This panel will explore student mental health from two distinct parts of the globe. First, an interdisciplinary study of the mental health of disabled students at Panjab University in Chandigarh, India, provides a comprehensive analysis of the factors influencing the mental health and well-being of disabled students, revealing the resilience strategies employed by them, including the role of social surroundings and personal coping mechanisms. The second argues that the interdisciplinary, applied liberal arts offer a unique basis for responding to the challenge of worsening mental health conditions among students. Specifically, the presentation will look at how Sheridan College in Ontario has recently developed two linked programs that seek to achieve this goal.
Radhika Bali, MA
Radhika Bali is a research scholar in the Department of English and Cultural Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh. Bali is working at the intersection of Disability and Gender.
Abstract: This study investigates the mental health of disabled students at Panjab University, Chandigarh (India), with a focus on the interrelated themes of resilience, mattering, and belonging. Through qualitative interviews and questionaries, we aim to understand the unique challenges faced by disabled students, their coping strategies, and their experiences within the university setting. Additionally, we will examine the broader meaning of disability in India and its impact on the well-being of disabled students, recognizing that universities, as centres of knowledge, have a crucial role in fostering inclusivity. By adopting an interdisciplinary approach that integrates disability studies and psychology, this research aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the factors influencing the mental health and well-being of disabled students, though outcomes may vary based on the personal experiences of these students. Our findings will reveal the resilience strategies employed by disabled students, including the role of social surroundings and personal coping mechanisms. Additionally, we will explore how inclusive educational practices, peer relationships, and institutional support impact students’ sense of mattering and belonging. This research aims to offer valuable insights and recommendations for educators, policymakers, and mental health professionals to create a more supportive and inclusive environment at educational settings, ultimately enhancing the mental health and well-being of disabled students.
Dr. Genevieve Amaral, PhD
Dr. Amaral is Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Sheridan College. She earned her PhD in Comparative Literary Studies and French from Northwestern University, exploring questions of class and history in the literature, film and philosophy of the interwar period (1918-1939) in France. Recent grants and publications have focused on expanding access to innovative applied Humanities and Creativity curricula and programming, especially via international learning and the public humanities.
Dr. Cherie Werhun, PhD
With over 20 years of experience as an educator, social psychologist, and leader, Dr. Cherie Werhun is passionate about unlocking the human potential of students, teams, and organizations. She currently serves as the Associate Vice Provost, Human Development & Potential at Sheridan College, where she leads the design and implementation of a new signature learning experience that fosters self-awareness, compassion, and relational intelligence.
Abstract: Many post-secondary institutions in Canada have increased support services in response to worsening mental health conditions among students. Critical as these efforts are, many mental health challenges facing students are also linked to skills in “self-efficacy” and socio-affective competencies – resilience, flexibility and agility; motivation and self-awareness; curiosity and lifelong learning – that are increasingly valued by employers, outranking technological proficiency in some surveys (WEF 2023). How might post-secondary institutions bridge this gap between supporting student well-being and preparing them for a lifetime of success and thriving, beyond graduation?
This presentation argues that the interdisciplinary, applied liberal arts offer a unique basis for responding to this challenge. This can be achieved through integrated curricular and co-curricular, meta-cognitive programming – on the one hand, tools and opportunities to practice confronting obstacles, navigating complexity, embracing difference, negotiating challenges, and organizing change, and on the other, a theoretical understanding of the scientific basis for these practices and their related social, ethical, and political themes and contexts.
Sheridan has recently developed two linked programs that seek to achieve this goal: the “Board Undergraduate Certificate in Resilience, Ethics, and Adaptation” (BUC-REA), and the “S-Sense.” On the curricular side, our new certificate draws on concepts and practices from psychology, philosophy, sociology and cultural studies, embedded in the non-core course requirements of degree programs. For its part, the S-Sense offers a set of carefully-designed platforms and opportunities for students to “think, relate, innovate, and evolve” through and alongside their studies, cultivating “a signature palette of capabilities designed to foster lifelong learning, critical thinking, initiative, agility, collaboration, equity and creativity.”
The presentation will include a review the research (in social and behavioural science and SOTL) as well as the broad, multi-level collaboration (including students, faculty, and industry) that resulted in their creation. Finally, we will outline a plan for evidence-based assessment of their efficacy and solicit audience feedback.
