Sarah Hubbard

In our last piece, we argued that compassion is a strategic ethic and a way of shaping systems, relationships, and institutional life so that colleagues and students can think, feel, work and learn sustainably. Curiosity is compassion’s natural companion. If compassion creates the conditions in which transformation becomes possible, curiosity is the practice that activates those conditions. Together, they help us move beyond technical fixes towards cultural shifts that endure.

San Mateo County is at a pivotal crossroads. As local leaders explore ways to address our region’s staggering child care crisis, several funding mechanisms are under consideration. Most notably, the county is currently commissioning a poll (conducted by McGuire Research) to gauge resident support for a half-cent sales tax that could generate $114 million annually to lower costs for families and expand the child care workforce. This proposal has sparked a healthy and necessary debate.

In UK higher education, compassion is often treated as an optional extra, something to be considered once the metrics are met, the audits are done, and the strategies are signed off. This framing misses the point. Compassion is not a soft skill or a luxury. It is not something we add in once the “real work” is done. It is a strategic ethic and a way of designing systems, relationships, and institutions that enable people to thrive.