Burnout Among Adjunct Faculty: A Quantitative Study

Adjunct faculty, who are employed on a contractual, as-needed basis, comprise nearly 70% of the higher education workforce in the United States. Despite their essential role, they often face challenges that may impact their well-being and organizational commitment. This quantitative, non-experimental study examined the relationships between workload, course format, compensation, institutional support, and burnout among adjunct faculty. Data was collected from 85 adjunct faculty members across the United States using an online survey. Guided by the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Theory and Social Exchange Theory (SET), multiple regression analyses were conducted to explore the predictive effects of workload, compensation, and institutional support on burnout. Additionally, an independent samples t-test was conducted to compare burnout levels between online and residential adjunct faculty. None of the analyses yielded statistically significant results. However, the findings offer valuable insights that can inform institutional leaders and policymakers in developing strategies to better support adjunct faculty in higher education.