Vulnerability and Empathy in University Teaching: Framing the Empowered Classroom

It is widely accepted in much of the academic literature (and elsewhere) that there is a widespread, if not global, mental health crisis particularly affecting university students (cf. Andersen, Holm, and Côté, 2021). The effects of this crisis on academic achievement are severe, with students often finding themselves too anxious or depressed to study, participate in class, or even socialise. This article seeks to examine how traditional teacher-centric approaches to lecturing might risk exacerbating these problems, leading to frustration on the part of the instructor at low attendance and attainment rates and compounding student feelings of isolation. Instead, it proposes an approach to course design centred on vulnerability and empathy whereby the instructor shares with students the challenges and difficulties they face in order to encourage the development of mutual trust. The aim of this is to promote inclusivity and senses of belonging, while facilitating and supporting the needs of the modern, diverse student cohort.