ABSTRACT

Academic staff and students within higher education settings are confronted by a learning environment that is academically stimulating, informative, career-focused and socially rich, which can be intensely competitive and highly charged. Within this learning environment, academic staff and students are often at risk of compromising their wellbeing in their pursuit of academic excellence. This book provides an examination of the key areas that are important to the sustenance of wellbeing within higher education settings, with a view to promoting healthy learning environments. The chapter authors are predominantly working in the Asia-Pacific rim, but the book also includes more universal perspectives. The synthesis of the issues covered in the book is crucial to the understanding of higher education as not only an environment for gaining knowledge and skills relevant for success in academic and career domains, but also as an environment for developing socially adept and authentic communication skills. The ideas presented in this book will further assist academic staff and students to consider ways to more fully participate in their learning environment so that they can optimize their valuable contributions to the professional communities they serve.

chapter 1|4 pages

Introduction

Developing meaning and purpose

section 1|52 pages

Meta-awareness and wellbeing

section 2|88 pages

Faculty and student strategies for wellbeing

chapter 6|11 pages

Self-care

Individual, relational, and political sensibilities

chapter 9|13 pages

Atoro’ia te peu ‘a¯ to ‘ui tu¯puna

A culturally responsive pedagogy for Pasifika peoples

chapter 10|13 pages

Sport and exercise

section 3|69 pages

Cultivating wellbeing in higher education