One of the least discussed dimensions of faculty work is emotional and relational labor—the invisible effort involved in supporting students who are struggling academically, personally, or both.
We often frame teaching as delivery:
Delivering content
Delivering feedback
Delivering assessment
But students experience education relationally.
They remember:
Who noticed when they disappeared
Who reached out when they fell behind
Who listened without judgment
Who made space for their story
For many students—especially first-generation learners, adult learners, and those navigating complex life responsibilities—faculty may be one of the few stable figures in their academic lives.
This creates a profound ethical responsibility.
When students trust us with their vulnerability, they are not asking us to fix everything. They are asking us to walk alongside them as they learn to carry it.
This work requires:
Empathy without overstepping
Support without rescuing
Boundaries without distance
Care without burnout
It is demanding…and it is deeply meaningful.
Research consistently shows that students’ sense of belonging, connection, and perceived faculty care are among the strongest predictors of persistence and success. Academic skills matter—but relationships often determine whether those skills ever get a chance to develop.
When faculty recognize this, teaching shifts. It becomes less about control. Less about coverage. Less about compliance. And more about accompaniment.
We become partners in resilience. Not saviors. Not therapists. Not heroes. But steady guides. Walking alongside students—sometimes for only a few steps, sometimes for years—while they learn how to navigate both college and life. That is the quiet privilege of our profession.
Reflections about our work:
When was the last time a student trusted me with something difficult?
How do I communicate availability and care in my teaching?
Where do I need stronger boundaries to sustain this work?
How do I acknowledge this invisible labor in myself and others?
What systems in my institution support—or hinder—this work?
For further exploration:
Denial, C. J. (2024). A pedagogy of kindness. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press.
Hogan, K. A., Sathy, V., & Else-Quest, N. (2022, January 22). Advice |How to give our students the grace we all need. The Chronicle of Higher Education. https://www.chronicle.com/article/how-to-give-our-students-the-grace-we-all-need
Keeling, R. P. (2014). An ethic of care in higher education: Well-being and learning. Journal of College and Character, 15(3), 141–148. https://doi.org/10.1515/jcc-2014-0018
McMullen, J. (2025, October 8). Teaching with kindness: How caring for your students sets the stage for success. Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-teaching-strategies/teaching-with-kindness-how-caring-for-your-students-sets-the-stage-for-success/
Slote, Michael. The Ethics of Care and Empathy. New York, NY: Routledge. 2007.
