The Student Council of the University of Iceland welcomes the decision to hire a fourth psychologist for the University’s Counselling and Career Centre. This is a 50% position that the University of Iceland will fund centrally for the next three years.
The decision follows consistent advocacy by the Student Council in recent months, in close cooperation with the University’s mental health team and the Counselling and Career Centre. In March, the Council organized a charity week to raise awareness about the state of psychological services. In April, the Council issued a statement urging the University to take immediate action.
Both student groups, Vaka and Röskva, have agreed on the need to increase the number of psychologists at the University.
“We have repeatedly pointed out that three psychologists in 1.5 full-time equivalents is not enough for a university with nearly 14,000 students. It is gratifying to see that our efforts are paying off,” says Valgerður Laufey Guðmundsdóttir, SHÍ’s Student Rights Officer.
According to the Counselling and Career Centre, the matter was pursued in consultation with SHÍ and the position was approved on the second day of Silja Bára Ómarsdóttir’s tenure as Rector. The new psychologist will begin work in August.
The Council celebrates this milestone, but also emphasizes that this is only the first step. SHÍ will continue to push for psychologists to be hired in 100% positions and for the service to be strengthened to meet students’ real needs.
