Researchers examine student care culture in small Russian universities

Researchers from the HSE Institute of Education conducted a sociological study at four small, non-selective universities and revealed, based on 135 interviews, the dual nature of student care at such institutions: a combination of genuine support with continuous supervision, reminiscent of parental care. This study offers the first in-depth look at how formal and informal student care practices are intertwined in the post-Soviet educational context. The study has been published in the British Journal of Sociology of Education.

In recent decades, universities have come to be viewed not only as places for learning and professional training, but also as environments that provide emotional support. In some countries, this shift is described as the therapeutic turn, as alongside academic objectives, universities begin to prioritise students’ psychological well-being. However, in certain cases, supportive care is accompanied by excessive supervision and restrictions on students’ autonomy.

Small non-selective universities in Russia, especially in the periphery, have received little attention in this context. Many of them evolved from former teacher training institutes and continue to play a key role in meeting the educational needs of entire regions. By non-selective universities, the researchers refer to institutions where the average Unified State Exam (USE) admission score is below 70. In the universities examined in this study, it ranges from 60.28 to 66.8. These institutions have lower USE entry requirements than major research universities and enrol many first-generation students. Despite the important social role of such universities, little is known about their internal culture and the daily lives of students. The authors of this study aimed to fill this gap by closely examining how students are cared for in these universities.

Conducted between 2022 and 2024, the research focused on four public universities located in the Altai Republic, Altai Krai, Kamchatka Krai, and Ivanovo Oblast. These institutions enrol between 799 and 2,334 full-time students, with a student–faculty ratio of 10:1 to 16:1, lower than that of major universities.

The researchers observed university life and conducted 135 semi-structured interviews with students, faculty, and administrators, including department heads, deans, and vice rectors. The interviews addressed a broad range of topics, from the educational process and participation in extracurricular activities to personal future plans. Questions about care and support were not asked directly; instead, these themes emerged as participants described the campus atmosphere and their everyday relationships. The researchers observed frequent use of expressions such as children, second family, and like at home, which helped identify the key characteristics of the university culture.

The results revealed a pervasive duality of student care practiced at the universities studied. On one hand, faculty members focus on creating a warm and friendly atmosphere: they know their students by name, take an interest in their lives, and are willing to assist with both academic and personal matters. On the other hand, in the absence of dedicated student support services, faculty members often take on mentoring roles: they explain institutional rules, help resolve conflicts, and support students in difficult situations.

Care and support often take the form of continuous monitoring. The 'grown-ups' track attendance, oversee dormitory behaviour, contact parents, or hold 'parent–teacher conferences.' Even students who are legally adults are treated as 'children' in need of guidance. Notably, all faculty members involved provide this care without additional compensation, which may be influenced by gendered traditions in the teaching profession, as most faculty at the universities studied are women.

In interviews, students often liken the university to their family and faculty members to their parents or 'second mums.' While this can foster trust, it also reinforces a model in which students do not fully transition to independence, continuing instead to live in a system of control reminiscent of secondary school.

'We have shown that in small, non-selective universities, caring for students involves both support and control. These forms are not contradictory but together create a stable system of relationships that largely holds the university community together,' summarises Tatiana Akuneeva, Research Assistant at the Laboratory for University Development of the HSE Institute of Education (IOE).

'These universities combine trusting, emotionally warm relationships between students and faculty with elements of strict supervision, including behaviour monitoring and parental involvement. While this model can promote cohesion and stability within the university community, it also reinforces student dependence and extends a school-like experience,' notes Ksenia Romanenko, Expert at the IOE Laboratory for University Development.