Date of Award
8-2026
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Program
Educational Administration
Department
Educational Administration
Major Professor
Dr. Christopher Broadhurst
Second Advisor
Dr. David Wallace
Third Advisor
Dr. Anabel Mifsud
Fourth Advisor
Dr. David Robinson-Morris
Abstract
The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to understand how faculty who navigate student trauma disclosures construct stories about themselves as educators and how those stories shape their understanding of teaching and learning. Although the literature has increasingly focused on trauma-informed approaches to teaching and learning, little research has explored how faculty navigate student trauma disclosures or how those experiences shape their understanding of teaching and learning. This study sought to better understand those experiences and provide institutional leaders with insight into how faculty experience student trauma disclosures within higher education. Narrative inquiry was employed using Mahayana Buddhism as the theoretical framework. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five college faculty members who had experience working with students who self-disclosed trauma. Participants represented multiple academic disciplines and shared stories about navigating student trauma disclosures in their classrooms. The study was guided by three research questions: (1) What are the stories of faculty who work with students with self-disclosed trauma? (2) How do faculty members' experiences with students who disclose personal trauma shape the stories they construct about themselves as educators? and (3) In what ways do faculty members' stories shape their understanding of teaching and learning? The findings revealed that connection and classroom community were central to the participants' understanding of teaching and learning. They consistently described connection and classroom community as central to creating the conditions in which students felt comfortable disclosing traumatic experiences. Participants also described navigating student trauma disclosures with little institutional guidance. As a result, they often relied on their own judgment when determining how to respond. Furthermore, the women in this study consistently described themselves in roles that extended beyond instruction to include care, mentoring, protection, and emotional support. Another finding was that participants identified violence against women as one of the most common forms of trauma entering educational spaces. The findings provide institutional leaders with practical recommendations for strengthening institutional responses to student trauma disclosures. They also provide guidance for better supporting both faculty and students when trauma enters educational spaces.
Recommended Citation
DaLuz, Samantha, "The Stories of College Faculty Navigating Student Trauma Disclosures: A Narrative Inquiry" (2026). LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 3404.
https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/3404
Included in
Adult and Continuing Education Commons, Adult and Continuing Education Administration Commons, Community College Education Administration Commons, Community College Leadership Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Higher Education Commons, Higher Education Administration Commons, Online and Distance Education Commons, Other Educational Administration and Supervision Commons
Rights
The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.