Empathy. Definitely a buzz word these days. And it’s incredibly relevant to higher education. According to author Carl Rogers, empathy helps foster a productive learning environment. “When the teacher has the ability to understand the student’s reactions from the inside, has a sensitive awareness of the way the process of education and learning seems to the student, …the likelihood of significant learning is increased” (Freedom to Learn). 

The topic of empathy came up repeatedly during the spring dean’s workshop on the Christ-idea in character education, and lately my inbox has been flooded with links to articles and newsletters that are emphasizing the need for instructors to show empathy towards students, now more than ever.

I tend to agree. In these trying times, it seems students’ lives are more jumbled and stressful than orderly and steadfast. How must it feel to be growing up and trying to carve out your life in a time where changes are happening so quickly it’s impossible to keep up? Consider the unprecedented rapid technological changes over the last two decades that have provided us with handheld devices for immediate and unparalleled access to community and world events. This constant inundation plays a more prevalent role than ever before in students’ day-to-day thoughts. As my own college-aged family members confirm, they find themselves preoccupied with concerns about the future to the point of unavoidable distraction. 

In addition, on a recent podcast, I heard about a study suggesting that “empathy is almost disappearing…empathy levels are down 50% over the last decade” due to a myriad of reasons. The interviewer cited another study that had found teenagers were unable to identify certain compassion-based facial expressions on posters correctly due to a lack of interpersonal interaction. That finding alone is a rallying cry for expressing more empathy, not just in our classrooms, but whenever and wherever we can. 

Now more than ever, our students need us to be empathetic, to try to understand how they are feeling so we can respond appropriately and meet their needs (which may not necessarily in that moment be to complete an assignment on time). Compassion, understanding, active listening, and a little leeway goes a long way in supporting students’ efforts to meet their demanding academic schedule. Henry David Thoreau is attributed with asking: Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant?…If you could stand in someone else’s shoes, hear what they hear, see what they see, feel what they feel, would you treat them differently?  

To further explore how empathy plays an important role in supporting today’s students, here are some links to resources I have touched on above. Please enjoy, and feel free to share your ideas in the comments. 

• The Soul of Empathy by Dr. Angela Duckworth (Character Lab) 
• Five easy ideas that build bridges to your online learners by Dr. Antone Goyak (Faculty Focus article) 
• Leading our classes through times of crisis with engagement and peace by Dr. Donald Saucier (Faculty Focus article)
• Ideas of empathy statements that can help you be a great listener
• A summary of Carl Rogers book, Freedom to Learn 
• Robert Glazer podcast