A Culture of Care and Wellbeing: Mitigating Burnout and Thriving at Work at a Community College
Penn collection
Degree type
Discipline
Education
Higher Education
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Subject
Funder
Grant number
Copyright date
Distributor
Related resources
Author
Contributor
Abstract
This project explores the application of positive psychology within a community college environment, specifically focusing on Virginia Peninsula Community College (VPCC). The goal of the project is to enhance the wellbeing of the mid-level managers. The leaders at VPCC recognize that the staff are the highest leverage point in beginning to build their vision of “A Culture of Care and Wellbeing” at the college. Positive psychology research and application are employed to address the challenges faced by student-facing staff members, including burnout. Tailored positive interventions delivered through the pathways of individuals, teams, and the organization are proposed. Intended outcomes include flourishing, mattering, mutual respect, and shared governance. A multi-level wellbeing toolkit is presented in the application materials section. The deliverables in this project are based upon a review of the literature which suggests that utilizing combined individual-organizational approaches are more likely to be effective for burnout prevention and thriving at work. The Wellbeing Champion framework is integrated to enhance sustainability of the proposed positive interventions.