Chapter 1: A Case Study in Connecting Students and Learning in a Pandemic Era: Enhancing Student Engagement and Persistence

Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) is a comprehensive, interdenominational Christian university which equips students to lead fulfilling lives through learning, leadership, and service. Founded in 1968, the main campus is in West Palm Beach, Florida. The university also offers courses at the off-site location in Orlando as well as online. The university strives to prepare students for lifelong learning and leadership by offering quality undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs of study in arts, humanities, business, sciences, and selected professions (currently offering 55 undergraduate majors). PBA is a private, not for profit, independent university.

The student experience is designed to be transformative and includes enlightening minds through “Wordship,” enriching souls through “Worship,” and extending hands through “Workship.” PBA defines wordship as the cultivated practice of using our (spoken and written) words wisely to edify others, including those with whom we disagree, as a form of worship. Workship is a PBA student community service program which has served more than 350 nonprofit agencies, schools, and churches with over 3.5 million hours.