As 2020 closes, the difficulties of the pandemic have been clear across higher education. In the spring semester, most schools had to pivot to all online and faculty, staff, and administration had to quickly adapt. Over the summer, many schools diligently worked to plan and prepare to welcome students to return in the fall.
Administrators and boards have had to adapt as well, working through unexpected issues and changing strategies, as well as ways of meeting.
The toll on faculty, staff, and students has shown up in any number of ways as the pandemic has worn on, and a Gallup survey shows that Americans’ mental health is suffering. Notably, one of the only groups to see an improvement is those people who attend a religious service on a regular basis. (You can find the study here.)
For seminaries and theological schools, the wear of the pandemic has affected everyone in different ways. A question for leaders is how they’ll help not only students but also faculty, staff, and administrators who are showing signs of stress.
Have you seen mental health issues grow on campus due to the pandemic? How are you responding or planning to respond? Are you seeing any changes in your spiritual practices on campus or looking at training students in different ways as a result of the pandemic?
Let us know your thoughts here. We’d like to know about what you’re experiencing. You can also find a roundup of self-care articles and tips on the In Trust website here.
