HED 733 - Trauma-Informed Practices in Higher Education

This course will begin with an investigation of the impact that factors from HED 732 have on higher education, campus and community life, and the needs of today’s learning communities. Strategies for strengthening social emotional learning and adapting to living on a college campus will be identified. We will focus on mental wellbeing and its connection to physical and social health, including strategies for improving teaching and learning for students from traumatic backgrounds. Participants will learn about the interconnection of social safety, emotional wellbeing and academic achievement. Strategies that foster flourishing via campus and community life programs will be articulated, as well as academic advising and counseling services. We will explore how trauma intersects with conditions such as depression and anxiety. This course will focus special attention on the differential impact of these factors on BIPOC and other communities including LGBTQIA+, foster care youth, veterans, and refugees. Strategies to recognize and promote resilience will be examined at the campus, classroom and individual student levels. The final third of the course will integrate these insights and strategies into specific functions of colleges and universities including admissions, financial aid, student activities, residential life, academic advising, personal and career counseling, athletics, student success, religious life/chaplain, alumni relations, and institutional advancement.

Credits: 3