Trauma, healing and learning in the Canadian postsecondary institution
Updated April 29, 2021
Abstract
Students, faculty and staff who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) experience unique challenges learning and working within Canadian postsecondary institutions. Since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a pandemic, and with ongoing incidents of racial and political unrest, awareness about trauma impacting postsecondary communities is increasing. With prior North American research already indicating a high level of prevalence of historic trauma that many students bring with them as they enter postsecondary institutions, and the high likelihood that students will also experience some form of trauma during their postsecondary experience, it behooves educators and Student Affairs professionals to become more aware of how trauma-informed practices can support students, improving their student academic learning and engagement. Suggestions for how to incorporate such practices into Canadian postsecondary environments will also be described in this paper.
Keywords: trauma, trauma-informed practice, postsecondary education, pedagogy, Student Affairs, BIPOC
Land Acknowledgements
Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) is situated on the ancestral homelands of the Beothuk, and…
