Jeroen De Samblancx helped launch the Compassionate University initiative and has coordinated its core team from the outset. Noëmi Verreyen is Well-being Team Coordinator within VUB’s People & Organisation (P&O) department. “P&O became involved in the Compassionate University initiative early on to ensure that its principles were also put into practice for VUB staff.”
Compassionate Week 2026: creating space for grief and loss together
From 16 to 19 November, VUB invites students and staff to reflect on serious illness, caring for others, grief and loss. The programme features film screenings, discussions, creative workshops and poetry. Write a message of comfort, join the annual Moment of Comfort on 19 November or drop by the Compassionate Café.
From Caroline Pauwels’ vision to a more caring university
“One of P&O’s strategic objectives is to strengthen staff engagement and well-being, and this initiative plays an important part in achieving that. We focus on well-being policies, provide psychosocial support through services such as the Employee Assistance Programme, support initiatives including Compassionate Week, and coordinate procedures following the death of a current or former member of staff. This means acting as a point of contact and coordinating internal communications. Thanks to the work of COCO, we also have practical guides for students and staff, offering advice on how colleagues and managers can respond when someone dies.”
Jeroen: “The Compassionate University initiative began under the leadership of former rector Caroline Pauwels. One of the priorities in her strategic plan was to make VUB a warmer, more caring organisation. She connected with colleagues from our End-of-Life Care Research Group, who were already researching compassionate communities, a concept that had been developed internationally. With Caroline Pauwels’ encouragement, we began exploring how this approach could be adapted to a university setting.
“It took time to define what a Compassionate University should actually be. Even today, we sometimes encounter misconceptions about what it does and does not involve. At VUB, we decided to focus on serious illness, caring responsibilities, dying, grief and loss, and the impact these experiences have on our university community. Losing someone you work or study alongside can have a profound effect on people's lives. Providing the right support during such difficult times has a positive impact on the entire organisation.”
Grief doesn’t stop at the university gates
“We’ve moved beyond the initial pioneering phase, when we were still finding our way,” Jeroen explains. “There is now greater openness around grief and loss across the university. You can see this, for example, when students and staff spontaneously visit the Monument of Comfort as a place for reflection after someone has died. It shows that people have embraced the idea that grief deserves a place in our university, whether in a study or work environment.”
Noëmi: “We have indeed moved beyond that first phase, but we want to keep building a warm and caring university. That means focusing on factors that promote well-being, such as a culture of feedback, good leadership and greater awareness of the support services available. We also regularly review how we can improve our approach.
“My team, for instance, is working to improve the procedures followed when someone dies. Our colleagues in Education and Student Affairs also review their processes periodically. We evaluate existing initiatives too. Is Compassionate Week still taking place at the right time? How can we reach more people? And is reaching a wider audience necessarily the goal, or should we focus on the quality of the experience?
“We also have to respond to a world beyond the university that is changing rapidly, from the influence of social media and internationalisation to financial pressures and evolving legislation. Unfortunately, colleagues do face bereavement, grief and caring responsibilities, all of which can have a significant impact on their lives. We want to support them as effectively as possible and explore how we can keep improving that support. That's why our 2022 and 2026 VUB staff well-being surveys included questions on these issues.”
Jeroen: “That brings us back to the very idea behind the initiative. Serious illness, caring responsibilities, dying, grief and loss are part of life. So they must also have a place within our university.”
No one should have to face loss alone
Noëmi: “When someone dies, a dedicated team is available to support both staff and students. Within P&O, I act as the main point of contact. Together with Jeroen from the Rector’s Office, Naomi Beke from Education and Student Affairs, and Ben Van Beeck from Marketing and Communications, who coordinates all communications, we form VUB’s crisis response team for bereavements. It is very much a collective effort, with a coordinated approach across departments.
“As Jeroen points out, serious illness is also part of life. That's why we're developing a new policy on illness and returning to work. Our Well-being Team also acts as a sounding board for staff and managers when a colleague is on long-term sick leave or preparing to return to work.”
Jeroen: “This is one of the areas where we’ve seen real improvements. People need support, particularly in the first few days after someone dies. Losing a close colleague unexpectedly can trigger an intense grieving process. Having someone reach out and offer support can make an enormous difference during those first difficult days.”
Noëmi: “We focus on both the human side of these experiences and the administrative burden that comes with them. The last thing someone dealing with illness or bereavement wants is to fill in forms. Unfortunately, some paperwork is unavoidable. Having someone to guide you through it makes a huge difference.
“That benefits both individuals and the university. The more smoothly the administrative side is handled, the more time and attention we can devote to the people who need it.”
What is a Compassionate University?
Serious illness, caring responsibilities, dying, grief and loss are part of life. University life is no exception. As a Compassionate University, VUB aims to create a warm, caring community where students and staff can find support during life's most difficult moments.
Since 2018, VUB has developed initiatives that encourage open conversations about these experiences. From the Monument of Comfort and the annual Compassionate Week to practical bereavement guides and support following a death. Because looking after one another is a shared responsibility.
About You Are Not Alone
At VUB, you are not alone. With You Are Not Alone (YANA), VUB brings together its full range of psychosocial well-being support in one clear and accessible platform, so that every student and staff member can quickly find out where to turn, who can help and what to expect.
Our ambition: to make wellbeing the beating heart of VUB by 2030.
