Out of confinement: adaptive agency and dynamic meaning-making in accounts of pandemic campus restrictions

Purpose In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, US post-secondary institutions enacted policies that imposed spatial restrictions in order to reduce viral spread. Acting quickly to impose restrictions on campus environments often designed to foster interaction, decision-makers knew little about how student experience of learning and of community would be impacted. In this study, analysis and interpretation of interview data from young adults undergoing spatial confinement are considered, as well as interviewees’ dynamic meaning-making and resilient responses to evolving environmental conditions. Design/methodology/approach This empirical qualitative study comprised two phases of in-depth interviews with on-campus residential students. Phase I was conducted during a period of campus restrictions (Spring 2021); Phase II was conducted one year later when restrictions were lifted (Spring 2022). Findings Findings show that spatial restrictions negatively impacted student well-being resulting in a blurring of time and space, dysregulation, and mental health declines. Further, the lack of spatial differentiation and spatial transitions between activities contributed to decreases in energy, motivation and productivity. However, students demonstrated resilience by engaging in purposeful routines, seeking out varied environmental stimuli and expanding their networks through novel activities to contend with spatial and social isolation. Originality/value This study compares initial and follow-up interviews to find that agency plays a fundamental role in dynamic constructions of place-meaning. The findings suggest the importance of spatial flexibility and agency in maintaining well-being, and calls for greater sensitivity to the importance of spatial and sensory variety in human environments.