Design thinking is a creative, collaborative, and innovative approach to solving problems and improving services by emphasizing human experience over product and profit (Brown, 2019). It can improve higher education by providing a framework that leaders—from department chairs to provosts—can use to address problems; search for solutions; test and refine ideas; support continuous improvement; and launch new programs, processes, and policies. We know this because in fall 2021 the members of our college-level administrative team challenged one another to use the framework for collaborative professional development. This article, the first in a two-part series, describes the context and background where we first applied the framework before defining and explaining the concept of design thinking for higher education settings.
Supporting Faculty and Staff Mental Health and Well-Being: Community, Connection, and Balance
Last month, I introduced the U.S. Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health & Well-Being. The framework was created to start deeper conversations about change and well-being in the workplace
Rebecca Pope-Ruark
March 18, 2024
