Prelims

Half Title Page

The Emerald Handbook of Wellbeing in Higher Education

Endorsement Page

It is hard to imagine a timelier contribution for leaders in higher education: evidence suggests that campuses are less vital, students are increasingly seeking mental health services, and performance pressures are increasing. This handbook offers promising approaches to revitalizing the human side of higher education and, by drawing from many countries and perspectives, provides a base for thoughtful discussions in the varied contexts that serve the tertiary education sector.

—Dr Karen Seashore Louis, Regents Professor Emerita, University of Minnesota, USA

This is a timely volume for thinkers and practitioners of higher education development. Led by two prominent Canadian scholars, the handbook offers a rich collection of empirical studies and theoretical insights on student and educator wellbeing. In the days of growing precarity, the research and reflection on this topic are hugely important for all of us taking care of new generations of learners and citizens.

—Dr Anatoly V. Oleksiyenko, Professor of International Higher Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Thoughtfully curated by two leading experts in human flourishing in organizations, this comprehensive volume presents a thorough examination of the intricate dimensions of wellbeing within the academic sphere. Its diverse chapters explore critical facets of student, faculty, and leader wellbeing, along with institution-level considerations. The international cadre of contributors, with their distinct perspectives, elevates this work to an indispensable resource for scholars, researchers, and administrators who are intent on advancing their understanding and contributing to the scholarly discourse on fostering wellbeing in higher education.

—Dr Lynn Bossetti, Professor, Educational Policy and Leadership, The University of British Columbia, Canada

The Emerald Handbook of Wellbeing in Higher Education is an illuminating guide to student, faculty, leader, and system wellbeing. Contributing authors create a fascinating look at the interpersonal nature of thriving and learning in higher education. This collection brims with hope, ideas, and the belief that putting purpose to wellbeing is a cornerstone of the learning community.

—Dr Kevin Wood, Assistant Professor in Educational Leadership, Faculty of Education and the School for Graduate Studies, University of Lethbridge, Canada

The Emerald Handbook of Wellbeing in Higher Education is a timely volume that will provide academic leaders ideas on improving wellbeing on their campuses. The book will help to close the scholar–-practitioner gap by providing actionable, evidence-based strategies to promote human flourishing on campuses.

—Dr Laura Lunsford, Professor, Psychology; Assistant Dean, School of Education and Human Sciences, Campbell University, USA

This is another fine book by the editors that adds to the impressive contributions that they have been making in the field of inquiry into wellbeing in educational settings and contexts. The book is rich on case studies on wellbeing of students and of faculty and on institutional approaches to wellbeing in higher education from around the world. It will be welcomed as a valuable resource to higher education institutions as they work on putting their wellbeing agendas into practice.

—Dr Thomas Falkenberg, Professor, Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba, Canada

In a thorough and well-balanced collection of chapters, Walker and Kutsyuruba have gathered important works focused on wellbeing of students, faculty, leaders, and institutions of higher education across the world. Built upon extensive research conducted in widely diverse settings, the chapters are focused on action, as illustrated by evocative action verbs such as harnessing, savoring, exploring, thriving, flourishing, and advancing. This handbook offers inspiration and motivation for everyone engaged in pursuing wellbeing in higher education.

—Dr Ken Brien, Associate Professor, Educational Administration and Leadership, Faculty of Education, University of New Brunswick, Canada

Title Page

The Emerald Handbook of Wellbeing in Higher Education: Global Perspectives on Students, Faculty, Leaders, and Institutions

EDITED BY

KEITH D. WALKER

University of Saskatchewan, Canada

AND

BENJAMIN KUTSYURUBA

Queen’s University, Canada

United Kingdom – North America – Japan – India – Malaysia – China

Copyright Page

Emerald Publishing Limited

Emerald Publishing, Floor 5, Northspring, 21-23 Wellington Street, Leeds LS1 4DL.

First edition 2024

Editorial matter and selection © 2024 Keith D. Walker and Benjamin Kutsyuruba.

Individual chapters © 2024 The authors.

Published under exclusive licence by Emerald Publishing Limited.

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Contact: www.copyright.com

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without either the prior written permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying issued in the UK by The Copyright Licensing Agency and in the USA by The Copyright Clearance Center. Any opinions expressed in the chapters are those of the authors. Whilst Emerald makes every effort to ensure the quality and accuracy of its content, Emerald makes no representation implied or otherwise, as to the chapters’ suitability and application and disclaims any warranties, express or implied, to their use.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-83797-505-1 (Print)

ISBN: 978-1-83797-504-4 (Online)

ISBN: 978-1-83797-506-8 (Epub)

Contents

List of Figures and Tables

About the Editors

Keith D. Walker, PhD, DD, is a Professor in the Department of Educational Administration at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. His academic interests, expertise, and activity revolve around executive leadership, organizational development, positive organizational studies, governance, and applied ethics in education, public administration, and the not-for-profit sectors. His formal education has been in several disciplines and fields of study, including physical education, Bible and theology, philosophy, education, and educational administration. He has also served on a number of national, regional, and local social sector boards; he is currently in his final term as a Provincial Cabinet-appointed member of the Saskatchewan Higher Education Quality Assurance Board. His occupations have ranged from international coach to teacher to minister to educational administrator to professor in various contexts. His international academic and professional practice has extended to over 15 countries (keynotes, workshops, consultancies, and collaborative research projects). In his 32nd year at the University of Saskatchewan, he has supervised over 100 graduate students to completion, including more than 30 doctoral students. He is the author or co-author of over 150 refereed articles and chapters, along with more than 25 books.

Benjamin Kutsyuruba, PhD, is a Professor of Educational Leadership, Policy, and School Law in the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Throughout his career, he has worked as a teacher, researcher, manager, and professor in the field of education in Ukraine and Canada. For over 10 years, he served as an Associate Director of Social Program Evaluation Group. His research interests include educational policymaking; educational leadership; induction, mentorship, and development of teachers; trust, moral agency, and ethical decision-making in education; international education; school climate, safety, wellbeing, and flourishing; and educational change, reform, and restructuring. His current research projects focus on positive leadership, flourishing in schools and teacher education programs, educator wellbeing, mentoring and wellbeing, and teacher induction and mentoring in international settings. He has published over 50 refereed articles, authored/co-authored and edited over 10 books, and supervised to completion over 30 masters and doctoral students.

About the Contributors

Maha Al Makhamreh, PhD, is a Researcher at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Maha mainly specializes in the areas of leadership and policy, wellbeing, doctoral supervision, mentorship, and organizational behavior. Maha’s research has been published in national and international journals and conferences with the focus on the role of relational and positive leadership styles within the doctoral supervision context and their impact on supervisor and student wellbeing. Maha offers workshops, talks, and consultations on positive changes to promote wellbeing within K-12, universities, and other organizational contexts.

Laila Albughayl holds a PhD in Educational Administration from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. She held several leadership positions in private and public sectors. Her research interests include leadership and professional development in higher education institutions, and her work focuses on leaders, students, and staffs wellbeing, gender and equity issues in leadership, and educational administration leadership.

Jodi Basch earned her Doctorate degree at Queen’s University, where she delved into the intersection between authentic leadership, resilience, and wellbeing in the context of transitioning from high school to university. She is a Registered Psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario and an Ontario Certified Teacher with the Ontario College of Teachers. She has experience working with individuals of all ages, including at the university level. She firmly believes in integrating her professional practice to inform her research and vice versa. She was honored by Queen’s University in both 2022 and 2023 as a Champion of Mental Health. This distinction acknowledges instructors who effectively support and promote student mental wellbeing. In 2021, she received the Agnes Benidickson Tricolour Award, the highest non-academic and non-athletic award at the university, which emphasizes leadership, service, and character.

Wilfred Beckford is a former Teacher and Principal with the Ministry of Education in Jamaica. He has a PhD in Educational Administration from the University of Saskatchewan. His research interests include leadership, host leadership, principalship, educational organizations’ improvement and culture, cultural intelligence, community development, and Indigenous education. He is currently employed by the Sandy Lake Board of Education in Ontario Canada.

Christopher Bezzina, FCCEAM, is Professor of Educational Leadership in the Department of Leadership for Learning & Innovation at the Faculty of Education, University of Malta and Guest Professor at the Faculty of Education, Uppsala University, Sweden. He is Visiting Professor at the University of Bologna, Italy. He has taught and done consultancy work both locally and abroad in countries such as Albania, Belgium, Cyprus, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, the Seychelles, and the United States in the areas of professional development, school development planning, school-based self-evaluation, internal and external review, professional learning communities and governance. He is a Commonwealth Scholar and Fulbright Fellow. He has published in the areas of leadership, governance, professional learning communities, and teacher professional development in various peer-reviewed journals, chapters in books, including a number of books. He is involved in various European and international educational institutions, and serves on a number of editorial boards.

Cherie Chu-Fuluifaga is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Education, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. She, a distinguished senior lecturer and scholar, is deeply invested in research areas such as mentoring, human development, identity, cultural change, and leadership within Pasifika and indigenous contexts. She is deeply committed to empowering Pacific communities to reach their educational goals, taking a culturally sensitive approach in her research and practice. She has devoted herself to making an impact in the areas of mentoring, wellbeing, and personal emancipation; she always keeps the needs of Pacific students front and center in her work. Her compassionate outlook enables her to genuinely bring out the best in those around her.

Smart Chukwu is a PhD candidate at the Department of Educational Administration in the College of Education at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. He is dedicated to researching and writing about higher education, focusing on doctoral training, graduate faculty–student relationships, international students’ experiences, and student services.

Margaret Clarke, Phd, Ma, RCT, RMFT, and CCC, is the Head of the Counseling Department and Assistant Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy at Briercrest Seminary. She has 20 years of experience in the counseling field, having served in a variety of counseling, leadership, research, and education roles. She is a Clinical Fellow and Approved Supervisor with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and Registered Marriage and Family Therapist and Approved Supervisor with the Canadian Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. She is also a Registered Counselling Therapist with the Association of Counselling Therapy of Alberta and a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers.

Heather A. Coe-Nesbitt is an educator, researcher, and mother. She is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University, and has worked with graduate, professional, and pre-service education students. She is interested in the ways that educators and learning environments can nurture student thriving, health, and wellbeing across the lifespan. Her doctoral research exploring Kindergarten student thriving was awarded the 2020 Canadian Association for Research in Early Childhood Award. She is part of a research team examining wellbeing and thriving within professional and graduate studies and strives to bring key findings into her work with post-secondary students. As a graduate student, she had the honor of working with the late Dr John Freeman, who, in his absence, continues to inspire a focus on and advocacy for student thriving within higher education.

Megan Crawford holds a Chair in Educational Leadership at Coventry University, UK. She has written and researched extensively on emotion in leadership, and the effects of policy in practice on the people who have to implement it. The author was a Head of Department in an English University and has held other senior leadership roles. She is a trustee of an educational charity and a Fellow of the British Academy of Social Sciences.

Shannon Hill is an Organizational Development and Learning Practitioner, Human Resources and an Adjunct Faculty Member in the Department of Rehabilitation Therapy at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. She has 30 years of experience in facilitation, curriculum development, career counseling, and diagnostic assessment with a specific focus on the principles of adult education. Her PhD research focused on academic leadership development in higher education. She enjoys sailing, kayaking, gardening, and photography.

Amy Lean MacArthur, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Bachelor of Business Administration program at Crandall University where she oversees the marketing concentration and serves as the university’s Strategic Communications Specialist. Her passion for student engagement, transformational learning, and mentorship, has fueled her teaching and been the catalyst for her research endeavors. As a small business owner, she and her husband have operated a variety of businesses, equipping others in their entrepreneurial pursuits. Mentorship has also been a point of focus in her volunteer life, specifically as a youth and children’s director for a creative arts program where she has had the pleasure of working with her three children, now in their teen years.

Dana L. Mitra is Professor of Education Policy Studies at the Pennsylvania State University. She holds a PhD from Stanford University in Educational Administration and Policy Analysis and has researched voice and leadership for the past 15 years. She recently released a book with Teacher’s College Press entitled The Empowered Professor: Breaking the Unspoken Codes of Inequity in Academia. She also works with faculty as a coach on issues like writing productivity and moving through the tenure process.

Richard Nyarko, PhD candidate, was an Instructor for Microeconomics and Macroeconomics courses. He obtained his master’s degree in Educational Administration and is currently pursuing his doctoral research in the field at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. His research area covers relational aspects of workplace wellbeing in the higher education domain. The author mostly uses quantitative methodology to study employees’ perceived marginal value from relationship with colleagues and leaders, marginal wellbeing issues and their mood state conditions.

Adreanne Ormond, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer with the Diana Unwin Chair in Restorative Justice, School of Government, Victoria University of Wellington. With ancestral connections to the Māori nations of Rongomaiwāhine, Ngāti Kahungunu, and Ngāti Tuwharetoā, her research is focused on Māori wellbeing using a social and restorative justice framework. She actively engages with Māori communities and young people, emphasizing collaboration and empowerment for positive outcomes.

Carlie Pagens is a PhD student in the Department of Educational Administration at the University of Saskatchewan and formerly worked as an Assistant Professor of Counseling and Internship Coordinator at Briercrest Seminary. She has over 10 years of experience working in the counseling field, having worked in a variety of counseling, research, and leadership roles. Her research interests include post-secondary student wellbeing, student experiences during internships, and counselor development and wellbeing. She is a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist and an Approved Supervisor with the Canadian Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, a Registered Counselling Therapist with The Association of Counselling Therapy of Alberta, and a Canadian Certified Counsellor with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy association.

Angelo Paletta, PhD is Full Professor of Business Administration and Former Pro-rector for “Budgeting, Strategic Planning and Sustainability” at the University of Bologna. He is currently Head of the Department of Management at the University of Bologna, President of the International Study Center in Education Governance Accountability and Management, Co-director of the Executive Master in Public Management and Innovation at Bologna Business School, and Co-director of the Professional Master in Strategic Management and Educational Leadership. He is currently National Coordinator of three European projects in the field of sustainability and circular economy: “Developing and implementing sustainability-based solutions for the production and use of bio-based plastic to preserve the environmental quality of land and sea in Europe,” “Toward sustainable strategies for the land and the United States in the context of the challenges of climate change and biodiversity in Europe,” and “Innovative methods for the evaluation of the safety and sustainability of chemical substances and materials (Ria).” As part of the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan, he coordinates the Project “SDGs and employability of graduates: integrating the objectives of Sustainable Development.” Pope Francis appointed him as Consultant to the Vatican Dicastery for Culture and Education.

Mario Pontieri is a PhD student in Public Governance Management and Policy, University of Bologna. His current research interests encompass public management, leadership in the public sector, leadership styles, human resource management, and organizational wellbeing.

Martyn Reynolds, PhD, is a freelance provider of professional leading and development, researcher, and writer. Of English and Welsh decent, and born near London, he has been a secondary school teacher for over 32 years, and has taught in England, PNG, Tonga, and Aotearoa, New Zealand. He was an English Teacher and the Specialist Classroom Teacher at Wellington College, Wellington, for over 15 years. He now offers consultancy and research examining the place of culture in education and research methodologies. His work is relationally framed, grounded in community interests, and aims to be catalytic.

Darcia Roache is an educator, author, and researcher, recognized for her exceptional contributions to academia and leadership in education and business organizations. With a PhD in Educational Administration and a Doctor of Business Administration, her expertise encompasses a broad range of subjects. Her extensive published works span educational and transformational leadership, organizational development, HR policies, educational technology, change leadership, and management strategies. She is a member of the Finance and Operations’ Committee at British Educational Research Association, London, the Canadian Society for the Study of Education, and the Canadian Associate for the Study of Educational Administration. Her career is driven by her passion for education and learning.

Kabini Sanga is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education, Victoria University of Wellington (VUW), New Zealand. Prior to joining VUW in 2000, he was the former Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Solomon Islands College of Higher Education, now the Solomon Islands National University; a former Head of the SICHE School of Education; a former Chief Education Officer-Director of the Solomon Islands Ministry of Education; a former Principal of Su’u National Secondary School (Solomon Islands); and a former high school teacher. He is also a former Director of the Institute of Education of the University of the South Pacific. For a combined equivalent of two and half decades, he has served on the governing councils of the University of the South Pacific, Whitireia Polytech, and WelTec in New Zealand. He is a Pacific regional educator, mentor, and, in addition to his teaching, research, and supervision duties at VUW, he is a consultant to donor agencies, Pacific Islands governments, and institutions.

Haim Shaked is the President of Hemdat Hadarom College of Education, Sdot Negev, Israel. As a scholar-practitioner with almost 20 years of experience as a school principal, his research focuses on principalship, and in particular, instructional leadership and system thinking in school leadership.

Eleftherios K. Soleas is the Director of Continuing Professional Development in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen’s University in the Office of Professional Development and Educational Scholarship as well as Adjunct Faculty in Health Sciences and Education. His role places him as a Primary Developer and Accreditor of CPD and FD for the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Educational Lead for his home department. He also serves on university and national committees lending his educational, psychological, and accreditation perspectives. He has a passion for grouchy advocacy for a fairer, more egalitarian Canada. He enjoys, in no particular order, trying to be funny, teaching, baked goods, lost causes, and relatedly watching Toronto Maple Leafs games.

Kameka Spence is a Teacher with the Global Teaching Partners Organization. She resides in North Carolina and is employed by Onslow County School Division. She was born on the beautiful island of Jamaica and is a graduate of the Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College and the International University of the Caribbean. Her research interests include curriculum development and delivery, special education, and parental and other stakeholders’ involvement in educational organizations.

Vicki Squires, PhD, serves as the Associate Dean, Research, Graduate Support, and International Initiatives and is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Administration in the College of Education, University of Saskatchewan. Her areas of research include (1) post-secondary education leadership and governance and (2) student wellbeing and health promotion. She has published in national and international journals on the Okanagan Charter, collaborative leadership, and wellbeing. She is part of the leadership committee for the Canadian Health Promoting Campuses Network and the International Health Promoting Campuses.

Ardene Virtue is a teacher trainer whose instructional experiences at the secondary and tertiary levels span 19 years. She is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Languages and Literatures at Church Teachers’ College, Mandeville, Jamaica. She has worked with the Ministry of Education to execute educational intervention projects, and has experiences in resource development to meet students’ diverse literacy needs. Importantly, she is passionate about engaging in discourses and undertakings aimed at constructively solving teaching and learning related challenges. Hence, she participates in curriculum development initiatives, invests efforts in honing educators’ pedagogical competences through capacity development training, and has published research papers that offer solutions for improving educational practices, leadership, and crisis management.

Ann-Marie Wilmot’s research in leadership is centered around post-colonial ideologies and marginalized people, experiences, and ideas, with a particular focus on middle leadership positions such as heads of departments (HODs). Her passion for HODs’ leadership for teacher development and instructional leadership is strong, and in response, she has designed and implemented professional learning material to this end. She has co-authored one edited book, Handbook of Research on Activating Middle Executives’ Agency to Lead and Manage During Times of Crisis, and written several chapters and journal articles on various leadership topics. She holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and is an Educational Leadership and Management Lecturer at The University of the West Indies, Mona. With 28 years of teaching experience, 20 years at the higher education level, she has held various administrative and leadership roles. She is an active member of the Caribbean Centre for Educational Planning and the International Society for Educational Planning.

Foreword

It is with delight that I write this foreword for three reasons. First, as an educator, much of my career has been in higher education in multiple international settings and therefore, the subject matter of this book is of considerable interest to me for its relevance. Second, as an Oceania higher education mentor with roles in management, governance, and trusteeship in higher education, I have seen increasing needs for improved understanding of, better tools for, and appropriate organizational responses to the promotion of wellbeing in higher education settings. This book is therefore very timely. Third, in the last three decades, I have enjoyed a fulfilling professional and personal association with the editors, Keith D. Walker and Benjamin Kutsyuruba. This association began at the University of Saskatchewan in 1993 when as a Canadian Commonwealth scholar, I started my PhD studies in Educational Administration under the mentorship of Keith D. Walker and colleagues. Since those memorable life-defining student days, I have had the joy of knowing Benjamin Kutsyuruba as well. Particularly with Keith, I have enjoyed decades of undertaking collaborative research, writing, teaching, mentorship, and speaking engagements in/with multiple communities including government, university, and community settings in the Pacific Islands region. In sum, my joy in writing this foreword is linked to my deep connections with the editors as well as with the subject matter of this book.

The book poses a key and timely question: How might more and better attention be given to the value of wellbeing in the context of higher education? Using a multi-leveled attention – on students, faculty, and institution-systems wellbeing – the authors offer the latest research lessons and insights relevant to higher education settings. Like a good and satisfying feast, this book offers stories, examples, invitations, and inspirations to readers (as intellectual feast-goers) to feast on in ways which support and enhance their own and others’ learning, teaching, and leading in higher education.

At a time when demands on students, teachers, and leaders in higher education are increasing and having overwhelming impacts on people and systems, this book offers hope – in the form of framings, ways of seeing, and addressing issues of wellbeing which support diverse constituents in higher education. For me as an Indigenous and international higher education mentor, further hope-fostering aspects of this book relate to its multiplicity of offerings by a diverse and international team of scholars and practitioners, and ably gathered in this collection by two accomplished experts in the field of wellbeing in higher education.

In closing, I endorse this book for its relevance, positive contribution, and timeliness to those of us in higher education. Moreover, I recommend this book to readers because of the credibility of the editors and their team of authors. I am honored to write this foreword because, in my decades of association with the editors, I have found them to be consistently committed to and sincere about the wellbeing of students, faculty, and institutions of higher education.

Kabini Sanga

Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand