adopting a proactive and concerted scheme of assistance.

We therefore call upon all of you to go an extra mile in staying alert to any signs of inner turmoil from those around you or in your charge: Students who have been absent for some time?  Not ventured outside their hostel room?  Poor grades?  Emotional disturbance?  These may be signs of desperation. 

The Sunshine at CUHK campaign launched recently, as its name suggests, aims to guide our students to weather adversity and foster an atmosphere of warmth and mutual care on campus.  Under the  campaign, we will invite our teachers and colleagues to put up a “Listening Ears” signage as a symbol of care, telling the students around them that they are willing and ready to listen to their troubles.  More workshops will be held to provide the necessary know-how to our teachers and frontline colleagues for spotting a problem when they see one.  We look forward to your active participation.

The Task Force will have more proposals for action after assessing the overall mental health services for students.  We hope that all of you would be a part of this and join hands to make our campus a caring community.  Any view is welcome and we can be reached by e-mail.

Michael Hui
Pro-Vice-Chancellor
Co-convenor
Task Force on Student Mental
Wellness and Support Services

Fanny Cheung
Pro-Vice-Chancellor
Co-convenor
Task Force on Student Mental
Wellness and Support Services