Responding to the changing landscape of higher education

Cynthia A. Lietz and Breanna M. Carpenter Lietz

Chapter 1 in How to Build Resilience in College Students, 2026, pp 1-11 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: The landscape of higher education is rapidly changing. Colleges and universities are facing increased financial strain as many leaders in postsecondary institutions must adapt to a decline in investment in student services and programs. At the same time, students are coming to college with higher needs than recently seen. This is in part due to the ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, but was in some ways already put in motion through the dramatic rise in the use of technology as the primary source of social interaction for young people. Both factors have increased the incidence of social isolation and the presentation of mental health symptoms in college students that require a response from institutions across the globe. Ensuring students have every opportunity to succeed is not just important but more complicated than in the past. In this guide, we will discuss how college administrators, faculty members, and student services staff professionals can approach their work through a strengths-based, trauma-informed lens. We contend that this first involves approaching student services through a perspective that understands and validates trauma. We will then define resilience and how this construct can help higher education professionals develop a growth mindset as they seek to support college students by activating and cultivating the protective factors that can help students thrive.

Keywords: Higher education; Resilience; College students (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035365081
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