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When Resilience Falls Short: Students at a Loss

Date: Time: 15:00 Location: Black Box, Esplanade building

What would you share with your audience if it were your last lecture ever? That's the question we posed to Alkeline van Lenning and Tessa Leesen. Their topic of choice: What is the most effective approach when students’ resilience falls short? (English / SG-Certificate*)

Time: 15:00 - 16:15 hrs.  
Admission is free, no registration required.


Struggling students

A substantial number of students in higher education is struggling with personal and psychological problems. As they suffer from stress, anxiety and the pressure to perform, today’s emerging adults seem to grow increasingly unhappy.

Challenging life experiences

In their day-to-day practice, Alkeline van Lenning and Tessa Leesen come across students who seem unable to adapt to challenging life experiences and whose setbacks interfere with their schoolwork. As a result, students disengage, do not attend class, miss deadlines and sometimes even fail courses or drop out. What is the most effective approach when students’ resilience falls short?

Discussion on the best approach

They examine this question from an interdisciplinary perspective and find inspiration in Cicero’s Letters, the Stoa and the field of Social Sciences. Alkeline van Lenning and Tessa Leesen engage in a discussion, to which the audience is invited to participate, about the dilemma to be either mild, compassionate and understanding for students whose resilience falls short, or to be more strict and demand a more ‘stoic’ attitude.

  • Alkeline van Lenning

    Prof. Dr. Alkeline van Lenning

    Educational Professor at Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences and Dean of University College Tilburg

    Prof. Dr. Alkeline van Lenning is Educational Professor at Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences and Dean of University College Tilburg. In her well-established career, she has been involved in designing the Liberal Arts and Sciences Bachelor’s program and has taught courses at various renowned universities around the world. Her many publications include articles and contributions to books on teaching in higher education, resilience in students and gender studies.

  • Tessa Leesen

    Dr. Tessa Leesen

    Assistant professor and Vice Dean at University College Tilburg

      

    Dr. Tessa Leesen is assistant professor and Vice Dean at University College Tilburg. Her areas of expertise include higher education on the one hand, with special focus on student well-being, and history on the other, where she concentrates on antiquity, Roman law, rhetoric, and legal history. In addition, she is project leader of ‘The Resilience Project: Fail, Fail Again, Fail Better’, which aims to enhance students’ resilience and break the taboo on failure.

Last Lecture

A 'last lecture' is a lecture in which a professor lectures to a group of students as if it was their last lecture. The professor answers questions like 'What would you try to impart to the world if you knew it was your last chance? or 'If this were your last time to address a group of students, what would you say?

The event is inspired by the last lecture given by Professor Randy Pausch at Carnegie Mellon University upon his diagnosis with terminal cancer. In his wonderful speech ‘Achieving Your Childhood Dreams’ Pausch alternated between insights on his academic field, valuable encounters he made in life, personal choices and experiences, inspirational life lessons, and important events that guided him on his path of life.


More information

This lecture is organized by Studium Generale in cooperation with study association Extra Muros.

Contact: Annelieke Koster (Studium Generale).

* For students, this lecture may count towards the SG-Certificate. Check the SG-Certificate website for all the terms and conditions.

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