Helping Students Reclaim Cognitive Resources Lost to Poverty, Racism, and Social Marginalization

Bandwidth Recovery explores how students’ cognitive resources are diminished by persistent economic insecurity, childhood trauma, and marginalization, while offering strategies and interventions to help learners regain the bandwidth they need to succeed in college.

Bandwidth Recovery explores how students’ cognitive resources are diminished by persistent economic insecurity, childhood trauma, and marginalization, while offering strategies and interventions to help learners regain the bandwidth they need to succeed in college.

When college students feel like they don’t belong – or are fearful, uncertain, or otherwise prevented from being their authentic selves – much of the mental bandwidth needed for learning is not available. When they are food insecure, financially unstable, or coping with the effects of childhood trauma, cognitive capacity is likewise diminished. Beginning with analysis of the most up-to-date research on the mental and physical impact of poverty, racism, and other forms of social marginalization, Cia Verschelden presents vetted approaches for promoting a growth mindset and self-efficacy in students. Readers will learn to develop supports that build upon students’ values and prior knowledge with the goal of creating a sense of belonging and community both in and out of the classroom. New to this edition are updated terminology and discussions of neurodiversity, childhood trauma, economic inequality, and the ongoing effects of the COVID pandemic.

This book is intended for all higher education faculty, student affairs professionals, administrators, and scholars interested in creating learning environments where every student has the chance to succeed.