Palatinate
Durham’s student newspaper since 1948
Thursday 4th March 2021 | No. 838
SciTech detail Durham academics’ groundbreaking Alzheimer’s discovery
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Books showcase pioneering female authors for International Women’s Day
Counselling demand increased by 40% in 2019-20 Martha McHardy and Tash Mosheim News Editor and Editor-in-Chief Durham University’s counselling service experienced a 39% increase in the number of appointments attended in 2019-20, according to statistics published by the University In 2019-20, 9,400 counselling service appointments were
attended by Durham students, compared to 6,754 the previous year. Between 201718 and 2019-20 there was a 17% increase in the number of appointments attended. The statistics include appointments and consultations undertaken by both the Counselling and Psychological Wellbeing team and the Mental Health Team. Durham University told
Palatinate that demand for the Counselling Service, which offers up to six counselling sessions per year to each student has “increased as a result of Covid-19”. A previous investigation by Palatinate revealed that as a result of lockdown, Durham students reported feeling “isolated”, “abandoned” and “alone”. The University has added “additional staffing resources as a consequence”
of
the increased demand. Since September 2019, the University has hired two Mental Health advisers, one psychological wellbeing practitioner, and one counsellor. The number of students known to the service increased by five per cent in 2019-20. 10.1% of students are known to the University Counselling Service, increasing from 1,862 students in the previous year
(2018-19) to 1,954 students. Over the last five years, nearly two thirds of students who sought counselling were female. 1,297 female students accessed the service in 201920, which amounts to 12.4% of female students at the University compared to 7.3% of the population of male students. The number of male students Continued on page 6
Religious groups and BP among University’s top donors Luke Payne Investigations Editor
▲ Under the lockdown roadmap revealed last week, Durham’s pubs and restaurants may re-open to customers outdoors from 12th April (Adeline Zhao)
University vows to clamp down on racism and sexual misconduct Tim Sigsworth and Max Kendix Editor-in-Chief and Deputy Editor Durham University has vowed to crack down on racism and sexual assault following the recent expulsion of three students. The University announced last week that one student had been expelled for sexual violence and misconduct, while another has
received a fixed-term suspension for breaching the University’s non-academic misconduct policy. This follows the expulsion in October 2020 of two students for sexual misconduct and racist social media comments respectively. Two former police officers have been hired as permanent investigators of misconduct, one
of whom has particular experience in handling sexual violence cases. This will make Durham the first UK university to have two and one of only three - alongside Bath and Bristol - which has any at all. In an exclusive interview with Palatinate, Jeremy Cook OBE, the University’s Pro-ViceChancellor for Colleges and Student Experience, said that
tackling sexual violence was a key priority for the University’s Executive Committee (UEC). “One area that we looked at as well in the University is looking at trying to speed up the process, because justice delayed is justice denied to some extent. “The University is working really hard to increase the Continued on page 7
The University has received at least £40m from donors over the past six years, according to data on donations of £10,000 or more obtained by Palatinate. Based on the most recent three years of donations, 37% (£4.8m) of donations from organisations came from religious, predominantly Christian, trusts and charities. Most notably, this included a £3.4m donation for St John’s College from the Templeton Religion Trust in 2019. Other top donors in this three-year period include The Wolfson Foundation (£874k), The Laidlaw Foundation (£760k), The Congregation of La Retraite in England and Ireland (£410k) and Santander UK plc (£325k). Oil and gas giant BP also features as a significant donor. It donated funds to Durham in 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19. BP funds scholarships, awards and research opportunities with Durham University’s Faculty of Science. The controversial oil and gas company was found responsible for the largest marine oil spill in history and was reported to have Continued on page 4
