The COVID-19 Pandemic's Influence on Faculty Research at an Aspiring University

• In Event: Faculty Experiences During COVID-19

Abstract

This paper, derived from a more extensive study of faculty experiences at a research-intensive university aspiring to increase its research output further, reports the role of the COVID-19 pandemic on faculty experiences with research within the ongoing institutional change process. In-depth, semi-structured interviews with 16 faculty members, supplemented by institutional documents, were analyzed using grounded theory methods. Results describe how the pandemic hindered faculty’s research productivity (such as disrupted projects and time spent on remote teaching), role of institutional support, and long-term opportunities arising out of the pandemic. This study contributes to understanding institutional change and how crises may alter the course of change and offers implications for higher education leadership regarding faculty development and support, especially at aspiring institutions.

Authors

• Launey Patton Griffith, Texas Woman's University

• Sebnem Cilesiz, University of Louisiana at Lafayette