Compassionate communication is a concept adopted by institutions to improve their interactions with students. It involves clear, empathetic, and supportive communication that aligns with values of kindness, respect, timeliness, and inclusivity. This approach is a commitment to understanding student needs and ensuring that policies and communications are delivered in a way that is timely, thoughtful, and beneficial to all students. 

In 2024, the Higher Education Mental Health Implementation Taskforce created a set of principles for Compassionate Communication, owned and maintained by the Academic Registrars’ Council. These principles are a key reference point for this project.   

This project is particularly focused on processes where compassionate communication is most needed. These include:  

• Extensions, appeals and mitigating circumstances.  

• Academic and student misconduct. 

• Cases where students need to repeat a year, take an interruption of study, or can no longer continue on their course. 

• Reasonable adjustments. 

• Communicating module, end of year and final qualification results. 

• Finance. 

• Accommodation. 

• Reporting abuse, harassment, and discrimination. 

• Fitness to practice/study. 

• Complaints. 

• Admissions. 

QAA Scotland has been asked by the Scottish Funding Council to include a focus on compassionate communication in the National Review of Awarding Arrangements. QAA Scotland has subsequently identified this as a relevant and timely priority area for the whole of Scotland’s tertiary sector, within the context of a student population significantly impacted by mental health challenges; a continued focus on digital education and what student support looks like in online spaces; and ongoing considerations of the use of AI in communications with students. 

This project aims to facilitate the sharing of good practice and to support institutions to enhance their activities in this area, in order to improve the student experience for all learners in Scotland’s tertiary sector.

Phase 1: Desk research and sector online roundtable events to shape the focus of the project (March – May 2026). 

Phase 2: Establishment of a sector advisory group and development of sector resources on compassionate communication (June – September 2026). 

Phase 3: Dissemination and sharing of practice (October 2026 onwards). An in-person event will take place on Wednesday 7th October, to launch the resources and to hear practice from across the tertiary sector. Further information will be shared later in the year on the event and how to sign up.