Improving STEM Graduate Students' Mental Health and Wellbeing

An emerging problem with graduate education is the unprecedented rise in mental health and wellbeing concerns across higher education institutions in Canada. Graduate education is widely associated with emotional, physical, and psychological stress. Graduate students are at risk of the onset of mental health illnesses due to a culture of acceptance that graduate studies is synonymous with stress and anxiety. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) explores approaches to improve the mental health and wellness of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) graduate students to promote their personal wellbeing and academic success. The goal of my Problem of Practice (PoP) is to increase awareness of the complex factors and address the systemic barriers that contribute to STEM graduate student mental health illnesses at University Z, and to develop strategies to mitigate their onset. Transformational and distributed leadership practices underpinned by a social justice lens are the chosen leadership approaches. Nadler and Tushman’s Congruence Model (1980) is used as a thought map to conduct a comprehensive organizational analysis which includes a partial PESTE analysis. Kotter’s Eight-Stage Model (1996) is integrated with the Change Path Model (2016) to create a hybrid CDI x K Model to lead the change process. A resulting policy-based solution to empower STEM graduate students is pursued through the OIP. A thorough implementation plan that details objectives, actions, personnel, and timelines is presented. The plan is monitored and evaluated through the application of Deming’s (1993) PDSA cycle. The OIP presents next steps, future considerations, and a reflective conclusion.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Education

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education

Year dc:date.issued

2021

Author dc:creator

• Khan, Aneesa

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Planche, Beate

• mental health
• graduate students
• STEM
• social justice
• transformational leadership
• distributed leadership

Language dc:language.iso

en_ca

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14721/26173

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:uwo.scholaris.ca:20.500.14721/26173