Digital Object Identifier
10.18870/hlrc.v1i2.1561
ORCID
Jesus R. Nunez, https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2700-0640; Jesus Cisneros, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7269-4078; Isela Pena, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2232-2620
Abstract
Objectives: This qualitative study employed a sensemaking approach to understand faculty members’ sensemaking of their roles during the COVID-19 pandemic and the emergency transition to remote teaching and learning.
Methods: An email invitation to participate in the study was sent to faculty who taught in an MBA program during both the 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 academic school years. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 14 faculty members who self-selected to participate in the study.
Results: Two salient themes emerged from the research: creating a (remote) sense of community among faculty and facilitating contexts of care for students. These findings highlight the mission-central importance of faculty, the role of teaching, and the need to support faculty as they support students in higher education.
Conclusions: As a result of the emergency transition to remote teaching and learning, faculty gained an increased awareness of the importance of human connection and interaction, which made them develop a whole-person approach both to colleagues and students.
Implications: How well institutions plan for and support their faculty during times of crises will influence the institution’s capacity for student support and the personal impact of the crisis on faculty.
Recommended Citation
Nunez, J. R.,
Cisneros, J.,
&
Pena, I.
(2024).
Faculty’s Role in Creating a (Remote) Sense of Community Among Faculty and Facilitating Contexts of Care for Students.
Higher Learning Research Communications, 14 (2).
DOI:10.18870/hlrc.v1i2.1561
