1. Empathy as Enlightenment
Christian Moriarty
I teach ethics, class as empathy training. And that’s what I’d like this session to be.

2. A Tale of Four Students 17 years old Collegiate High High GPA
Consistently shy, withdrawn, no friends in class
38 years old
Second Career
High B, low A, often late or absent
Engaged with material and lecture
24 years old
Late starter
Low B
Usually good, hasn’t been to class in a few days
22 years old
Traditional student, part time
C average
Suddenly withdrawn from class
Transgender. Three kids, single mother. No car, takes the bus from Tampa every day. Best friend recently committed suicide. Victim of domestic abuse, not coming to hide bruise. Father recently murdered.

3. What is Empathy?
“[T]he intrapersonal realization of another's plight that illuminates the potential consequences of one's own actions on the lives of others.” (Hollingsworth, 2003)
Personal experience of empathy. Empathy vs Pity.

4. SPC Community, as of Fall 2017
Average age of students - 27
AA - 24
AS - 29
BA - 33
Female %
Male %
Not disclosed - 2%
Part time %
Full-time %
African-American %
American-Indian - 0.3%
Asian - 4.0%
Hispanic %
Pacific Islander - 0.3%
White %
Multiple races - 3.1%
Not reported - 2.3%
COMMUNITY college. Should not be denigrating or belittling, but empowering. Diversity is strength.
Students ARE NOT kids.
Headcount - 49,006

5. College readiness (MDRC, 2011; Achieving the Dream, 2018)
However much we wish it wasn’t the case, our students aren’t college ready.
59%, 50%, 42% %, 10.7%
(MDRC, 2011; Achieving the Dream, 2018)

6. Students’ Lives
“[Work no more] than ten to fifteen hours, on campus.” (AAUP, 2010)
1970: 35% of full-time undergrads work
2015: 43% of full-time undergrads work
2015 Part-time: 76%
Small difference between 2-year and 4-year
And this is just work! Consider family obligations, health, some semblance of a social life.
Remember, 74% of our students are part time, so 76% of them are working
American Association for University Professors, National Center for Education Statistics
(NCES, 2017)

7. Empathy is Understanding
Create the opportunity for conversation
Don’t pry, but ask questions
Pick up on things they discuss in class
Students open up more than you’d think given the opportunity
Have resources ready
Be emotionally available and open
Students WANT to like their teachers. AUTHENTICITY

8. Things you can DO Right Now
Opening assignment
Check-ins (SParC, calls, etc.)
Help-seeking behavior (Calarco, 2014)
Model empathy (Crowley, 2016)
Be reciprocal
Acknowledge, and combat, “Hidden Curriculum” (Vallance, 1973; Martin, 1983)
Let them know how long grading an assignment is, how something makes you feel.
Social Media as modeling, too!

9. Challenges Online education Rigor and standards
Not licensed counselors
Limited resources for some issues
Empathy overload / burnout (Milatz et al., 2015)
Time
Empathy REDUCES burnout!

10. Why are you here, right now?
Empathy can be shared and taught (Swan & Riley, 2015)
“Empathy is positively related to job performance” (Gentry, et al., 2017)
“In the world of design-led product innovation, pursuit of empathy is the key to success.” (Kolko, 2014)
“[E]ncouraging an empathic mindset about discipline halved student suspension rates over an academic year.” (Okonofua, 2016)
Constructive teacher student relationships have a large and positive impact on students’ academic results (Hattie, 2009)
Missionary work.
– Ian Maclaren

11. College can, and should, be AN empathy learning experience
Christian Moriarty, JD MA
Professor of Ethics and Law (and Life)
Academic Chair, Applied Ethics Institute