The Pandemic's Lasting Impact on Academia | Dr. Kevin McClure

In this episode of Trust Be Told, Dr. Kevin McClure reflects on his unexpected journey into higher education leadership and the lessons learned from navigating the challenges of the pandemic. He discusses his book, The Caring University, and how COVID-19 has amplified workload pressures, faculty burnout, and staff stress, all the while accelerating the ongoing effects of the Great Resignation in academia. Dr. McClure emphasizes the critical importance of trust, organizational care, and employee well-being in shaping a sustainable workplace culture. He also shares examples of colleges and universities that are successfully adopting caring practices, illustrating how prioritizing faculty and staff wellbeing directly supports student success. This conversation highlights the need to reassess organizational values, compensation, and culture for the future of higher education. Episode Takeaways Dr. McClure’s entry into higher education was unplanned but transformative. The pandemic increased stress among faculty and staff, reshaping workloads. The great resignation continues to impact higher education institutions. Trust in leadership is essential for building healthy workplace cultures. Employee well-being must be prioritized for organizational success. Institutions need to rethink compensation and organizational care. Change in higher education is happening, though at a slow pace. Faculty and staff well-being has a direct link to student outcomes. Organizations must act in alignment with their stated mission and values. There are successful examples of institutions implementing caring university models. Trust for Thought  "We could be seeing a lot more of this." "Trust is basically everything." "Change is happening all the time." Keywords higher education, Dr. Kevin McClure, The Caring University, pandemic and higher education, great resignation in academia, trust in organizations, employee wellbeing, organizational care, faculty burnout, student success, workplace culture, higher education leadership Stay Connected If this episode resonated with you, here are a few ways to stay connected and go deeper: 📩 Substack – Read essays and reflections that expand on each episode at Trust Be Told on Substack. ▶️ YouTube – Watch clips, shorts, and full conversations on the Trust Be Told YouTube channel. 📲 Instagram – Join the conversation and see behind-the-scenes stories at @trustedpod. 🌐 Website – Explore resources and download The Trust Toolkit at Trusted Arc Labs. And don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast wherever you listen. Thank you for your support!