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Vitality in the Academic Workplace: Sustaining Professional Growth for Mid-Career Faculty

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Abstract

This study seeks to identify dimensions of the academic work environment that affect mid-career faculty vitality. Previous research suggests that mid-career faculty may struggle to maintain their vitality, as they are susceptible to high levels of burnout and extensive workload demands. We distributed an online survey to a random sample of 300 tenured faculty who were employed at three public comprehensive universities. Mid-career faculty (N=30) with the highest scores on a vitality survey measure were invited to participate in individual interviews. Study findings highlight the importance of creating vitality-enhancing work environments for mid-career faculty. In addition to identifying collegiality as a contributor to mid-career vitality, the study findings reveal specific sources of vitality-enhancing collegiality, including informal relationships in academic departments, participation in faculty development programs, and support and messaging from top-level academic leaders. Additionally, this study found that public comprehensive university missions served as a compelling basis for establishing collegial relationships and sustaining faculty vitality.

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Inductive coding using NVIVO 8 software as described in manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Nursing, Salem State University, Salem, MA, 01970, USA

    Anne M. DeFelippo

  2. Department of Leadership in Education, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, 02125, USA

    Jay R. Dee

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  1. Anne M. DeFelippo
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Correspondence to Jay R. Dee.

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Approved by authors’ institutional review boards and by institutional review boards at the three higher education institutions participating in the study.

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None. Neither author was employed by any of the institutions participating in the study.

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DeFelippo, A.M., Dee, J.R. Vitality in the Academic Workplace: Sustaining Professional Growth for Mid-Career Faculty. Innov High Educ 47, 565–585 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-021-09589-z

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