Designing for Community Care: Reimagining Support for Equity & Well-being in Academia
Journal:
arXiv
Published Date:
Jul 2, 2025
Abstract
Academic well-being is deeply influenced by peer-support networks, yet they
remain informal, inequitable, and unsustainable, often relying on personal
connections and social capital rather than structured, inclusive systems.
Additionally, institutional well-being responses frequently focus on student
populations, neglecting the emotional labour of faculty and staff, reinforcing
an exclusionary academic culture. Drawing on HCI methodologies, participatory
design, and care ethics, this workshop will provide a space for rethinking how
academic communities can support inclusive networks. Through pre-workshop
engagement, co-design activities, and reflection, participants will examine
systemic gaps in networks and explore ways to embed care, equity, and
sustainability into academic peer-support frameworks -- from informal,
exclusionary models to structured, inclusive care-based ecosystems. At the end
of the workshop, participants will co-develop design strategies for integrating
care and resilience in academic ecosystems, resources for designing equitable
support systems, and a peer network invested and committed to fostering a
supportive academic community.
