The Unraveling of a Dream: Grieving the Loss of an Institution as a Former Student Turned Faculty

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Author(s): Heather Fronckowiak (The State University of New York at Plattsburgh, USA)
Copyright: 2026
Pages: 22
Source title: Narratives of Upheaval in Higher Education
Source Author(s)/Editor(s): Denise Simard (The State University of New York at Plattsburgh, USA)and Janet Acker (The State University of New York at Plattsburgh, USA)
DOI: 10.4018/979-8-3373-2063-2.ch005

Keywords: Educational Leadership & Administration / Higher Education / Information Science Reference / Knowledge Management and Library Science

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Abstract

This chapter explores the personal and professional grief experienced by a social worker who witnessed the closure of their alma mater where they later served as a faculty member. Written from a reflective yet research-informed perspective, the chapter examines the emotional complexities of institutional loss through the dual lens of student and educator. Drawing on theories of grief, loss, and professional identity, the author highlights the roles of anticipatory grief, as faculty and students grappled with the looming end of the institution, and collective grief, as a community mourned the shared loss of identity, history, and purpose. Through narrative inquiry, the chapter situates the experience within the broader context of higher education instability and explores how institutional closure disrupts one's sense of belonging and professional direction. Ultimately, it offers pathways for meaning-making, legacy-building, and healing amid profound transition.

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The Unraveling of a Dream: Grieving the Loss of an Institution as a Former Student Turned Faculty

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