Policy Change, Not Personal Care: Institutional Transformation to Support Faculty Wellbeing

• In Event: 50220 - Section on Organizations, Occupations, and Work Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 13: Health and Wellbeing

Abstract

This paper reviews quantitative and qualitative data collected in an ongoing study of faculty belonging and wellbeing at a regional comprehensive public university in the western United States. Following the general trend among academics in the U.S., initial survey results indicated that nearly 60 percent of respondents reported feeling regularly emotionally exhausted in their work. However, the reasons for emotional exhaustion were not clear, especially since the vast majority of faculty completing the survey agreed that working with students was the best part of their job. Thus, the narrative common in the public discourse that students are a main source of burnout for faculty was not supported. Further qualitative research suggests that faculty members are experiencing emotional exhaustion and burnout because of specific institutional level problems, including understaffing, employee turnover, and lack of resources for everything from building maintenance to custodial services, to research support. In addition, inequality of workload among faculty emerged as a theme in focus groups and interviews. Participants expressed frustration at individually focused suggestions for solutions, such as making time for “self-care” and encouraging more “work-life balance.” Though structural supports to combat faculty burnout have received much lip service since the COVID-19 pandemic, there is little in the literature documenting the efforts of colleges and universities to make such changes to support faculty. This paper outlines the changes the university has made, following recommendations by the research team, to better support faculty wellbeing. These include workload audits, the development of a workload equity task force, additional course releases for significant service or research responsibilities, and revisions to the tenure and promotion process. The effects of these institutional changes will be measured as the project continues.

Author

• Joy Crissey Honea, Montana State University-Billings