Building Resilience in Higher Education: Strategies and Resources

1. Building Resilience HECMA 2016 Nico Bernabe, M.A. bernabe@gonzaga.edu Nicola Miller, M.A. millern@gonzaga.edu

2. Define resilience. Differentiate between grit and resilience. Assess the need for resilience-building and how case management can help facilitate the effort. Describe resilience-building efforts that are occurring on campuses. Discover one new resilience resource to bring back to campus. Presentation outcomes GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

3. What is resilience? GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

4. “The process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress… “bouncing back” from difficult experiences.” American Psychological Association, 2016 GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

5. “The processof adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress… “bouncing back” from difficult experiences.” American Psychological Association, 2016 GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

6. “The process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress… “bouncing back” from difficult experiences.” American Psychological Association, 2016 GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

7. “The process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress… “bouncing back” from difficult experiences.” American Psychological Association, 2016 GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

8. Why is focusing on resilience important? GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

9. Meet the demands of their academic/work and personal lives successfully; Take action to deal with challenges, problems and setbacks; Know when to stop, rest and replenish inner resources; Have a sense of independence, self-efficacy and self-worth; Form and maintain positive, mutually-respectful relationships with others; Have a sense of purpose and goals for the future. Cornell University, 2016 Resilient people are more likely to: GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

10. Monitor compliance with treatment plans and/or university behavioral expectations Maintain contact and meet with students to address needs Foster self-advocacy in students to manage their academic, personal, and fiscal responsibilities Advocate for students individually and systemically HECMA, 2013 Case managers are called to: GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

11. In short… Building resilience is our job! GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

12. Grit: “passion and perseverance, especially for long term goals.” “Grit may not be sufficient for success, but it sure is necessary.” Duckworth, 2016 Many of our students at Gonzaga are “gritty,” but do not seem to have the basic coping skills which promote their wellbeing. Resilience or Grit? GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

13. Resilience or Grit? They are both important and necessary processes, but are focused on different things. GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

14. Developing skills What are we doing? GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

15. What’s Gonzaga doing? How can we help students develop skills to interact adaptively to the stressors they face? GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

16. 8 Dimensions of Wellness Intellectual, Emotional, Social, Spiritual 4 Building Blocks of Resilience Keyes, et. al 2012 Sink, 2010 GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

17. Survey of Campus Partners • Survey sent to departments within Student Development, as well as key partners in other divisions (academic, ministry, athletics, etc.) • Desire to have a division-wide definition from which we can all operate • And a focus of who might want to partner in a further initiative! • Responses representative of all 13 departments within Student Development • 33% were already providing information around resiliency GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

18. Survey of RAs and students • Given to students as a pre-/post-test during resilience workshops in RA training or as a hall program. • Determine the students’ preliminary understanding of resilience and what behaviors they might be engaging in to manage their stress. • 72 RA responses, 19 non-RA responses • 40% of RAs were able to closely define resilience • 10% of non-RAs were able to closely define resilience GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

19. Define resilience GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

20. Define resilience GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

21. Themes from the results- Staff • Managing relationships • “network building (friendships and confidants)” • “establishing healthy interdependence” • Perspective building • “conversations with older adults willing to share the challenges they have had…and feel those challenges contributed to who they’ve become” • “[recognize] that THIS IS HARD. Dating is hard. Physics is hard. Navigating roommate relationships is hard. And that it’s hard for EVERYONE.” • Help seeking behavior • “an understanding that this is OK or acceptable within our culture” • “asking for help (using and developing resources and support systems)” • Goal setting • “accompanied by a strategic plan necessary to achieve goals” • “making realistic and achievable plans” • “ability to continue moving forward (knowing the big picture scope too)” GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

22. Themes from the results- Students • Help seeking behavior • Students self reported not feeling comfortable telling their friends when something is going on • Feelings of disappointment • They feel comfortable connecting their friend to resources, but not reaching out themselves • Separation between situation and self • Students described failure/rejection as impacting their self-concept. • Viewing it as “I suck, I need to get better” rather than “This sucks; I can figure this out.” • Positive outlook • Students reported focusing more on negative events, rather than positive moments. GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

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25. Developing skills What is going on elsewhere? GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

26. What are you doing on your campuses? GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

27. Initiatives at HECMA schools • Baylor University • Drop-in workshops hosted from mid-October through December. Informal groups where students can attend one or all. • College of William & Mary • Focus on FLOURISHING rather than resilience. • Xavier Uniersity • “X-Men” program for male students. Focus on sharing experiences with others. Facilitators from offices around campus (bursar, diversity & inclusion, counseling, etc.) • Counseling interns run a support group for RAs GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

28. Initiatives at HECMA schools • Fresno Pacific University • Use the “Thriving Quotient” survey. • Partner with Res Life to incorporate 3 themes into all RA training presentations: Positive Reframe, Hopeful Outlook, and Strengths • Boise State University • “Supporting the Bounce Back” presentation for parent orientation. Help parents prepare for the tough phone calls from their students. • Furman University, Johnson C. Smith, Duke, & Davidson • Duke Endowment Study. 4 yr. study of all students. In second year now. Results to come! GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

29. Initiatives at HECMA schools • UNC Chapel Hill • Group Counseling through counseling center • Resiliency group for students returning from suspensions or withdrawals. • Various offices rotate into group to share about their resources. • Small Wins Campaign • Post on twitter the small wins that happen throughout the day • Colorado State University - Boulder • Resiliency Coordinator staff position • Focus on Mindfulness • Facilitate a drop-in group GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

30. The Resilience Consortium • An association of college and university faculty and staff from 12 different institutions who are interested in understanding and encouraging resilience in students. • Founded on the idea that today’s students encounter unprecedented challenges and that institutions of higher education have an important role to play in the development of resilience. GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

31. The Resilience Consortium- examples • Harvard Failure Project • “create opportunities for discussions, reflection, understanding, and creative engagement regarding issues of success and failure” • Princeton Perspective Project • “normalize struggle by creating a safe space in which students can feel comfortable engaging with their failures, whether perceived or actual” • Tulane Resilience Cooperative • “redefine failure as an important piece of the learning process” • Stanford Resilience Project • “it’s not about how epic your failure, it’s about how you get up.” See a theme? GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

32. University of Pennsylvania • The Resilience Project • “This website is about the downs and ups, rejection and selection, failures, setbacks and ultimate personal victories.” GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

33. University of Pennsylvania • Authentic Happiness • The home of positive psychology, well-being, and resilience training • Penn Resiliency Program • Reduces depression, hopelessness, anxiety, conduct problems, physical illness. • Increases optimismand well-being. • Strath Haven Positive Psychology Curriculum • Broader curriculum focusing on character strengths, relationships, and meaning, as well as raises positive emotion and reduces negative emotion. GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

34. Key Takeaways • We need to move past an abstract word and focus on daily practice and skills. • Resilience can be taught in tangible ways. • It’s not about sunshine and rainbows, but about reframing a student’s experience. • Challenge perspective, embrace failure, help students connect to something outside of themselves. GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

35. QUESTIONS? Please feel free to email us with any questions. GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

36. Access to resilience articles https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B0O-OHdSedc_SUhxNzJkWGNhTk0&usp=sharing If you’d like to add an article, let Nico know! bernabe@gonzaga.edu GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

37. References • American Psychological Association. (2016, June 3). The Road to Resilience. Retrieved from American Psychological Association: http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/road-resilience.aspx • Bureau of Study Counsel, Harvard University. (2016, June 6). The Success-Failure Project. Retrieved from Harvard University: http://successfailureproject.bsc.harvard.edu/home • Cornell University. (2016, June 3). Building Resilience. Retrieved from Garnett Health Services: http://www.gannett.cornell.edu/topics/resilience/ • DeRosier, M.E., Frank, E., Schwartz, V., & Leary, K.A. (2013). The Potential Role of Resilience Education for Preventing Mental Health Problems for College Students, Psychiatric Annals, 538-544. • Duckworth, A. (2016, May 4). How to Get More Grit in Your Life. (S. J. Dubner, Interviewer) • Frydenberg, E. (2004). Coping Competencies: What to Teach and When. Theory Into Practice, 14-22. • Harvard University. (2016). About: Resilience Consortium. Retrieved from Resilience Consortium: resilienceconsortium.bsc.harvard.edu • HECMA. (2013). Mission, Vision, and Definition. Retrieved from HECMA: www.hecma.org/mission-vision-definition.html GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

38. References • Keyes, C. L., Fredrickson, B. L., & Park, N. (2012). Positive Psychology and the Quality of Life. In K. e. Land, Handbook of Social Indicators and Quality of Life Research (pp. 99-110). • Kilbert, J., Dorian, L. A., Collins, W., Smalley, B., Warren, J. C., Yancey, C., & Winterowd, C. (2014). Resilience Mediates the Relations Between Perfectionism and College Student Distress. Journal of Counseling & Development, 75-81. • Perils, M. M. (2013, October 29). 5 Characteristics of Grit. Forbes. • Princeton University. (2016, June 6). About PPP: Princeton Perspective Project. Retrieved from Princeton University: http://perspective.princeton.edu/about-ppp/about-ppp • Sandberg, S. (2016, May 16). UC Berkeley Commencement Speech. Berkely, CA. • Seligman, M. (2006). Learned Optimism. New York: Vantage Books. • Stanford University. (2016, June 6). The Resilience Project. Retrieved from Stanford University: https://undergrad.stanford.edu/resilience • Tulane University. (2016, June 3). The Resilience Cooperative. Retrieved from Tulane University: http://tulane.edu/advising/tasc/newinitiatives/resiliency-cooperative.cfm • University of Pennsylvania. (2016). PennFaces: The Resilience Project. Retrieved from PennFaces: pennfaces.upenn.edu GONZAGA UNIVERSITY