Resilience in Higher Education in Times of Crisis

Abstract

Resilience refers to the capacity to bounce back and reorganize during times of exposure to crisis. We explored how higher-education institutions might enhance their employees’ capacity to confront hardships, through a Mixed-Methods qualitative-quantitative study design, that examined the experiences of facultymembers during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings revealed vulnerabilities, challenges and opportunities. Four themes emerged: basic needs, trust and confidence, community atmosphere and respect and appreciation. The colleges’ support was based on trial and error and responsible leadership was perceived as missing. However, the community offered a sense of strength and a cornerstone of resilience.