A light in the tower : a new reckoning with mental health in higher education / Katie Rose Guest Pryal.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Pryal, Katie Rose Guest, author.

Series:

Rethinking careers, rethinking academia.

Rethinking Careers, Rethinking Academia

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

College students--Mental health--United States.

College teachers--Mental health--United States.

Universities and colleges--Employees--Mental health--United States.

People with mental disabilities--Education (Higher)--United States.

Education, Higher--United States--Psychological aspects.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (242 pages)

Place of Publication:

Lawrence, Kansas : University Press of Kansas, [2024]

Summary:

"Written from the perspective of a professor with bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, and autism spectrum disorder, A Light in the Tower is both a bracing account of the mental health crisis in higher education and a passionate and informed proposal for how to teach with mental health in mind. Katie Rose Guest Pryal argues that the systemic crisis of mental health in higher education communities is the result of systemic problems in education itself that demand a comprehensive approach. She examines the anxiety that plagues campuses as a result of exploited and overworked contingent faculty and students, the shock events like COVID-19 and campus shootings that traumatize communities, the systemic and institutional burnout that affects higher education at every level, and the market-driven culture of toxic overwork. These are large-scale problems that need large-scale solutions. As the title indicates, A Light in the Tower is not just about the crisis affecting higher education. Pryal also outlines actions that professors and administrators can take to address the problem. These include abandoning the toxic rigor that fosters an ableist and exclusionary campus culture, replacing "bad-hard" work that creates unnecessary logistical difficulties for students in favor of "good-hard" work that challenges them intellectually, listening to and assisting students who request disability accommodations, normalizing the use of laptops, and scaffolding assignments. A Light in the Tower gives practical recommendations for how to make academia a more healthy, inclusive, and accessible space for those with mental disabilities, so they can enjoy the kind of formative education that each person deserves"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Introduction: How to talk about mental disability

Anxiety in academia

Population shock events

Systemic burnout

Toxic academic overwork

Setting boundaries

The disabled mind in academia

Writing publicly about mental disability

Writing depression

"The darkness that is plaguing our university"

Rigor angst

Toxic rigor is ableist

Teaching mentally disabled students

Front-line faculty

Procrastination and compassion

Teaching accessibly/inclusively.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780700636341

070063634X