The Wellbeing and Belonging Leadership Network (WBLN) at Ulster University was established as a cross-university partnership across all 4 Faculties, 22 Schools and 3 geographically dispersed campuses. Its members include academic and professional services staff alongside UUSU (Students’ Union) staff and officers. This collaborative infrastructure, spanning campuses, faculties and services, facilitated university-wide engagement to drive institution-wide educational enhancement with a strategic focus on wellbeing and belonging.
The WBLN brings together 52 members across academic and professional roles, led by Colette Murphy and Michaela Keenan, alongside UUSU and Student Wellbeing working together under the co-developed shared mission:
‘To integrate wellbeing and belonging into curricula and the overall student experience through institutional practices, resources and guidance.’
This shared mission placed partnership at the heart of the work, establishing a golden thread of co-creation between staff and students. Operating through a distributed model grounded in expertise rather than hierarchy, the WBLN has fostered commitment, interdependence and inclusivity. It empowers local leaders and positions students as equal partners in institutional change with Ulster University Students’ Union representatives ensuring genuine student involvement and decisions informed by student voices.
The Network’s educational development programme included masterclasses, design thinking and innovation hackathons. It equipped staff and recruited 28 student partners as co-designers to collaboratively identify institutional challenges, co-design innovative solutions and integrate authentic student partnership at every stage of institutional change.
Key outputs of the WBLN include: the Wellbeing in the Curriculum Model, staff development guidance and a staff-facing Practice Hub featuring 11 projects that deliver sustainable innovations grounded in authentic student voice.
Through the scale of its reach, the depth of its partnerships and its sustainable institutional impact, the Wellbeing and Belonging Leadership Network exemplifies how collaborative leadership, authentic student partnership and evidence-based practice can transform educational culture, strengthen wellbeing and a sense of belonging, ultimately boosting student success across Ulster University.
Advance HE recognises there are different views and approaches to teaching and learning, as such we encourage sharing of practice, without advocating or prescribing specific approaches. NTF and CATE awards recognise teaching excellence in a particular context. The profiles featured are self-submitted by award winners.
