Faculty Retention Research Articles

Looking Back, Looking Forward

The purpose of the study was to understand faculty career values and how faculty values and priorities were affected by COVID-19. Using a mixed-method design, this study found there were differences among the relative value faculty placed on research, teaching, and service, and these differences were consistent with expectations for faculty employed in various tenure and non-tenure line positions. In some instances, faculty values remained the same. In others, the faculty statements indicated changed values in the domains of faculty self-direction and sense of security, the former associated with work-life balance and burnout and the latter with salary and retirement concerns. This study provided insight into faculty values and priorities and how those values and priorities may have changed because of the pandemic. These understandings of faculty values and experiences have implications for faculty recruitment, retention, and development.

Intersectionality and COVID-19: Academic Medicine Faculty's Lived Experiences of Well-Being, Workload, and Productivity During the Pandemic.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to utilize an intersectional framework to examine academic faculty's lived experiences during COVID-19. Specifically, we set out to: (1) describe the multiple intersectional identities (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, rank, caregiver status, disability status) represented by the faculty, (2) examine potential disparities in well-being, workload, and productivity linked to these intersectional factors, and (3) identify qualitative themes endorsed by faculty as they relate to lived experiences during COVID-19. Methods: This was a cross-sectional mixed-methods research study. The Center for Women in Medicine and Science (CWIMS) at the University of Minnesota developed and implemented a survey between February-June of 2021 in response to national reports of disparities in the impacts of COVID-19 on faculty with lived experiences from multiple intersections. Results: There were 291 full-time faculty who participated in the study. Quantitative findings indicated that faculty with multiple intersectional identities (e.g., woman+assistant professor+caregiver+underrepresented in medicine) reported greater depression symptoms, work/family conflict, and stress in contrast to faculty with fewer intersectional identities. Furthermore, faculty with more intersectional identities reported higher clinical workloads and service responsibilities and lower productivity with regard to research article submissions, publications, and grant submissions in contrast to faculty with fewer intersectional identities. Qualitative findings supported quantitative findings and broadened understanding of potential underlying reasons. Conclusions: Findings confirm anecdotal evidence that faculty with lived experiences from multiple intersections may be disproportionately experiencing negative outcomes from the pandemic. These findings can inform decisions about how to address these disparities moving into the next several years with regard to promotion and tenure, burnout and well-being, and faculty retention in academic medical settings. Given these findings, it is also important to intentionally plan responses for future public health crises to prevent continued disparities for faculty with multiple intersectional identities.

Pediatric Faculty Engagement and Associated Areas of Worklife After a COVID19 Surge.

Healthcare organizations strive to increase physician engagement and decrease attrition. However, little is known about which specific worklife areas may be targeted to improve physician engagement or retention, especially after stressful events such as a COVID19 surge. Our objective was to identify demographic characteristics and worklife areas most associated with increased physician engagement and decreased intent to leave in pediatric faculty. In September 2020, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of faculty at an academic, tertiary-care children's hospital. A convenience and voluntary sampling approach was used. The survey included demographics, Maslach Burnout Index-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) and the Areas of Worklife Survey (AWS). The MBI-HSS was used to measure faculty engagement. The AWS measures satisfaction with six worklife areas (workload, control, reward, fairness, community, values). We used bivariate analyses to examine relationships between worklife areas and engagement and between worklife areas and intent to leave. We included multivariate logistic regression models to examine worklife areas most associated with increased work engagement and decreased intent to leave. Our response rate was 41% (113/274 participants). In bivariate analysis, engaged faculty reported higher satisfaction in all worklife areas. In multivariate analyses, positive perceptions of workload (odds ratio (OR) 2.83; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.2-6.9), control (OR, 3.24; 95% CI 1.4-7.3), and community (OR, 6.07; 95% CI 1.9-18.7) were associated with engagement. Positive perceptions of values (OR, 0.07; 95% CI 0.02-0.32) and community (OR, 0.19; 95% CI 0.05-0.78) were negatively associated with intent to leave. We found that positive perceptions of workload, control, and community were most associated with engagement. Alignment of values and increased sense of community were associated with decreased intent to leave. Our findings suggest specific worklife areas may be targeted to increase faculty engagement and retention.

A59Midlands Simulation and Immersive Learning Census 2023: A Cross-sectional study to inform regional TEL strategy

National Health Service England (NHSE) is committed to providing the highest quality, evidence-based and sustainable Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) to the workforce of tomorrow [1]. Over the past 20 years, simulation-based education (SBE) facilities have developed across many NHS trusts, universities, and training programmes using different models of delivery and funding to match their local needs. More recently, technological advances and a pandemic-driven need for remote and supplementary training experiences has expanded the remit of TEL. Our objective was to complete a wide-ranging census to map simulation and immersive learning (SimImm) resources across an entire NHSE region and how these are delivered. Most importantly, we aim to gather stakeholder opinions on the perceived challenges faced by the SimImm community in the coming 3-5 years. In December 2022, we launched a multi-phased regional online survey of SimImm providers. Phase one distribution included members of the two regional simulation networks. Phase two was distributed to simulation leads for postgraduate schools, training programmes and higher education institutions. Throughout, other stakeholders in the SimImm community had the opportunity to complete the ‘future challenges’ section only. 35 organizations had completed the full census, with a further 47 stakeholders completing the ‘future challenges’ section. Of the full census, 14 were secondary care simulation centres, 18 training programmes and 3 universities. The most common resources used were High-fidelity simulation ( Thematic analysis of the ‘future challenges’ section, revealed 5 primary areas of perceived challenges: Faculty development, maintenance, and retention; resources funding; collaborative working; strategy and equitable opportunities and adoption of new technology. Provisional results already demonstrate a huge variety of resources which are distributed widely across the region. Many of these are not necessarily in contact with regional simulation networks, particularly individual training programmes. The stakeholder opinions collated through this exercise will form the bedrock on which regional SimImm strategy and decision-making can be based. Authors confirm that all relevant ethical standards for research conduct and dissemination have been met. The submitting author confirms that relevant ethical approval was granted, if applicable.

The urgency of restructuring the landscape of behavioral medicine: Commentary from early-career diversity institute scholars.

Structural and systemic barriers entrenched in academia have sustained for decades, and resulted in a lack of diversity in leadership positions, inequitable workloads for women and underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, and increasing issues with retention of faculty, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. Increasing opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in higher education via legislation, policies, and general anti-DEI sentiment contextualizes the importance of prioritizing DEI. The goal of this commentary is to open discussion among academic institutions regarding changes in DEI culture that will facilitate the growth of diverse early-career faculty (ECF). We use an adapted framework which incorporates DEI into a faculty competency model to (i) guide our discussion of the rationale for restructuring academic systems to promote DEI and (ii) recommend strategies for institutional progress for ECF that can translate across academic institutions. Implementing policies and practices that seek to recruit, retain, and support historically underrepresented ECF are needed, and may involve faculty mentorship programs, establishing equitable funding mechanisms, reforming faculty evaluation practices, and examining and correcting inequities in faculty workloads. The onus is on institutions to recognize and replace the exclusionary practices and biases that have existed within their walls, and continuously promote and monitor their DEI efforts and initiatives to ensure their efficacy. Inclusive academic cultures that demonstrate their value of diversity and commitment to equity promotion at all levels of the organization, including among ECF, are necessary for ensuring excellence in scholarship in academia.

Gender and retention patterns among U.S. faculty.

Women remain underrepresented among faculty in nearly all academic fields. Using a census of 245,270 tenure-track and tenured professors at United States-based PhD-granting departments, we show that women leave academia overall at higher rates than men at every career age, in large part because of strongly gendered attrition at lower-prestige institutions, in non-STEM fields, and among tenured faculty. A large-scale survey of the same faculty indicates that the reasons faculty leave are gendered, even for institutions, fields, and career ages in which retention rates are not. Women are more likely than men to feel pushed from their jobs and less likely to feel pulled toward better opportunities, and women leave or consider leaving because of workplace climate more often than work-life balance. These results quantify the systemic nature of gendered faculty retention; contextualize its relationship with career age, institutional prestige, and field; and highlight the importance of understanding the gendered reasons for attrition rather than focusing on rates alone.

Assessing Faculty Job Satisfaction and Retention in Private Colleges

This study aims to elucidate the impact of job satisfaction on faculty retention, which refers to private colleges capacity to retain its employees, particularly those who possess exceptional talent. Organizations implement a range of retention activities with the aim of retaining their staff. Retention activities can be characterized as a collection of efforts that are intended to enhance the level of organizational commitment among faculty staff, providing them with a wide range of ambitious possibilities to excel and develop. The maintenance of faculty retention is crucial for the ongoing viability of college operations and has the potential to serve as a significant competitive advantage for an organization over an extended period of time. The growth of the higher education system is being threatened by faculty unhappiness and a decline in the number of qualified individuals opting for a career in academia. Within the dynamic realm of higher education, the issue of faculty job satisfaction and retention in private colleges has gained significant relevance. It is crucial for educational institutions to not only attract highly skilled instructors but also retain them in order to maintain a consistent level of academic excellence and foster institutional growth. The primary objective of this research endeavor was to investigate the many aspects of faculty job satisfaction and retention inside private institutions. Additionally, the study sought to uncover potential relationships among these dimensions. The reported findings offer valuable insights into key facets of faculty life within these institutions, offering potential guidance for the development of policies and procedures aimed at improving both teacher satisfaction and long-term dedication. This study article aims to examine the correlation between faculty job satisfaction and retention in private colleges located in Pune, Maharashtra.

Rethinking student evaluation of teaching: A policy analysis

Institutions of higher education with tenure and promotion policies that rely heavily on student evaluations of teaching may create academic progression barriers for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) faculty. The purpose of this policy analysis is to explore how current practice of utilizing Student Evaluation of Teaching (SETs) as the major source to evaluate teaching effectiveness, impacts tenure for BIPOC faculty, using Bardach and Patashnik's (2019) eight steps of policy analysis. Context provided includes cultural history, policy and evidence regarding the use of SETs. Evaluation criteria focuses on two national nursing reports and nursing accreditation standards, along with utilization of the 2020 Teaching Quality Framework for Evaluation of Teaching. The status quo utilizes SETs as the major evaluation tool for overall teaching effectiveness. SETs are shown to produce an unacceptably high error rate and fail to identify the best teachers. Teaching evaluations that utilize both formative and summative methods provide a global, less biased view of instructional pedagogy. Making a change in the way teaching is evaluated is a critical component in the retention of BIPOC Faculty and their ability to attain tenure.

Exploring the viewpoint of faculty members of medical sciences universities about effective factors on their organizational retention: a qualitative study

Background and aimFaculty retention in medical sciences universities is one of the most important values for the survival of the educational system. This study aimed to explore the viewpoint of faculty members of medical sciences universities in Iran about effective factors affecting their organizational retention.MethodsQualitative study using deep interviews collected by maximum variation sampling. A purposively selected sample of 15 faculty members was recruited throughout two Iranian medical sciences universities (Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Kerman University of Medical Sciences) during 2021-22.ResultsQualitative data analysis provided 3 main categories and 10 sub-categories. Three main categories were identified that affected the faculty’s organizational retention included individual factors, institutional factors, and socio-political factors.ConclusionFactors that contribute to the improvement of faculty retention encompass various aspects. These include consideration given to the personal and social requirements of faculty members, support provided by the organization along with effective resource management, a fair and transparent organizational structure, and the maintenance of political stability both within the university and the nation.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Pediatric Pulmonary Workforce: An Official American Thoracic Society Workshop Report.

Despite growing recognition of the need for increased diversity among students, trainees, and faculty in health care, the medical workforce still lacks adequate representation from groups historically underrepresented in medicine (URiM). The subspecialty field of pediatric pulmonology is no exception. Although there have been efforts to address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in our own field, gaps persist. To address these gaps, the members of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Group (DEI-AG) of the American Thoracic Society Pediatrics Assembly created and distributed a Needs Assessment Survey in the United States and Canada to better understand the racial and ethnic demographics of the pediatric pulmonary workforce and to learn more about successes, gaps, and opportunities to enhance how we recruit, train, and retain a diverse workforce. The DEI-AG leadership cochairs convened a workshop to review the findings of the DEI Needs Assessment Survey and to develop strategies to improve the recruitment and retention of URiM fellows and faculty. This Official ATS Workshop Report aims to identify barriers and opportunities for recruitment, training, and career development within the field of pediatric pulmonology. Additionally, we offer useful strategies and resources to improve the recruitment of URiM residents, the mentorship of trainees and junior faculty, and the career development of URiM faculty in academic centers. This Workshop Report is an important first deliverable by the DEI-AG. We hope that this work, originating from within the Pediatrics Assembly, will serve as a model for other Assemblies, disciplines across the ATS, and other fields in Pediatrics.

Exploring dental faculty perceptions of current strategies and barriers to retention.

The aims of the study were to identify perceived strategies for and barriers to faculty retention and examine differences regarding age, gender, and race. Cross-sectional data was captured from the eight author-affiliated dental schools. A Qualtrics survey was emailed to all faculty members at these institutions (1467 possible participants) between November 2021 and February 2022. The survey was formulated from best practices listed in the American Dental Education Association Faculty Diversity Toolkit. It consisted of 18 questions, including demographic information and faculty perceptions of their respective workplaces. These responses were then evaluated with descriptive statistics, Chi-squared analysis, Pearson Correlation, and Fleiss' kappa. The survey's response rate was 19.2%. There was no significant difference in perceived retention strategies across race, age, gender, practice tenure, practice type, or clinical versus tenure track. The top four barriers identified were inadequate financial compensation, workload, poor work environment, and burnout. There was a significant difference between racial groups and their perceived barrier of support for promotion (p=0.048). This was more prevalent among clinical faculty (47.7%) than tenure track faculty (16.2%). The work environment was listed as a leading factor for both promoting retention and encouraging the exodus of faculty members. Strategies aimed at improving financial compensation, career recognition, and transparency of the promotion process, along with those aimed at improving the work environment were shown to be vital to retaining faculty. Though the low response rate is a study limitation, these findings provide valuable information and a framework for future studies regarding dental faculty recruitment and retention.

Disparities in Promotion and Retention Rates Among Underrepresented in Medicine Faculty in U.S. Ophthalmology Departments

PurposeThis study examines the rates and trends of faculty promotions within the field of ophthalmology, with comparative emphasis on the rates of promotion among URiM faculty. DesignA retrospective panel study was conducted using the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Faculty Roster database. MethodsWe utilized the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Faculty Roster data to assess trends in academic faculty promotions within U.S. ophthalmology departments. Full-time assistant and associate professors appointed between 2000-2010 were included in the analysis, and tracked until November 2021 to determine promotion rates. Pearson's Chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests were utilized to evaluate differences in promotion and retention rates based on gender, race and ethnicity, advanced degree, and tenure status. ResultsThe demographics of 1436 assistant, and 680 associate faculty members were obtained for analysis through the AAMC. Black faculty had lower promotion rates when compared to White faculty (20% vs 37% p<.001). Faculty with MD/PhD degrees demonstrated higher promotion rates than faculty with MD degrees alone (59% vs 36%, p<.001). Additionally, Faculty not on tenure track had lower rates of promotion than those on tenure track (35% vs 48%, p<.001). With respect to faculty retention: among assistant and associate professors combined, Black faculty and faculty without tenure track appointments were more likely to leave academic medicine (46% vs 33%, p<.001) and (36% vs 27%, p<.001) respectively. ConclusionIn this study, promotion rates varied significantly by race/ethnicity. Specifically, Black faculty had lower rates of promotion and retention in academic medicine. These findings underscore the need to explore and implement strategies and policies to address equity in promotion rates and retention of URiM faculty within academic ophthalmology.

Continued challenges in pediatric anesthesia during COVID-19 in 2022: An international survey from the pediatric anesthesia COVID-19 collaborative.

This international survey explored the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on pediatric anesthesiology. It assessed COVID-19's impact on the practice of pediatric anesthesiology, staffing, job satisfaction, and retention at the beginning of 2022 and addressed what should be done to ameliorate COVID-19's impact and what initiatives hospitals had implemented. This survey focused on five major domains: equipment/medication, vaccination/testing, staffing, burnout, and economic repercussions. Pilot testing for questionnaire clarity was conducted by members of the Pediatric Anesthesia COVID-19 Collaborative. The survey was administered by e-mail to a representative of the 72 collaborative centers. Respondents were instructed to answer based on their institution's practice from February through April of 2022. Descriptive statistics with 95% confidence intervals are reported. Seventy of seventy-two institutions participated in this survey (97% response rate). Fifty-nine (84%) were from the United States, and 11 (16%) included other countries. The majority experienced equipment (68%) and medication (60%) shortages. Many institutions reported staffing shortages in nursing (37%), perioperative staff (27%), and attending anesthesiologists (11%). Sixty-two institutions (89%) indicated burnout was a frequent topic of conversation among pediatric anesthesiologists. Forty-three institutions (61%) reported anesthesiologists leaving current practice and 37 (53%) early retirement. Twenty-eight institutions (40%) canceled elective cases. The major suggestions for improving job retention included improving financial compensation (76%), decreasing clinical time (67%), and increasing flexibility in scheduled clinical time (66%). Only a minority of institutions had implemented the following initiatives: improving financial compensation (19%), increased access to mental health/counseling services (30%), and assistance with child or elder care (7%). At the time of the survey, 34% of institutions had not made any changes. Our study found that COVID-19 has continued to impact pediatric anesthesiology. There are major discrepancies between what anesthesiologists believe are important for job satisfaction and faculty retention compared to implemented initiatives. Data from this survey provide insight for institutions and departments for addressing these challenges.

Mentoring at the intersection of student and faculty retention at Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCUs) masters of public administration programs

ABSTRACTMentoring is essential for the retention and success of not only students but early-career junior faculty as well. Yet, mentorship and mentoring become an issue of equity where those with the resources (financial, human, etc.) receive and provide better mentoring. This article is a collaborative autoethnography triangulated with program documents to better understand the role, perceptions, and experiences of mentorship for Women of Color (WOC) faculty in NASPAA-accredited HBCU graduate programs. This research uses a framework where student success depends on faculty success, and investing in faculty is as important as investing in students. We found the way that faculty perceive their role as mentors is strongly influenced by past mentoring experiences, how roles and responsibilities are defined, and how these roles and responsibilities are supported and measured within retention, tenure, and promotion (RTP). We provide recommendations to retain and develop faculty to become highly effective mentors at HBCUs.

Documenting Black Faculty Experiences in the “Stop Woke” Era

The Black Faculty Recruitment and Retention at the University of Florida Oral History Project documented the experiences of prejudice and discrimination by current and former UF faculty and staff members. A total of 46 respondents participated, 23 male and 23 female, between the Summer and Fall semester of 2021. While several salient themes emerged from these interviews, this paper focuses primarily on the respondents’ experiences of silencing, prejudice, discrimination at UF, and anti-racist White allyship. Such experiences ranged from respondents being overburdened with the mentorship of Black and Brown students to overt episodes of prejudice and discrimination that drove faculty members to resign from their positions. For example, some respondents noted the silencing of dissenting Black voices at faculty meetings by White colleagues. Extant scholarship has documented similar themes, and the present study employs them to contextualize its findings. This paper concludes by emphasizing respondents’ advice for administrators to help mitigate the negative impact of prejudice and discrimination on Black faculty at UF and avoid tokenistic diversity initiatives that constitute ineffective diversity regimes.

Qualitative Analysis of Pre and Postpromotion/Tenure Review Processes Employed by US Pharmacy Schools

ObjectivePolicies related to prepromotion/tenure reviews and postpromotion/tenure reviews are critical to faculty advancement and retention. The objective of this study is to describe the utilization, timing, and application of such policies as described within promotion and/or tenure documents from US colleges/schools of pharmacy. MethodsPT documents were collected from internet searches and/or contact with administrators at each institution. Qualitative content analysis was used to systematically review policies related to pre and postpromotion/tenure reviews. Policies were reviewed for required vs optional status, timing, possible outcomes, and other characteristics. ResultsPT documents were analyzed from 121 (85%) colleges/schools. Of these, 26% included policies for prepromotion review of nontenure-track faculty, while 45% included pretenure reviews for tenure-track faculty. The majority of prereviews were required (65% and 91%, respectively) and conducted after 3 years in rank on average. Only 22 (18%) included postpromotion/tenure reviews, with most (17, 77%) conducting reviews after a prespecified time in advanced rank (mean 3.9 years). Potential negative consequences of postpromotion/tenure reviews were more frequently described than potential rewards. ConclusionThis analysis of promotion and/or tenure documents revealed that pre/posttenure reviews were more commonly employed than pre/postpromotion reviews. Documents most frequently described potential negative consequences that may result from unsatisfactory postpromotion/tenure reviews. Academic leaders should consider the implications of these trends within their own institutions and how their own policies may be improved to create clearly articulated, fair, and parallel processes for both tenure-track and nontenure-track faculty.

Retention and recruitment of minority students and faculty in public affairs and administration programs

ABSTRACT The need to improve diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) efforts has reached monumental heights in the past decade as a result of the Black Lives Matter movement and other DEIA efforts. This shift in thought has impacted recruitment and hiring practices in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. For years, universities have tried a variety of mechanisms to increase the pool of minority applicants in PhD programs as well as the faculty ranks. However, many of these efforts have not been sustainable. In this article, we discuss the results from a survey of graduate-level public affairs programs to discern specific efforts to increase the number of minority students pursuing graduate degrees and subsequently the number of minority faculty. In addition, we completed an extant review of the literature to determine additional practices that have proven fruitful in other graduate programs.

Transforming Pediatric Education in Response to Dobbs v. Jackson: Empowering Adolescents to Manage Their Reproductive Choices

The June 2022 landmark decision from the US Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization removed the federal constitutional protection for abortions, leading to an immediate, profound impact on reproductive rights for people of all ages and, thus, on the practice of the medical providers who serve them. The Dobbs ruling forced a swift and drastic change in the availability of comprehensive reproductive care available to pregnant teens. Further, it led to confusion, fear, and moral distress regarding how pediatricians could legally provide counseling on reproductive choices. Pediatricians were left scrambling to understand the rapidly evolving laws in each state, while also attempting to interpret these new statutes for our trainees. Pediatric educators need to understand the impact of the Dobbs ruling on the education of pediatric trainees. The repercussions for the entirety of pediatric graduate medical education are widespread. Recruitment and retention of both trainees and faculty are jeopardized. Curricula and patient care opportunities for reproductive health training have been limited. Additionally, the ethical and legal implications of our work have been called into question, thus affecting the moral standing and professional identity development of pediatric trainees. As pediatric health educators, it is imperative that we take a lead role in teaching and mentoring our trainees to provide comprehensive reproductive health care to all patients, with an emphasis on the principles of reproductive justice. This will entail additional training in advocacy skills essential to ensure a just, equitable future for all our pediatric and adolescent patients.

Faculty Development at Community Colleges in U.S. Rural Contexts

Hundreds of community colleges exist in rural contexts across the United States, yet we know little about the work and career development of the thousands of faculty employed at such institutions. Through a review of current literature, this article demonstrates how faculty at rural community colleges encounter specific factors in their professorial development because of these rural contexts in which their home institutions reside. From that literature, one can determine that factors playing a role in rural community college faculty development include (a) isolation and institution size, (b) multiple and multifaceted roles, (c) joy of working and engaging with students, (d) recruitment and retention of women faculty and faculty of color, and (d) recruitment and retention of academically qualified individuals. From those literature review findings, policy and practice recommendations around rural community college faculty are provided, such as creating and enhancing professional development opportunities and increasing recruitment and retention efforts for women faculty and faculty of color. In order to contribute more knowledge to supporting the development of rural community college-based faculty members, this article ends with future research ideas.

Black Faculty Happiness: A Qualitative Ode to Black Faculty Voices, Success, and Retention at Predominantly White Research Universities

The author shares counter narratives of eleven Black faculty members employed at predominantly white research universities in the United States focusing on their experiences with happiness within their academic role. The researcher builds the study advancing a more nuanced view of the Black faculty experience. Counter storytelling was specifically used to exhibit Black faculty members’ self-description of happiness while affording them an opportunity to highlight experiences which produced feelings of happiness. This narrative exploration serves as a clarion call to Black faculty to recognize, embrace, and foster components of their academic roles that yield happiness. The author offers university leadership suggestions for the retention of Black faculty and urges for a relentless striving for racially equitable environments.