Navigating Through The Changes In Higher Education And Balancing Faculty Workload: An Action Research Study

The ongoing changes in higher education, especially over the past 5 years from 2019 to 2024, have increased tasks to the already high-demand workloads of full-time faculty. The workload demands that full-time faculty are experiencing are challenging to sustain, disengage them from their work-related roles, and increase their risk for high burnout levels. This action research study examined how resources identified from the Job Demands and Resources Theory (JD-R) could buffer the effects of full-time faculty workload while navigating the changes in higher education over the past 5 years. The participants for this study were full-time tenure-eligible/tenured faculty members. The action research intervention included three phases: participants taking the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) survey, attending a Resources Team (RT) meeting and incorporating new job resources for 6 weeks, and participating in a virtual semi-structured interview. Data collection included new job resources RT members found to buffer workload, how they perceived that their work-related roles changed over the 5 years, and their recommendations for navigating the changes in higher education. The OLBI survey data was analyzed using an independent t–test. The qualitative data sources were transcribed and coded using multiple coding processes. The study found that faculty’s high workload and pressure represent job demands that support the high level of burnout found in the OLBI results. During the 6 weeks, RT members used job resources autonomy to focus on one work role, created opportunities for more collaborative work, and provided social support, providing motivation and productivity during stressful times.