Community of care models involve creating social ecosystems where mutual well-being and support are prioritized through empathy, compassion, and active engagement. Communities of care initiatives are implemented in neighborhoods, businesses, and educational institutions to support the community members' emotional, social, and physical needs. In online higher education, communities of care help create inclusive environments, promoting mental well-being and a sense of belonging among students. The affective filter hypothesis, originally proposed by Krashen to support language learners, emphasizes the role of emotional factors in learning. In recent years, the affective filter has been considered an important component of other learning environments as a way to address anxiety among students and enhance cognitive processing and learning outcomes. By fostering the principles of the affective filter hypothesis including caring communication, personalized support, and access to resources within a community-of-care model, educational institutions can lower barriers to effective learning. While institutions can support these efforts, faculty members play a pivotal role in mitigating the affective filter through respectful relationships, effective communication, and supportive online environments. In this session, a model for integrating the affective filter hypothesis within a community of care framework is presented as a framework for institutions to support faculty in reducing student stress, promoting academic success, and sustaining a supportive educational environment.

Keywords: Community-of-care, affective filter hypothesis, online graduate education.