Building a Learning Community for Faculty and Staff Engagement

A September 6, 2023, New York Times column by Nicholas Kristof highlighted our global loneliness crisis. Kristof states, “Loneliness crushes the soul, but researchers are finding it does far more damage than that. It is linked to strokes, heart disease, dementia, inflammation and suicide; it breaks the heart literally as well as figuratively.” Kristof discusses the impact of loneliness across nations, organizations, and families. Drawing upon the solutions put forward by surgeon general of the United States, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Kristof highlights the critical importance of social connection and the cultivation of community. As we describe in this article, a learning community can be an effective means of heightening engagement and sense of belonging in the workplace.