Open AccessCultivating Connection
Author(s) -
Tura M. Magley,
Matthew G. Barnes,
Garrett P. Schlichte
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
the journal of college orientation and transition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2690-4535
pISSN - 1534-2263
DOI - 10.24926/jcotr.v24i1.2905
Subject(s) - empathy , psychology , transition (genetics) , student affairs , pedagogy , higher education , social psychology , political science , biochemistry , chemistry , law , gene
Student leadership is an increasingly utilized tool on college campuses for welcoming and supporting new students as they transition to college. In our various experiences as previous student leaders turned student affairs professionals, we found a common thread in our work which made a tremendous difference in the development of student leaders and the students they served—the ability to create and maintain meaningful empathic connections. This paper will provide structure for orientation, transition, and retention (OTR) professionals to cultivate empathy in student leaders who may use those skills to build stronger and more authentic connections as they welcome and help students successfully navigate their transition to college. The purpose of this paper is to fill a gap in empathic leadership development and its potential to positively impact the transition and retention of new students.