Speakers
Presentation
This session features a screening of the short film Contact Hours. The 25 minute film tells a powerful story of student suicide through the eyes of a university caretaker struggling to connect with his son. The film is followed by a small panel led by Christopher Tucker (Director Residence Life, University of Edinburgh), featuring the two filmmakers Rufus Love and Harry Richards.
Learn about the making of the film and its rationale, and discuss the impact that incidents like this have on staff carrying out regular checks on students.
Here’s an article about the film.
Christopher Tucker is the Director Residence Life for The University of Edinburgh since June 2019 and has worked in the UK Higher Education sector since relocating from the US in 1998.
Christopher has over 29 years' experience of managing Residential Life, student conduct, pastoral care, crises intervention and out of hours emergency student support within the university environment. At the University of Edinburgh Christopher has created and help install one of the first Residential Life Wellbeing Services that support 24 hour crises response, coordinate support externally/internally and 1 to 1 sessions for students with complex behaviours using non clinical interventions.
Christopher has also provided services as a trainer and as a consultant within the UK and internationally, delivering educational training sessions for academics, university professional service staff and security teams in the areas of student development theory (Residential Life), conflict management, mental health awareness and crisis intervention.
Christopher holds an MSc in Conflict Resolution and Mediation Studies, and an MDip in Mental Health with a focus on behavioural interventions.