NIDA is committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment for all students to thrive. Maintaining and developing a learning environment that is safe, secure, and professional is a responsibility of all people in the NIDA community including staff, students, and guests. Student safety and wellbeing takes many forms, and below we’ve listed just some of the ways students can access support and student services.
All students have access to counselling support.
Book a session with the NIDA Counsellors Kareena Hodgson or Helle Luckmann.
Counselling sessions run for 50 minutes, and each student has access to 12 sessions per year. If you need more support or specialised therapeutic treatments the Counsellor will help connect you to a suitable service.
If you need help now, you can get immediate support:
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Wellbeing Hotline: 1800 959 500
Mental Health Line: 1800 011 511
In an immediate, life-threatening situation, please contact 000 or attend the closest public hospital emergency department.
Gendered violence has NO place at NIDA. NIDA is committed to working to prevent all forms of gendered violence, including sexual misconduct, on the NIDA campus.
NIDA policy frameworks and learning and teaching activities act to:
- Build a safe and respectful teaching and learning environment.
- Raise awareness of gendered violence.
- Provide opportunities for reporting gendered violence, including sexual misconduct.
- Encourage appropriate and safe bystander action.
It takes courage to reach out, but if you have experienced sexual harm, help is available.
Click here for more information on how to report, and access support and assistance.
The Student Council of NIDA (SCON) is run by a student committee, elected by the student body. The committee comprises second-year students from each undergraduate course, one MFA student representative and one Vocational student who represent the student body at meetings with the senior staff of NIDA. It is an association representing all NIDA students.
In order to receive all the benefits of SCON, students have the option of joining and paying an annual membership fee. A member of SCON has a position on the NIDA Education Committee. The tasks and aims of SCON are to:
- allow the student body representatives to participate in any discussions and decisions on behalf of their peers and to keep the student body appropriately informed;
- give students an arena to discuss, confidentially with their peers, any suggestions, problems, grievances or interests which may arise while a student at NIDA;
- promote a positive relationship between NIDA employees, staff and students of all courses;
- give students moral, technical and legal support in regard to any disciplinary or assessment disputes;
- promote friendship, respect, and support among students at NIDA through organising events that bring the student body together;
- represent the student body on the WHS Committee Enquiries: SCON President.
NIDA makes all reasonable efforts to support all students individual learning needs.
The Study Access Plan (SAP) is available to students with diagnosed learning needs. The SAP is a tool for students to use to negotiate arrangements for reasonable adjustments to their academic and environmental needs.
Students can discuss their eligibility for a SAP with the Counselling service or Student Services.
