The consequences of burnout in faculty members can be disastrous for institutions of higher education. Study after study has found that burnout has a massive impact on employee satisfaction, motivation, work outcomes, and life satisfaction.
These consequences do not merely impact an employee’s quality of life; often, the employee’s satisfaction flows downstream to the organization as a whole. This can affect profit and business outcomes, but the results are even more dire in higher education. Burnout may affect the bottom line of a for-profit business; in a higher education setting, it could affect the lives of students for decades to come.
While “burnout prevention” has become something of a buzzword in professional settings, most institutions struggle to recognize the signs of burnout within their faculty members and administrators. Too many institutions treat burnout as a problem that can be solved by access to support.
While work-life balance and access to mental health care can mitigate burnout, it is crucial that institutions identify the symptoms of burnout in their faculty members and address them accordingly, for the benefit of both their campus and individual students. Instructional Connections shares a view of what burnout can look like in faculty members and administrators, as well as what can be done to mitigate or even reverse it.
Causes and Symptoms of Faculty Burnout
Many of the symptoms of faculty burnout will be comparable to burnout in any other professional position. Keep an eye out for:
- Increased Sick Time
- Decreased Efficacy
- Worsening Student Outcomes
- Feelings of Cynicism in the Workplace
- Distancing From Professional Responsibilities
However, while it can be helpful to look for the same symptoms of burnout one might expect in any other profession, institutions of higher education would do well to do more than merely graft a list of symptoms onto higher education. The struggles of course instructors might be similar to those of other professions, but they will also be distinctive and caused by specific factors not present in different settings. We encourage colleges and universities to identify some of the more unique causes of burnout on their campuses and address these growing sources of discontent.
Lack of Work-Life Balance
Online education has allowed students and instructors some more flexibility, but it has also eroded the boundaries between work and home. More and more instructors find themselves answering emails, IMs, and queries at all hours of the day, which can lead to a sense of being “always on,” a key leading indicator of burnout risk.
Overly Challenging Student Care
Instructors oftentimes find themselves taking an encouraging and almost mentor-like role in the teacher-student relationship. This can certainly enhance student outcomes, but if the pressures of student care become too great, this dynamic can expedite faculty burnout. Declining student mental health has placed more pressure than ever on instructors, and many report spending more time addressing student emotions and behavior than previously required.
Causes of Administrator Burnout
Many of the same symptoms of burnout can be detected in administrators. However, the following risk factors for burnout are signs of growing burnout risk in administrators. The following phenomena all put administrators under stress, stress that can increase their risk of burnout and threaten their effectiveness in the workplace.
Job Creep
Departures, unfilled positions, and impromptu initiatives can all fall on the shoulders of administrators. Busy administrators now find themselves fulfilling multiple duties, often to the detriment of the campus. This can impact faculty members, but the risks are more acute for administrators. For a short period, additional roles and responsibilities may be no more than a temporary challenge. However, if temporary support systems become permanent, the risk of burnout can rise tremendously.
A Challenging Time Period
Declining student enrollment, heightened scrutiny from alumni of charitable giving, and a complex international student situation all make 2025 a challenging year for higher education. These stressors might reach faculty members, but they have an even greater impact on administrators. Your administrators may find themselves struggling to secure funding and donations, investing time in programs for campus enrichment and community engagement, and striving to avoid unwanted media attention in today’s divisive political environment. The never-ending cacophonies of threats can increase feelings of hopelessness, a key risk factor of burnout.
Call Instructional Connections
The higher education landscape will likely remain a challenging one for the near future, as policies, enrollment, and classroom technology continue to fluctuate. To mitigate the risk of faculty burnout and enhance your student outcomes, turn to Instructional Connections! Our Academic Coach model has been proven to enhance student and faculty satisfaction, as well as improve student outcomes.
Our experienced Academic Coaches work alongside your instructor and support them in tandem to help facilitate learning. Everything, from routine correspondence to class announcements and grading, could be handled by the Academic Coach, allowing the instructor to focus on other pursuits. If you’re interested in learning more about the Academic Coach model and how it can reduce faculty burnout, call Instructional Connections today!