How to Prevent Faculty Burnout: A Program Director’s Guide to Creating a Healthy Academic Environment

Introduction: What is Faculty Burnout?

Faculty burn out is a growing problem in academic institutions and can have serious consequences for faculty members, their students, and the programs and institutions they serve.  It is a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when faculty members are unable to cope with the demands of their job leading to feelings of exhaustion, disengagement and cynicism.  This can lead to decreased job satisfaction and performance in their academic role and negatively affect both their personal and professional lives.  

Understanding the Causes of Faculty Burnout

To prevent faculty burnout, it is important to understand the causes.  Some leading causes include:

• Excessive teaching credit loads > 15 credits per semester
• Lack of support from colleagues and administrators
• Inadequate resources or rewards for teaching excellence
• Student needs
• Lack of experience in academic role
• Lack of control over work-life balance

The Challenge of the Program Director’s Role in Combating Faculty Burnout

Being a program director is a challenging role, as it requires leadership and time to manage faculty and students, develop curriculum, promote ACOTE standards and quality and maintain student and stakeholder satisfaction.  This role can be especially difficult in times of budget cuts, enrollment pressures, student need and faculty inexperience.  Unfortunately, these challenges can lead to burnout among faculty members who are trying to meet the expectations of the institution, students, and program.  Program directors play an important role in helping to prevent and manage burnout among faculty. They must be aware of the signs of burnout, understand how to support faculty well-being both individually and as a whole and advocate for systematic change as necessary.

Crafting a Culture of Participation, Inclusion and Wellness Can Lead to Teaching Excellence

Creating a culture of engagement, inclusion and support is essential for creating an environment that promotes learning, growth, and a belonging for both faculty and students.  Inherent in this culture are clear policies regarding diversity, inclusion, and fairness between and among faculty and leaders of the institution. By engaging faculty in meaningful conversations, providing them with resources needed to succeed, opportunities for building relationships and collaboration among faculty members in their own and other departments, and professional and personal development, programs can ensure faculty satisfaction.  Encouraging a culture of engagement, support and inclusion leads to teaching excellence for students and decreased burnout and disillusionment for faculty.

A Holistic Approach to Faculty Burnout and Wellness: Helping Faculty Feel Valued and Supported

As program directors, it is important to ensure that faculty members are supported and have the resources they need to maintain a health work life balance.  The traditional approach to faculty stress and burnout has been to focus on individual solutions such as counseling resources and stress management. However, a comprehensive, systematic holistic approach to faculty wellness can provide more effective long-term benefits.  This approach takes into account and supports “what a faculty needs to do, wants to do, and is expected to do” in both their personal and professional lives. Some examples of a holistic approach include:

• Providing a safe, healthy, and supportive work environment
• Encouraging regular breaks
• Establishing clear and consistent communication channels between faculty and supervisors
• Offering flexible working hours
• Equity among teaching loads based on service, research, and promotion requirements
• Encouraging collaboration between faculty members
• Recognizing faculty accomplishments
• Providing mental health resources as necessary
• Developing a realistic ACOTE professional development plan (Form F)
• Access to funding for professional development either online or in-person

References

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