Refiguring Universities in an Age of Neoliberalism: Creating Compassionate Campuses

by Louise J. Lawrence

Overview

This book examines the role of compassion in refiguring the university. Plotting a reimagining of the university through care, other-regard, and a commitment to act in response to the suffering of others, the author draws on various humanities disciplines to illuminate the potential of compassion in the campus. The book asks how the sector can reclaim the university from the tides of neoliberalism, inequalities and increased workloads, and which moral principles and competencies would need to be championed and instilled to build inclusive citizenship and positive connection with others. A value that is too scarcely taught, experienced, or advocated in contexts of higher education, compassion is reframed as an essential pillar of the university and a means to an epistemically just campus and curricula.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783030733735
Publisher:	Springer International Publishing
Publication date:	06/05/2021
Series:	Palgrave Critical University Studies
Edition description:	1st ed. 2021
Pages:	228
Product dimensions:	5.83(w) x 8.27(h) x (d)

About the Author

Louise J. Lawrence is Professor of New Testament Interpretation at the University of Exeter, UK. She currently serves as Co-Head of Department, but has been involved in Education Leadership at Exeter, with a particular interest in curricula design focused on Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion, and Student Mental Health and Wellbeing.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction.- Chapter 2: A Prolegomenon to Refiguring the Neoliberal University: Reading with Early Christian Traditions of Compassion in the Throes of a Pandemic.- Chapter 3: Envisioning Compassionate Campuses: Critically Probing Organisational Values and Mission Statements.- Chapter 4: Compassionate Curricula? Northern and Southern Epistemologies and Cognitive [In-] Justice.- Chapter 5: Compassionate Campus Climates: Confronting Privilege and Prejudice with Compassionate Citizenship.- Chapter 6: Compassion and Kindness: Refiguring Discourses of Student Mental Health and Wellbeing.- Chapter 7: [Mis-]Directed Compassion? Power, Sexual Violence and Misconduct, in the Neoliberal Academy.- Chapter 8: Conclusion.

Editorial Reviews

This is an excellent snapshot of the current state of UK universities and a praiseworthy addition to the existing literature on compassion and the university. It is a fascinating example of how compassion can be outlined using the university educator’s own areas of expertise, which may potentially encourage similar contributions in the future. Furthermore, Lawrence refrains from decontextualising … aspects of higher education that portray suffering in the sector, making it a bravely written monograph.” (Aysha Mazhar, British Journal of Educational Studies, September 10, 2021)

From the Publisher