Tag: Safety

  • Resilience and Psychological Safety: Navigating Uncertainty

    Resilience and Psychological Safety: Navigating Uncertainty

    by Julie Burrell | February 26, 2025

    The first two months of 2025 have brought no shortage of change and uncertainty to higher ed institutions. Amid that uncertainty, you may find yourself not only navigating a wave of new compliance requirements, but also supporting employees who are feeling overwhelmed or worried. When change is happening at a rapid pace, it can be challenging to think strategically about how to manage emotional responses to change.

    However, two approaches you probably honed during the COVID-19 pandemic — fostering resilience and psychological safety — can be particularly useful in times like these.

    Resilience is a set of tools we use to regulate our response to stress. It’s what allows us to survive during moments of crisis and learn to grow. Psychological safety is a management approach that allows employees to thrive and adapt to stressful situations. We feel psychologically safe when we’re able to take risks knowing we’ll be supported.

    Combined, these workplace strategies tap into emotional resources we already have and can further develop and strengthen.

    Strengthening Internal Resilience

    You may never have stopped to reflect on how you endured the pandemic, but it likely took a great deal of resilience. Learning to survive, and even flourish, in tough times calls for a store of personal resilience, which the American Psychological Association defines as “successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility.”

    Some people just appear to be more naturally resilient than others. Maybe they seem tougher or more inclined to go with the flow. But resilience isn’t an innate trait we’re born with. It’s a skill that can be learned and practiced.

    In her Resilience in the Workplace webinar, Maureen De Armond, chief human resources officer at Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences, identified the four key factors that make up resilience:

    1. Identifying your purpose and values
    2. Gaining confidence
    3. Seeking support from your networks
    4. Learning adaptability

    A Quick Resilience Exercise on Personal Values

    Even a 15-minute resilience-building exercise can be effective, such as this brief reflection shared in the webinar.

    First, write down a list of five answers to the question, “why is it worth it to persevere and get through this challenging time?” For example, do you want to model certain behavior for your children? Do you want to be compassionate to your coworkers? Do you want to steward your team through change? Do you want to support your friends and family?

    Second, figure out the why behind each of these five answers by identifying the value behind each. Values can include achievement, compassion, economic security, humor, leadership, passion, etc. (Here’s a handy checklist.)

    Finally, be proactive about reminding yourself of these values:

    • Display photos that represent your values so that you see them every day — a loved one, beloved pet, a favorite spot on a hike, a trip you’re planning, an inspirational public figure.
    • Place quotes that illustrate these values around your workspace.
    • Craft an inspiration board, either on a digital whiteboard or as a physical craft, that contains photos, symbols, images and words that demonstrate your values.
    • Get out of your office and take a walk. Especially if you work on campus, this can be a reminder of your community and of the student population the higher ed workforce serves.

    Think of these proactive reminders as a “battery pack,” De Armond says, that will give you a boost or a nudge to get out of a negative head space. Helping employees tap into and strengthen their own resilience will equip them for whatever lies ahead.

    The Role of Psychological Safety in Managing Uncertainty

    While it’s natural for people to seek safety and solace in a time of upheaval, psychological safety isn’t about providing comfort or promoting kindness, as important as these are. Rather, it’s about candor, trust and accountability among teams. It allows team members to speak up about mistakes (including their own), tolerate risk, and embrace discomfort and change.

    Amy Edmonson, an expert on team psychological safety in the workplace, defines psychological safety as “the shared belief that’s it’s okay to take risks, express ideas and concerns, speak up with questions, and admit mistakes without fear of negative consequences.”

    For example, what happens when a team member goes to their supervisor with a question, admits a mistake, or notices a colleague’s error? If that supervisor gets angry or becomes dismissive, the employee may stay quiet in the future and even cover up mistakes to avoid that reaction again. But if the supervisor adopts some of the tips below, the team feels safe enough to take risks and can weather storms as a group.

    Recommendations to Increase Psychological Safety

    • Encourage people to come to you with problems and thank them for doing so. Also ask, “how can I help?”
    • Adopt a learning mindset. In the example above, an angry or dismissive supervisor also missed the chance to ask, “what did you learn?” As psychological safety experts know, “organizations characterized by a learning orientation focus on curiosity and continuous improvement, and they make it safe for organizational members to admit what they do not know or perhaps got wrong.” If you have a Learning and Development team, they can offer practices for adopting a learning mindset.
    • Listen rather than talk. Leaders are expected to have all the answers, but unless immediate action is needed, pausing and getting all the facts, and listening to feelings, can be an important leadership tool. Reflective listening — repeating or paraphrasing what’s said or reflecting a feeling that’s expressed — is a particularly useful skill for creating trust.
    • Say, “I don’t know.” Leaders modeling psychological safety admit when they don’t know something, allowing others in their organization to adopt a curious mindset. This is what Brené Brown calls “the courage to not know.”
    • Celebrate small wins. Appreciating your employees matters now more than ever.
    • Take care of yourself and your team. HR is often expected, fairly or not, to manage tension and conflicting emotions. How are you showing up for yourself and your team?

    For more tips on increasing psychological safety, see the article Why Psychological Safety Matters Now More Than Ever by Allison M. Vaillancourt, vice president and senior consultant at Segal.

    Finally, Give Grace

    Giving grace to others during stressful and uncertain times can be a small but critical daily practice, one that builds compassion and trust. But we need to extend that same grace to ourselves. Set boundaries, take breaks, practice going slow, and share the load.

    Related CUPA-HR Resources

    Resilience in the Workplace — This CUPA-HR webinar, recorded in 2021, was designed to serve as resilience training for attendees, as well as a model that could easily be replicated at your institution for HR teams and other employees.

    Why Psychological Safety Matters Now More Than Ever — This article offers practical advice for increasing psychological safety, specifically for the higher ed workplace.

    Recent Executive Orders and Higher Ed HR’s Role in Creating and Sustaining an Inclusive Campus Community — A message from CUPA-HR President and CEO Andy Brantley.

    Mental Health Toolkit — This HR toolkit includes resources on sustaining mental health programs on campus and addressing problems like burnout.

    The Great Pivot from Resilience to Adaptability — This article explains how to move from resilience to adaptability and, ultimately, growth in challenging times for higher education.

    Managing Stress and Self-Care: “No” Is a Complete Sentence — This highly rated webinar shows how and why setting boundaries is critical to thriving.

    Trauma-Informed Leadership for Higher Education — This webinar explores how to develop a supportive leadership style and how to create a culture where team members can depend on each other for support during times of hardship.



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  • Understanding College Safety Concerns | RNL

    Understanding College Safety Concerns | RNL

    “I’m scared to walk alone at night.”

    “What if someone targets me because I’m Muslim?”

    “Will I be safe being openly gay on campus?”

    These aren’t just random comments—they’re real voices from our latest research, and they stopped me cold.

    For the past three years, RNL and ZeeMee have been diving deep into the emotional landscape of college planning. Our latest pulse survey (our third round!) reached over 2,600 high school seniors through the ZeeMee app, and their responses about safety concerns left me genuinely shaken.

    Last year, we added a crucial question: we asked students who expressed worry about their safety in college to tell us, in their own words, what specifically scared them. Their candid responses paint a vivid— and sometimes heartbreaking—picture of what’s keeping our future college students up at night.

    Here’s what they told us, unfiltered and unvarnished.

    Understanding college safety concerns

    Every night, a high school senior lies awake somewhere in America, staring at their college acceptance letter. But instead of dreaming about new friends and future possibilities, they’re wrestling with darker questions: “Will I be safe there? Will I belong? Will someone hurt me because of who I am?”

    These aren’t just passing worries. They’re the heavy weight on students’ hearts as they contemplate their next big step. Through hundreds of candid conversations with students, we’ve uncovered the raw, unfiltered truth about what keeps them up at night. Their voices—brave, vulnerable, and achingly honest—paint a picture of what safety means to Generation Z and why traditional campus security measures are just the beginning of what they need to feel truly secure.

    After analyzing hundreds of student comments about their safety concerns, 10 clear themes emerged, revealing how identity, background, and lived experience shape their fears. Understanding these concerns is crucial for colleges aiming to create safer, more supportive environments.

    1. Personal safety and physical harm

    Across all groups, students expressed anxiety about their physical safety on campus and in surrounding areas. Random attacks, mugging, and the general unpredictability of urban environments were frequent concerns.

    • “I’m worried about approximate safety, like the area’s crime rate or state. There’s always going to be dangers.” – First-Generation Male
    • “Being alone at night or generally in an open area with few people.” – First-Generation Female
    Takeaway for institutions:
    • Provide real-time crime alerts and transparent reporting about campus safety statistics.
    • Partner with local authorities to increase security presence around campus.
    • Encourage students to use campus safety apps for safe travel between locations.

    2. Sexual assault and gender-based violence

    Female and non-binary students, regardless of generation status, are consistently worried about sexual assault, harassment, and gender-based violence. Parties, walking alone at night, and navigating unfamiliar environments amplified these fears.

    • “Rape culture is real. Parties can be dangerous, and not knowing who to trust makes it worse.” – Continuing-Generation Female
    • “I’m suicidal and afraid of being raped.” – First-Generation Non-Binary
    Takeaway for institutions:
    • Expand bystander intervention training for all students.
    • Ensure that Title IX resources and reporting processes are well-publicized and easily accessible.
    • Provide self-defense classes and safe-ride programs for students traveling after dark.

    3. Safety in new and urban environments

    Moving to a new city or a high-crime area was a significant concern, particularly among first-generation students unfamiliar with city living.

    • “The area of the college I chose is notoriously dangerous.” – Continuing-Generation Female
    • “Since I’m out of state, I won’t know who to trust, especially in a big city.” – First-Generation Female
    Takeaway for institutions:
    • Offer city orientation programs to help students identify safe routes, neighborhoods, and resources.
    • Highlight partnerships with local authorities and emergency services.
    • Make campus safety maps available, showing emergency call boxes and security patrol zones.

    4. Racial and ethnic discrimination

    Concerns about racism, hate crimes, and bias were prominent among students of color, especially first-generation and male students. Black, Muslim, and international students frequently mentioned fears of being targeted because of their identity.

    • “Since I’m African, racism and all that.” – First-Generation Male
    • “I’m a Black Muslim woman. Being assaulted, being hate-crimed, Islamophobia.” – First-Generation Female
    Takeaway for institutions:
    • Create visible reporting channels for bias-related incidents.
    • Provide diversity and inclusion training for campus staff and students.
    • Ensure campus police and security are trained in cultural sensitivity.

    5. Isolation and being alone

    Being away from family and trusted support systems was a significant source of anxiety, especially for first-generation students. Women were more likely to express concerns about being alone while navigating new environments.

    • “I would be alone away from home. Just knowing that anything could happen and I wouldn’t have that support system to call on.” – First-Generation Female
    • “I’ve never lived away from home and don’t know if I’m ready to make safe decisions all the time.” – Continuing-Generation Male
    Takeaway for institutions:
    • Establish peer mentorship programs to help new students build connections.
    • Promote campus counseling services, emphasizing their accessibility.
    • Encourage students to join student organizations for community-building.

    6. Campus safety and security measures

    Many students, regardless of gender or generation status, questioned whether campus safety protocols were robust enough to protect them.

    • “What if someone sneaks onto campus or tries to harm me?” – First-Generation Female
    • “Sometimes the safety measures that are there aren’t enough.” – Continuing-Generation Male
    Takeaway for institutions:
    • Regularly assess and update campus security protocols.
    • Provide students with clear information about emergency procedures.
    • Ensure dormitories and common areas have secure access systems.

    7. Substance use and peer pressure

    Students were wary of the prevalence of drugs and alcohol on campus, especially in social settings where peer pressure could lead to unsafe situations.

    • “Narcotics float around campus daily, causing self-harm to other students.” – Continuing-Generation Male
    • “I’ve heard some college guys spike drinks, and it isn’t safe to go places alone.” – First-Generation Female
    Takeaway for institutions:
    • Promote alcohol and drug education programs during orientation and throughout the year.
    • Partner with student organizations to create substance-free social events.
    • Ensure campus safety staff are trained to handle substance-related emergencies.

    8. Mental health and well-being

    Many students expressed worries about managing their mental health while adjusting to college life, especially those from first-generation backgrounds.

    • “I struggle with anxiety, and being in unpredictable places worries me.” – First-Generation Female
    • “Just any fighting or being depressed.” – Continuing-Generation Male
    Takeaway for institutions:
    • Expand mental health resources, including counseling and peer support groups.
    • Train faculty and staff to recognize signs of mental health struggles.
    • Promote mindfulness and stress-relief programs on campus.

    9. LGBTQ+ safety and acceptance

    LGBTQ+ students are worried about harassment, discrimination, and feeling unsafe in gendered spaces.

    • “I’m trans and nowhere really feels safe to be trans.” – First-Generation Non-Binary
    • “I look like a cis male even though I am AFAB. I’m worried about my safety using the women’s bathroom.” – Continuing-Generation Non-Binary
    Takeaway for institutions:
    • Ensure that gender-neutral restrooms are available across campus.
    • Promote LGBTQ+ resource centers and support groups.
    • Train campus staff on LGBTQ+ inclusivity and safety.

    10. Gun violence and mass shootings

    With the rise in school shootings, concerns about gun violence were prevalent across all demographics.

    • “The reality of increasing school shootings really scares me.” – First-Generation Female
    • “How easily accessible and concealable guns are.” – Continuing-Generation Male
    Takeaway for institutions:
    • Conduct regular active shooter drills and safety trainings.
    • Ensure campus police are equipped to handle potential threats.
    • Promote anonymous reporting systems for suspicious activity.

    Building safer campuses: Where do we go from here?

    While each student’s experience is unique, the themes that emerge highlight common anxieties that colleges and universities must address. Institutions can make campuses feel safer by:

    1. Improving transparency: Regularly update students on campus safety protocols and crime statistics.
    2. Strengthening support systems: Expand counseling, mentorship, and peer support programs.
    3. Enhancing security: Invest in access-controlled dorms, safe-ride programs, and emergency call boxes.
    4. Promoting inclusivity: Ensure students from marginalized communities feel protected and respected.
    5. Empowering students: Provide self-defense classes, bystander training, and safety resources.

    Behind every statistic in this report is a student’s story – a first-generation student wondering if they’ll make it home safely from their late-night library sessions, a transgender student searching for a bathroom where they won’t be harassed, a young woman calculating the safest route back to her dorm. Their fears are real, their concerns valid, and their hopes for a safe campus environment are deeply personal.

    The path forward isn’t just about adding more security cameras or emergency phones, though those matter. It’s about creating spaces where every student can exhale fully, knowing they’re physically safe and emotionally secure. Where belonging isn’t just a buzzword in a campus brochure but a lived experience. Safety means being free to focus on learning, growing, and becoming—without constantly looking over your shoulder.

    This isn’t just a challenge for institutions—it’s a sacred responsibility. Because when we promise students a college education, we promise them a chance to transform their lives. And that transformation can only happen when they feel truly safe being themselves. The students have spoken. They’ve shared their fears, hopes, and dreams for safer campuses. Now it’s our turn to listen—and, more importantly, to act.

    Read Enrollment and the Emotional Well-Being of Prospective Students

    2024 Enrollment and the Emotional Well-Being of Prospective Students2024 Enrollment and the Emotional Well-Being of Prospective Students

    RNL and ZeeMee surveyed 8,600 12th-grade students to understand their anxieties and worries of students during the college search process. Download your free copy to learn:

    • The greatest challenges for 12th graders about the college planning process
    • The barriers keeping students from applying to college
    • The social fears of college that keep prospective students up at night
    • The top safety concerns of students
    • What excites and encourages students about the college journey
    • How students describe these anxieties, stresses, and fears in their own words

    Read Now

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  • Psychological Safety in the Doctoral Context

    Psychological Safety in the Doctoral Context

    by Jayne Carruthers

    The doctorate is a subjective experience demanding the re-evaluation of ways of thinking, the navigation of intense emotions, and the adaptation of behaviours by the candidate to achieve new learning goals, transforming the candidate from a consumer to a creator of knowledge. Candidates often face uncertainty and enter a state of liminality during this process, feeling caught between old beliefs and new insights, which can lead to discomfort and feeling ‘stuck’. To navigate this liminal space, candidates benefit from a change in perspective supported by transformative learning. While much of the focus in doctoral support is on the candidate avoiding negative experiences during this process, there is limited attention given to the candidate’s role of self-awareness and self-management. Reflexivity provides one such option to consider.

    Reflexivity is a cognitive, or thinking, process that enables individuals to move beyond simple reflection, fostering self-awareness and exploring different options for progress. While candidates have demonstrated its usefulness in understanding their doctoral journeys, further research is needed on initiating and sustaining this process independently. This ability to learn and develop autonomously is essential, as doctoral programs require candidates to show evidence of becoming independent researchers. In organisational literature, reflexivity has been demonstrated to enhance information processing, helping employees understand what, why, and how of learning and change. It enables adjustments in both task execution and personal approach. Moreover, team psychological safety has been demonstrated to be crucial for effective team reflexivity. However, variations in terminology and definitions related to psychological safety limit the extension of this construct beyond the organisational context.

    A body of conceptual research adopting a Theoretical Integrated Review (TIR) approach was conducted, with findings highlighting historical use, providing theoretical insights, and clarifying a generalised definition of psychological safety with relevance beyond the organisational setting. Psychological safety is an internal process that helps individuals manage distress, influencing their thoughts, feelings, and actions. It plays a crucial role in growth and development by connecting motivation and goal-directed behaviour, providing the opportunity for a generalised definition:

    Psychological safety is a dynamic intrapsychic construct drawn on by individuals to mitigate actual or foreseen distress. The presence or absence of psychological safety is influenced by context, the individual’s existing psychological frames of reference, and current and future motives relating to an endeavour.

    This understanding allows the absence or presence of psychological safety to be considered in broader contexts, including independent learning settings like doctoral programs. To explore this potential, a body of qualitative research was conducted with six volunteer PhD candidates enrolled at a regional Australian university awaiting feedback on their theses.

    Using the vignette methodology technique to present short fictional scenarios regarding experiences of doctoral knowledge uncertainty, the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews to understand how doctoral candidates deal with knowledge uncertainty. This approach encouraged interviewees to discuss their experiences without the pressure of direct questions, facilitating open discussions about managing uncertainty. At the end of the interviews, findings from the conceptual research were shared, and feedback was gathered on their benefit as a basis for candidate support. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analysed.

    All six interviewees described experiences with knowledge uncertainty and agreed that the conceptual research findings on psychological safety could improve opportunities for candidate support and warranted further investigation. The analysis of the interviews revealed that the interviewees’ experiences of uncertainty stemmed from intrapersonal, interpersonal, and university governance-level interactions. While similarities existed based on stages in the doctoral program, no strong recurring theme of uncertainty emerged. Notably, the differences lay in how the interviewees discussed their experiences of uncertainty.

    Some interviewees emphasised the importance of interpersonal support to help them progress:

    … the Confirmation panel Chairperson insisted that I rework my research question … I found it confusing. I felt that I must have grossly mistaken something …. my supervisor just said, okay, well, rebuild methodology … I felt uncertain. But she was very encouraging and supportive … I got through the second time, no questions asked …                                                                                                                                                                                                 Interviewee Steve

    … my methodology was underdeveloped … I was asked to resubmit this section to the confirmation panel … I was stressed about it having to be perfect because I thought failing would be the worst thing in the world.  … I remember that being a big thing … I was embarrassed, … an extra hurdle because no one else I knew needed to resubmit … my supervisors were empowering … they both said, redo what you need to … You’ll get through. You’re going to be okay.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Interviewee Amy

    Other interviewees’ narratives shifted from reflection to reflexivity, demonstrating self-awareness and developing metacognitive strategies to navigate their uncertainties.

    So yeah, it was an unhappy period. It was a couple of months of really hating what I was, what I’d done to myself in choosing this particular topic…I just had to ride that wave, you know, think it through, think, really think about what I was doing and why I was doing it, what the product was, what the process was and what the result needed to be in the end. 

                                                                                                                                     Interviewee Julie

    … a big part of my uncertainty was about paradigms … I couldn’t write my methodology. … I was just not convinced … if I can’t believe in these views about knowledge and reality, I can’t write about this stuff. So that was a hurdle …  I was sometimes reading without knowing what would come of it. … then it felt like, oh, this is it … what had been a major period of uncertainty had also been a cognitively shifting one that changed my perception of the world.                                                                                                                Interviewee Jack

    The extracts illustrate how interviewees navigated uncertainties and liminal spaces, utilising various strategies to move forward. Some narratives show less use of self-awareness, relying on interpersonal support, while others reflect and use reflexivity as a proactive, independent approach to managing uncertainty.

    Understanding psychological safety as a multi-dimensional construct and appreciating its demonstrated moderating effect on reflexivity in the workplace provides an opportunity for further investigation. The differences in interviewees’ narratives offer valuable insights regarding reflexivity and the doctoral experience of uncertainty, collectively establishing a basis for exploring psychological safety in the doctoral context.

    Jayne Carruthers is a PhD candidate in SORTI, a research centre based in the School of Education at The University of Newcastle, Australia, where she works as a Research Assistant. With a background in Adult Education and Positive Psychology, she has a well-developed interest in fostering autonomous learners. Her PhD research explores psychological safety within doctoral learning and development. Her recent publications include “Conveying the learning self to others: doctoral candidates conceptualising and communicating the complexion of development”

    Author: SRHE News Blog

    An international learned society, concerned with supporting research and researchers into Higher Education

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