Developing a New Default in Higher Education: We Are Not Alone in This Work

Abstract

This chapter introduces Trauma-Informed Pedagogies: A Guide for Responding to Crisis and Inequality in Higher Education, which is an equity-centered, evidence-based guide to trauma-informed teaching and learning in higher education. First, the chapter contextualizes the book in understanding that trauma is not just in past but also in the present and discusses the prevalence and impact of trauma on college students and educators. Next, the chapter explores what it means to respond to trauma, crisis, and inequality using a trauma-informed approach. The chapter then describes the origins and aims of the book and the book’s contents.