SEL for Well-Being and Equity in Higher Education

The understood overarching purpose of higher education is to prepare students, typically young adults, with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate, thrive in, and be contributing members of society (Hurtado, 2019). In this time of unprecedented cross-sectoral complexity and volatility on a global scale, institutions of higher education must consider a more expansive set of learning and competency outcomes (Gopalan et al., 2022). This paradigm shift is essential given the alarming rise in mental health challenges on college and university campuses, deep polarization, and an increased demand for prosocial skills in workplaces across sectors (Dermody et al., 2022; Padurean et al., 2022). This chapter presents a case for why social and emotional learning (SEL) is important in higher education, with a primary focus on undergraduate education. We also review existing programs and practices that foster social and emotional competencies (SECs), with an aim to bridge quality empirical support with practical implementation strategies, and offer recommendations for how to implement SEL in higher education—including a breakdown of the who, what, and where—highlighting systemic approaches that can be a lever for educational equity and belongingness.