Prioritizing Faculty Well-Being During Politicized Times

Objective: The objective of this study is to assess human capital management (HCM) practices and faculty well-being at Jose Rizal Memorial State University-Dipolog Campus, with the aim of understanding the relationship between HCM practices and faculty well-being within the context of SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. Theoretical Framework: The study is grounded in human capital theory, which emphasizes the value of employees as key resources for organizational success. It draws on concepts of employee engagement, leadership practices, and organizational justice to explore how HCM practices impact faculty well-being across various dimensions, including social, mental, financial, physical, and career well-being. Method: The research employed a survey method, with 67 faculty members participating. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire designed to measure the dimensions of HCM practices and faculty well-being. The responses were analyzed to identify the strength of the relationship between HCM practices and faculty well-being. Results and Discussion: The study revealed that all dimensions of HCM practices—leadership, employee engagement, knowledge accessibility, workforce optimization, and learning capacity—were moderately practiced. Faculty members reported high levels of social and mental health well-being but moderate levels in financial, physical, and career well-being. A strong positive relationship was found between HCM practices and faculty well-being, suggesting that optimizing HCM practices can enhance faculty well-being. Research Implications: The results underscore the importance of optimizing HCM practices to enhance faculty well-being, which in turn can improve the overall performance of the institution. Administrators are encouraged to focus on maximizing internal resources, fostering employee involvement, and enhancing organizational justice to support faculty well-being and contribute to institutional success. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by highlighting the impact of HCM practices on faculty well-being in a Philippine higher education context. It provides practical insights into how universities can integrate human capital practices to improve both employee well-being and organizational outcomes, aligned with the principles of SDG 8.

Increased pressure for clinical and research productivity and decreased control over the work environment have been reported to have adverse impacts on academic faculty in limited studies. The authors examined whether work-related stressors in academic medicine negatively affected the physical and mental health, as well as life and job satisfaction, of academic medical school faculty. A 136-item self-administered anonymous questionnaire modified from a small 1984 study was distributed to 3,519 academic faculty at four U.S. medical schools following institutional review board approval at each school. Validated scales measuring depression, anxiety, work strain, and job and life satisfaction; a checklist of common physical and mental health symptoms; and questions about the impact of institutional financial stability, colleague attrition, and other work-related perceptions were used. Responses were analyzed by sex, academic rank, age, marital status, faculty discipline, and medical school. Responses were received from 1,951 full-time academic physicians and basic science faculty, a 54.3% response rate. Twenty percent of faculty, almost equal by sex, had significant levels of depressive symptoms, with higher levels in younger faculty. Perception of financial instability was associated with greater levels of work strain, depression, and anxiety. Significant numbers of faculty acknowledged that work-related strain negatively affected their mental health and job satisfaction, but not life satisfaction or physical health. Specialties were differentially affected. High levels of depression, anxiety, and job dissatisfaction-especially in younger faculty-raise concerns about the well-being of academic faculty and its impact on trainees and patient care. Increased awareness of these stressors should guide faculty support and development programs to ensure productive, stable faculty.

PurposeThe purpose of this review article is to examine the well-being of faculty in higher education. Success in academia depends on productivity in research, teaching, and service to the university, and the workload model that excludes attention to the welfare of faculty members themselves contributes to stress and burnout. Importantly, student success and well-being is influenced largely by their faculty members, whose ability to inspire and lead depends on their own well-being. This review article underscores the importance of attending to the well-being of the people behind the productivity in higher education.MethodThis study is a narrative review of the literature about faculty well-being in higher education. The history of well-being in the workplace and academia, concepts of stress and well-being in higher education faculty, and evidence-based strategies to promote and cultivate faculty well-being were explored in the literature using electronic sources.ConclusionsFaculty feel overburdened and pressured to work constantly to meet the demands of academia, and they strive for work–life balance. Faculty report stress and burnout related to excessively high expectations, financial pressures to obtain research funding, limited time to manage their workload, and a belief that individual progress is never sufficient. Faculty well-being is important for the individual and in support of scholarship and student outcomes. This article concludes with strategies to improve faculty well-being that incorporate an intentional focus on faculty members themselves, prioritize a community of well-being, and implement continuous high-quality professional learning.

BackgroundMedical school faculty play a crucial role in education, research, and clinical care. However, they encounter increasing challenges such as excessive workloads, growing administrative responsibilities, and insufficient institutional support. These stressors intensify the risk of burnout and negatively affect their overall well-being. Despite the increased awareness of faculty well-being, interventions addressing the needs of medical school faculty remain fragmented. This scoping review aims to systematically map the existing interventions that support the faculty’s well-being.MethodsA systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted up to November 2025. Studies were included if they reported faculty-focused well-being interventions with quantitative pre–post outcomes using psychological measures. Data extraction and analysis were conducted in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, and interventions were thematically categorized by implementation focus.ResultsWe screened 8135 abstracts, reviewed 429 full-text reports, and included 13 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Interventions were classified into four categories: (1) individual level (e.g., mindfulness training, digital gratitude exercises), (2) peer/group based (e.g., mentoring, reflection groups), (3) organizational level (e.g., leadership programs, schedule changes), and (4) multimodal strategies that integrate individual and institutional components. Numerous studies have indicated decreases in burnout and stress, as well as improvement in well-being. However, significant variation in study design, outcome measures, and duration limited the study’s comparability.ConclusionsInterventions to support faculty well-being in medical schools are diverse and generally beneficial. The multilevel and organizational-level approaches show the strongest potential. Medical schools need to emphasize multilevel organizational reforms—concentrating on workload, recognition, and leadership accountability—while integrating individual-level supports to foster sustainable improvements in faculty well-being. Future studies should adopt standardized outcome measures and longitudinal designs to better evaluate sustainability and impact. This scoping review evaluates existing evidence on intervention strategies designed to improve faculty well-being in medical schools while identifying significant research gaps and future directions. Although this study focused on medical school faculty, it may also provide insights relevant to broader well-being initiatives within health professions education.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-025-08463-2.

Research evidence suggests that faculty members’ well-being is a serious concern in academia. However, little is known about the academic job demands and resources, which are specific to the professional context and faculty work, that influence faculty well-being. Moreover, the psychological processes how job characteristics lead to well-being outcomes among faculty are to date underexamined. We addressed these gaps and investigated the mediating impact of frustration of basic psychological needs on the relationship between academic job factors and faculty well-being. Survey data were collected from 592 faculties employed in 13 Canadian research-intensive universities. The questionnaire measured faculty perceptions of a) pressure and support in relation to academic tasks b) work-home conflict, c) workplace frustration of psychological needs, and d) varied well-being outcomes (engagement, commitment, burnout, and health). Structural equation modeling showed that work-home conflict and low academic resources positively predicted burnout and health problems but negatively predicted engagement. Work-home conflict, academic pressure, and insufficient support predicted greater basic need frustration that in turn negatively influenced faculty well-being. Findings highlight the need for future research to better identify aspects of academic work that obstruct or sustain faculty basic needs in order to provide need supportive academic culture that bolsters faculty well-being.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe current challenges faced by women and underrepresented minority faculty members, the benefits of mentoring programs, conceptual frameworks that highlight a wellness model and mentoring relationships and the findings from a mixed methods evaluation of a formal mentoring program (EMPOWER) that highlights the indirect benefits of such a program and the impact on faculty well-being.Design/methodology/approachThis study was based on grounded theory, in which analysis was ongoing as data were collected and a variety of methods were used to building understanding. Measures included a survey and semi-structured interviews and focus groups. The thematic analysis of qualitative data was conducted utilizing the constant comparative method. Descriptive statistics were calculated for quantitative data.FindingsFindings focus on the indirect benefits of EMPOWER including creation of a safe space, continued relationships between mentees and mentors, networking benefits, acculturation to the campus and a better understanding of organizational politics and how these can positively impact faculty well-being.Originality/valueThe benefits of this formal mentoring program, and the impact on faculty well-being, are important to acknowledge, understand and share with the broader research community and other institutions of higher education.

Assessing Workplace Factors That Influence Burnout and Identifying Recommendations to Support Well-being in Pharmacy Faculty

Recent research has examined the well-being of higher education faculty, but it has typically lacked a theoretical model. The present study used self-determination theory to model the well-being of 581 tenured and tenure-eligible faculty members at a large mid-Western university. Volitional autonomy, perceived competence, and perceived relatedness were hypothesized to partially mediate the relationships between several environmental factors (e.g., administrative support, research support, promotion and tenure support) and faculty well-being (i.e., teaching/service satisfaction and global satisfaction). Results of path analysis indicated that all relations between the environment and teaching/service satisfaction were fully mediated by volitional autonomy and perceived competence, whereas all relations between the environment and global satisfaction were partially mediated by perceived relatedness. These findings highlight the centrality of psychological needs in understanding the relations between the environment and faculty well-being. Additional implications and future directions for research are discussed.

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between sustained general well-being and quality education experienced by faculty members in private universities. Particularly, how do managerial practices, such as faculty compensation, job security, job autonomy and faculty promotion opportunity, affect quality education mediated by faculty well-being? To answer this question, a theoretical framework using the effort–reward imbalance (ERI) model as its basis was established. Using measurement scales, a survey instrument was developed to test the various relationships implied by the ERI model. Data (n = 515) were collected from faculty members of private universities in Bangladesh in 2019. Structural equation modelling was followed to analyse the data. The findings of the study indicate that faculty well-being has a significant direct and mediating role to influence quality education in private universities in Bangladesh. Keywords: Compensation, faculty well-being, job autonomy, promotion opportunity, quality education.

Introduction The rapid integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek is transforming higher education, yet limited attention has been paid to their effects on faculty well-being. This study addresses this gap by examining how technology acceptance and emotional factors shape university teachers’ adoption of DeepSeek and its subsequent impact on stress, happiness, and energy. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 711 faculty members from Chinese universities between January and February 2025. Data were analyzed using covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to capture both linear and configurational relationships among variables. Results Findings show that perceived usefulness, ease of use, and enjoyment significantly predict DeepSeek adoption. Adoption, in turn, is associated with increased happiness and reduced stress but shows no significant effect on faculty energy. The combination of TAM and fsQCA approaches revealed multiple sufficient pathways leading to positive well-being outcomes, emphasizing the importance of usability and hedonic motivation. Discussion The study extends the Technology Acceptance Model by incorporating emotional and contextual drivers of adoption. It suggests that universities should strengthen training, usability design, and workload management policies to balance innovation with faculty well-being.

The rapid shift to online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges for physical therapy (PT) education worldwide. This article aims to explore the factors influencing the well-being of the PT faculty and department chairs involved in delivering PT programs during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The literature has focused on the pedagogical impacts of the rapid shift to online learning. Little is known about the social and psychological impacts of this rapid transition on the well-being of the faculty involved in implementing PT programs. Physical therapy faculty and department chairs at 3 universities in metropolitan Sydney, Australia who taught into or led PT programs in 2020. Focus group methodology was used to explore the experiences of PT faculty and department chairs during the initial stages of the COVID pandemic. The focus groups were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim and the transcripts analyzed thematically. The main finding of this study was the extent of stress experienced by PT program faculty and chairs during this period. Both work-related institutional and faculty factors and non-work-related personal factors contributed to perceived high levels of stress. Overall, there was a feeling that the stressors had not improved over the duration of the pandemic and that this had left the faculty and chairs feeling more fatigued, less collegiate, and may have ongoing impacts on their mental health. The pandemic created stresses for faculty and program chairs over and above the usual stress of faculty and college work. The reality of taking steps to reduce the stressors in the current climate is very difficult. Moving forward, it is vital to secure increased institutional support, including the support for creating realistic boundaries without the risk of penalty, to address the psychological health and well-being of PT faculty and chairs to enable high-quality education in the future.

The aim of this chapter is to interrogate issues of mental health and well-being of female students and faculty after the devastating effects of COVID-19 pandemic. The chapter further explores strategies that can be used to enhance the mental health and well-being of female students and faculty in order to enhance their optimal functioning. There has been growing global interest in mental health, with increasing concern over mental health difficulties among female students and faculty in colleges and universities. Academic pressure, social isolation, disruption in education, demands posed by online learning and other uncertainties acted as challenges that impacted students' mental health. Female students and faculty may experience heightened psychological distress resulting in PTSD, anxiety, and depression due to poor mental health and wellbeing. To have quality mental health and well-being, female students and lecturers should take steps to protect and support their mental health throughout life.

Faculty wellbeing impacts student learning and is a priority among medical schools, especially as a counterbalance to growing burnout. Previous researchers found differences in burnout by sex and race among clinicians, but not for faculty with disabilities. Accordingly, the purpose was to test the association between faculty's wellbeing, burnout, and control over workload and investigate differences in wellbeing attributed to department type and ability status. The authors developed and administered a comprehensive wellbeing survey to University of Minnesota Medical School faculty, of whom 703 provided complete responses. The authors conducted two-way ANOVA followed by a post hoc analysis to test for differences in faculty wellbeing domains due to department type (basic sciences, nonsurgical, surgical, and two large departments of Medicine and Pediatrics) and disability status (yes, no). The authors also fitted a two-way ordinal model since burnout frequency and control over workload were assessed by one ordinal item each. Wellbeing domains were positively correlated with control over workload but negatively associated with burnout. Faculty with disabilities reported less support from their work environment and meeting of their basic needs. Department type had a statistically significant impact on faculty's sense of basic needs, respect, and contribution. Multiple comparisons revealed faculty in basic sciences departments had higher scores within basic needs compared to the departments of Medicine, Pediatrics, and surgical departments, who reported lower levels of respect as well. Results revealed department type and disability status affected the frequency of burnout, as faculty in basic sciences departments reported lower levels of burnout compared to other departments. Results support disaggregating wellbeing by department and ability status for targeted interventions due to differences- notably among faculty with disabilities and surgical departments- in their assessment of basic needs, work environment, respect, and contribution. Results suggest revisiting interventions in these domains to account for lower reported wellbeing.

The effects of changing academic environments on faculty well-being have attracted considerable research attention. However, few studies have examined the multifaceted relationships between the academic work environment and the multiple dimensions of faculty well-being using a comprehensive theoretical framework. To address this gap, this study implemented the Job Demands-Resources (JDR) model to investigate how job demands/resources in the academic environment interact with multiple dimensions of faculty well-being. The study participants were 1389 full-time faculty members employed in public universities in the Czech Republic. The participants completed a questionnaire assessing perceived job resources (influence over work, support from supervisor and colleagues), job demands (quantitative demands, work-family conflicts and job insecurity) and three dimensions of faculty well-being (job satisfaction, stress and work engagement). A structural equation model was used to test the effects of “dual processes” hypothesized by the JDR theory, i.e., the existence of two relatively independent paths between job demands/resources and positive/negative aspects of faculty well-being. The model showed a very good fit to our data and explained 60% of the variance in faculty job satisfaction, 46%, in stress and 20% in work engagement. The results provide evidence for the dual processes, including the “motivational process” (i.e., job resources were related predominantly to work engagement and job satisfaction) and the “health impairment process” (i.e., job demands were predominantly associated with stress, mostly through work-family conflict). The study expands current research on faculty well-being by demonstrating the complex, non-linear relationships between academic work environments and different dimensions of faculty well-being.

A few small steps or giant leap? De-densify the curriculum in one move