The notion of “wellness” as it pertains to university contexts has taken on a problematic valence over the years. Owing to the increasing neoliberalization of academia, wellness has been increasingly tied to pop psychology, self-care spending, pizza parties, and other “self-actualizing” capitalistic practices. By virtue of the precarious nature of their status and labour, graduate students in the university are especially susceptible to experiences of overwork, exploitation, burnout, poor well-being, and existential harm, with studies showing that nearly 40% of graduate students globally experienced symptoms of anxiety, depression, or suicide ideation.

In reframing the notion of wellness as the absence of violence and oppression, this GSC-sponsored roundtable session seeks presentations that offer perspectives on how wellness is a necessary component to advancing equity in higher education, specifically in the context of improving graduate student experiences within the university. Possible topics may address, but are not limited to, the following:

- institutional programs that seek to improve graduate student conditions;

- trauma- and violence-informed care (TVIC) approaches to pedagogical and educational practices;

- mindfulness practices in/and the humanities;

- radical rest as it pertains to graduate student labour;

- supportive and regenerative practices for graduate student health and well-being;

- applications of restorative justice to counter harm against exploitation;

- transformative critiques of structural power within university spaces;

- addressing graduate student debt and despair

Please submit proposals of 200-250 words, with a bio of at most 100 words, on how you intend to address one or more of the themes above. Please address inquiries to Christian Ylagan at cylagan2@uwo.ca.

Works Consulted:

Mullins, Courtney. “Doctoral Distress: Graduate Program Pressures Impact Student Mental Health”. Insight Into Academia, 7 January 2025. https://insightintoacademia.com/doctoral-distress-graduate-program-press.......

Satinsky, E.N., Kimura, T., Kiang, M.V. et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation among Ph.D. students. Sci Rep 11, 14370 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-93687-7