This paper considers what is at stake in the idea of universitas--a community of masters and scholars --in the context of the shifting landscape of higher education engendered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on the philosophy of Gabriel Marcel, we consider what it means to be together in a university community. We draw a distinction between the…

This essay explores how writing in community for EdD students can be pivotal in helping them succeed in their academic journey. Considering existing research, three UC Davis CANDEL EdD (Capital Area North Doctorate in Educational Leadership) students and recent alumni use a case study approach to highlight the ways writing in community was…

The current study examined whether college students' sense of belonging changed following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were 252 (66.7% female) first- and second-year college students at a large public university in the United States. It was hypothesized that students would report a decrease in their sense of belonging from…

Objective: Speculation about the effects of COVID-19, especially on youth social development, has been mixed. This study aimed to examine change in loneliness and belongingness into the first month of stay-at-home orders (January through April 2020). Participants: College students (N = 73, mean age = 19.03 years, SD = 1.44 years) enrolled in a…

During COVID-19, international students were faced with the decision of remaining in their country of study or returning to their home countries, with little knowledge of when they would next be able to return or leave. Both choices left the students vulnerable to feelings of loneliness and social isolation. This paper examines how international…

Purpose: In contrast to prior studies examining burnout in academic employees, this paper explores how academic employee agency mitigates burnout risks in the context of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) and how this agency facilitates research productivity and influences well-being in the face of changes in learning and teaching practices.…

Since early 2020, COVID-19 has had a substantial impact on teacher education. We consider novel aspects of how pre-service teachers have collaboratively developed their professional identities during the pandemic. Drawing on findings from forty-five interviews with pre-service high school teachers working in England during September 2020-June…

Searching for belonging is the transformative individual process of developing connections, making homes and hoping in the ecologies of a community. Belongingness influences academic performance, confidence and well-being. Therefore, understanding how students embody and search for belongingness in their higher education experience provides…

The purpose of this action research study was to understand and strengthen staff and administrators' sense of workplace belonging in a small, private, family-founded college. In Cycle 1 the researcher aimed to understand factors that contributed to participants sense of belonging. Cycle 1 participants responded to a survey to provide insight on…

The sudden outbreak of COVID-19, which has presented great challenges to pedagogy, has catalyzed the transition of teaching and learning to the online mode. Uncovering the key factors that facilitate positive learning outcomes in online learning environments has thus gathered importance. To bring these factors to light, this study aims to…

Subjective well-being (SWB) of university students who had to study off-campus due to the pandemic was investigated in this current study. Studies had reported that one of the most robust factors of SWB is the sense of mattering. While the sense of mattering is built upon social feedback, being locked down limited their source of social feedback…

When the pandemic hit in March 2020, the authors were in position to pivot their undergraduate and graduate Print/Paper/Book class to the online environment, having already decided to transition to a hybrid model for summer 2020. The course focus was previously geared toward students developing a practice that could be sustained outside the…

In early 2020, the introduction of COVID-19 restrictions meant that doctoral programmes which depended on face-to-face models for teaching, learning, and interaction needed to quickly reconsider their established practices. Of particular concern was the impact of pandemic restrictions upon the development of a sense of community among doctoral…

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused an unprecedented mid-semester transition to virtual learning. Instructors and students had to adapt to new ways of delivering and receiving course material. Objective: The present investigation examined whether course format and sense of belongingness were associated with learning satisfaction during the…

This article describes a study designed to investigate the utility, motivations, and outcomes of participating in faculty writing groups before and during a university shutdown and forced quarantining due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The study aimed to determine whether faculty writing group participation contributed to improved productivity…