Cultivating long-term well-being through transformative undergraduate education

Holly C White; Debra M Allen; Keith Buffinton; Dana Humphrey; Marjorie Malpiede; Richard K Miller; John C Volin

doi:10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae372

Cultivating long-term well-being through transformative undergraduate education

PNAS Nexus. 2024 Sep 24;3(9):pgae372. doi: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae372. eCollection 2024 Sep.

Authors

Holly C White¹, Debra M Allen², Keith Buffinton³, Dana Humphrey⁴, Marjorie Malpiede⁴, Richard K Miller⁵, John C Volin^{6

7}

Affiliations

¹ School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA.
² Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA.
³ College of Engineering, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 17837, USA.
⁴ LearningWell Magazine, Boston, MA, USA.
⁵ Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, Needham, MA 02492, USA.
⁶ Office of the Provost, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA.
⁷ School of Forest Resources, University of Maine, Orono 04469, ME, USA.

Abstract

Despite the growing body of research suggesting certain pedagogical approaches that can support student well-being, higher education has not fully embraced these approaches and typically still does not view well-being as a high priority in comparison with other metrics such as retention or GPA. Here, we contend that universities must play an active role in supporting lifelong well-being in their student populations by expanding their definitions of student success and providing opportunities and programs that support elements related to well-being. We propose a student well-being nexus, which comprises a sense of belonging, agency, purpose, identity, civic engagement, and financial well-being. This article provides a perspective on the importance of each element to well-being and which pedagogical practices have been shown to support various dimensions of well-being in undergraduate education, such as service learning, undergraduate research, and mentoring. In addition, it showcases 6 exceptional initiatives from various universities that aim to support one or more of the student well-being nexus dimensions, which can serve as models for other universities. Finally, several guiding principles are outlined for higher education institutions to support the implementation of student well-being initiatives and transformational learning opportunities. These include assessment of initiatives, embedding initiatives into the curriculum, and avoidance of creating additional financial burdens for students. These efforts can promote well-being on college campuses and beyond graduation.