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Neil Maxwell, Charlotte Avery, Matthew Cheeseman, Harriet Dodd and Dayna Kingshott, School of Sport and Service Management and Amanda Livingstone, Occupational Safety and Health Services
The pandemic reduced opportunities for students to engage in external placement experiences. One of the four pillars of the MSc Applied Exercise Physiology degree is personal and professional development through experiential learning and reflective practice. Therefore, as course leader there was a need to be creative and develop internal placement opportunities. One such placement was developing a plan for supporting University of Brighton staff and students ahead of future heatwaves and periods of hot weather. Heatwaves (an extended period of hot weather relative to expected conditions for the area at that time of year) are increasing in frequency, intensity and duration globally and the UK has witnessed the dramatic effects, both in terms of morbidity and mortality, but also through declines in cognitive function. Presenteeism (being present at work while sick) can cause poor health and impact productivity, with the cost to employers reported as 2-7 times that of absenteeism. Consequently, the MSc students set on developing a plan to benefit staff and students, with immediate outcomes for this summer and a medium-term goal of setting a course towards a policy emerging on how the university address this global challenge that is felt locally. This presentation will aim to demonstrate 1) how the students went about this placement virtually, 2) their engagement with key members of the university that included presenting to a sub-committee of the University Executive Board, 3) a showcase of results from a survey of 107 staff that informed their plans, 4) detail of the tangible outcomes from the project and importantly, 5) provide reflections from the students about engaging with an in-house placement. While there are many good reasons for students embarking upon external placements, there are also plenty of opportunities within the post pandemic university that could offer valuable benefits to students and the university alike. MSc placement students inform a future University of Brighton heatwave health plan
British Association of Sport and Exercise Position Stand on Graduate Internships: read here