Faculty Turnover Research Articles

From Institutional Trauma to Institutional Healing

The societal struggles in American higher education have intensified in recent years, impacting various facets of academic life. Enrollment declines, rising costs, student debt, and emerging alternatives pose significant threats to colleges and universities. The COVID-19 pandemic further strained institutions, leading to deeper budget cuts and potential closures. Falling tuition revenue coupled with culture wars and political polarization have led to prolonged institutional trauma in higher education institutions. Conservative-leaning states have restricted faculty tenure, courses dealing with social and political inequity, and DEI initiatives, while progressives emphasize universities’ role in fostering critical thinking and truth. Organizational trauma can significantly impact an organization’s well-being. It can arise from a single catastrophic event or persistent issues such as workplace biases, discrimination, and poor communication. For many campuses, this manifests as chronic stress, apathy, and mental health challenges, leading to turnover of faculty and staff and low productivity. Understanding and addressing organizational trauma is crucial. Strategies include fostering resilience through supportive leadership, trust-building, and inclusive practices. Thoughtful solutions and collective efforts are needed to heal and strengthen American democracy. The 2024 elections remain uncertain, raising questions about the future of not only higher education, but American democracy. Addressing these challenges requires a concerted effort to bridge divides, promote critical thinking, and uphold the purpose of higher education. The path forward remains complex, but collective action is essential to repair and strengthen American civic health.

Intent to leave academia: perceptions and challenges of nurse faculty

BackgroundThe shortage of nursing faculty is a significant global issue affecting the nursing profession. Faculty turnover can negatively impact the institution by decreasing the number of qualified nursing faculty and disrupting the educational process. The cost of replacing departing faculty and recruiting and training new faculty may increase.PurposeTo describe perceptions of nursing faculty of intentions to leave academia and to identify challenges that contribute to nurse faculty turnover in academic setting.MethodA descriptive naturalistic, qualitative approach is used to explore nurses perceptions and intentions to leave academia.ResultsThe themes identified were unexpected journey, with two sub-themes, lack of role clarity and lack of preparation/orientation, and work environment, with four sub-themes: low Salary, workload, lack of support and favoritism.ConclusionThe urgency of addressing the factors that contribute to nurse faculty intending to leave academia cannot be overstated. The results of this study have direct implications for nursing schools’ administrators, where these findings can provide them with, valuable insights that they can be used to implement best practices and mitigate the problem of nursing faculty turnover.

Impact of Multiple Job Demands on Chinese University Teachers’ Turnover Intentions

Teacher turnover presents a significant challenge in education. Despite recognizing the importance of examining turnover intention to address this issue, exploring the interplay between multiple job demands and turnover intention is lacking within the framework of the job demands-resources theory. To fill this gap, the present study theoretically examined the relationship among personal resources (career adaptability), job burnout, turnover intention, and various job demands (teaching–research and work–family conflicts). Data were collected through an online survey of 875 Chinese university teachers, and the conceptual model was estimated using maximum likelihood estimation. The results revealed that work–family and teaching–research conflicts directly predict teachers’ turnover intentions and that job burnout mediates between multiple job demands and turnover intentions. Furthermore, career adaptability moderates the mediating role of burnout. These findings offer innovative ideas for mitigating and preventing faculty turnover intentions.

STUDY ON FACULTY TURNOVER IN YUNNAN COLLEGE OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Private educational institutions in China have a relatively short history of development, and the main force of the faculty is junior faculty. In recent years, Yunnan College of Business Management has developed rapidly, but the problem of junior faculty turnover has become an important factor that limits its long-term development. Based on the case study of Yunnan College of Business Management, this article analyzes the main reasons for the faculty turnover in private colleges and universities, focusing on the needs of junior faculty in terms of further training, salary, social security identity and sense of belonging, and proposes corresponding countermeasures for stabilizing the teaching workforce and promoting the sustainable development of private colleges and universities. It is also suggested for the sustainable development of private colleges and universities.

“Turnover intention” among foreign lecturers in one of the universities in Malaysia: An investigation into the leading factors

The current research aims to investigate the internal and external factors influencing faculty turnover intention, with attention to foreign lecturers, among faculty members in one of the universities in Malaysia. The intention of a person to leave their current employment can be referred to as turnover intention. Previous analyses have revealed these ideas to be an employee’s desired strategy for quitting their current job and looking for another one. Job security, supervisor support, remuneration satisfaction, job autonomy, key performance indicators (KPI) achievability, and job satisfaction are the different factors that influence employees’ intentions to leave their jobs. The finding indicates that structural factors including job autonomy, remuneration satisfaction, and KPI achievability contributed to the explanation of turnover intention. These variables play a more significant part in influencing foreign lecturers’ decisions to quit and move to a better job opportunity.

Analysis of a Needs Assessment Survey to Develop an Online Resource Repository Supporting Nurse Anesthesia Educators.

Without highly qualified nurse anesthesia educators and administrators, the health care system will be threatened by the inadequate supply of certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs). American Association of Nurse Anesthesiologists' Faculty Stabilization Task Force (FSTF) analyzed reasons for high faculty turnover and developed recommendations to support nurse anesthesia faculty and administrators. A survey evaluated participants' current role, leadership development opportunities, mentorship experiences, and resource needs. Of 109 respondents, 87 (80%) were program administrators or assistant administrators with less than 5 years of experience in their role. Despite academic experience, 51% felt adequately prepared for their role. The FSTF provided 2 recommendations: to create a robust faculty development program for all faculty at all levels of CRNA education and a repository of information needed for program administrators and faculty to oversee and educate students in a high-quality CRNA program.

The impact of teaching-research conflict on turnover intention: cross-level interaction effect of justice climate

IntroductionResearch-based on the Job Demands-Resources theory (JD-R theory) has revealed a close relationship between teaching-research conflict and job burnout. However, there needs to be more investigation into the complex relationship between teaching-research conflict and turnover intentions from the perspective of this theory. To address these gaps, this study, grounded in the JD-R theory, explores the relationships among teaching-research conflict, career adaptability, justice climate, job burnout, and turnover intention.MethodsData collected through an online survey involving 858 Chinese university teachers, and the analysis utilized a Multilevel Structural Equation Model (MSEM) with Maximum Likelihood (ML) estimation.ResultsThe findings reveal that job burnout mediates the relationship between teaching-research conflict and turnover intention. Career adaptability plays a moderating role in the connection between job burnout and turnover intention. Furthermore, justice climate exhibits a cross-level interaction effect concerning the relationship between teaching-research conflict and turnover intention.DiscussionThese findings offer innovative strategies for mitigating and preventing faculty turnover intention.

Improving the hematology/oncology paging system at Northwestern University.

45 Background: To page specific services within the Division of Hematology and Oncology (Heme/Onc) at Northwestern Memorial Hospital previously required hospital staff to enter the specific service name into the web-based paging system. Turnover of faculty and staff, hospital growth, and use of locums staffing contributed to an increasing number of erroneous pages (pages intended for a different service). In this quality improvement initiative, we restructured the paging system so that all services within the Division of Heme/Onc populated when “hem” was entered into the web-based system. We aimed to decrease the number of erroneous pages received by heme/onc fellows by 20% with a subsequent improvement in perceived workload burden and job satisfaction. Methods: Pre- and post-intervention surveys were administered to all heme/onc fellows to assess impact on workload burden and job satisfaction. Fellows were asked to log all erroneous pages for a five-month period pre- and post-intervention. Results: Pre-intervention, fellows logged a total of 48 erroneous pages with 10 pages (21%) occurring between the hours of 10 PM and 6 AM. Post-intervention, a total of 37 erroneous pages were logged with only 3 pages (8%) occurring overnight. Of the 12 (92.3%) fellows that responded to the pre-intervention survey, one (8.3%) reported that the number of incorrect pages significantly increased workload burden, 9 (75%) increased workload burden, and 2 (16.7%) neither increased nor decreased workload burden. Five responders (41.7%) reported the number of incorrect pages significantly decreased job satisfaction, 5 (41.7%) decreased job satisfaction, and 2 (16.7%) neither increased nor decreased job satisfaction. 100% of fellows responded to the post-intervention survey. One (7.7%) reported that the number of incorrect pages significantly increased workload burden, 8 (61.5%) increased workload burden, and 4 (30.8%) neither increased nor decreased workload burden. Two responders (16.4%) reported the number of incorrect pages significantly decreased job satisfaction, 6 (46.2%) decreased job satisfaction, and 5 (38.4%) neither increased nor decreased job satisfaction. Conclusions: By changing the departmental nomenclature to a structured format, we decreased the number of erroneous pages received over a 5-month period by 23% with a 70% reduction in overnight pages resulting in an improvement in perceived workload burden and job satisfaction among Hematology/Oncology fellows.

Twelve tips for creating and sustaining a peer assessment program of clinical faculty

While feedback is essential for learning in the health professions, clinical teachers rarely get feedback on their teaching, and the existing feedback is often non-specific and distant from teaching encounters. To enhance clinical teaching, we created a peer assessment program for clinical faculty. This program has been well-received and sustained for five years despite the challenges of faculty turnover and the pandemic. In this article, we identify twelve tips for creating and sustaining a peer assessment program for clinical faculty based on this experience. These tips focus on how to create a culture that supports peer assessment, on how best to implement a peer assessment program in practical terms, and on how to sustain a peer assessment program long-term. We hope these tips help educators receive better feedback about their clinical teaching and improve the future care delivered by our learners.

Analysis of the Impact of Education Management on Academic Performance and Competitiveness of Universities in Terms of Faculty Turnover in China

Analysis of the Impact of Education Management on Academic Performance and Competitiveness of Universities in Terms of Faculty Turnover in China

Mechanisms for Employee Mobility Between Organizations: A Network Analysis of Faculty Turnover in Communication, 2013 to 2022

Organizations compete for scarce resources such as talent. The mobility of employees between organizations means that the inflow side acquires resources at the expense of the outflow side. This study understands employee turnover from one place to another as a mobility network where directed edges indicate migration flows between organizations. Using observational data on the turnover of tenure-line communication faculty in 129 U.S. universities from 2013 to 2022, this paper investigates the formation mechanisms of the interorganizational mobility network. The results show that the creation of migration flows is driven by transitive closure, but not by cyclic closure. Community cohesion is not a driving force of network formation. While low-prestige universities are more likely to be sources of faculty mobility than high-prestige universities, migration flows are commonly observed between organizations with similar levels of prestige. Additionally, the probability of faculty mobility between universities first decreases and then increases with their geographic distance.

"Finding My Place in Academia": Understanding the Experiences of Novice Faculty.

The current nursing faculty shortage rapidly has expanded the need to hire faculty. New faculty are clinical experts in their own practice; however, many lack formal knowledge about the academic setting, making the transition from practice to academia difficult. A qualitative descriptive study was developed to identify how new faculty transition into their academic positions. The sample consisted of 12 clinical nursing faculty participants. A total of 12 themes emerged: awful day as faculty, career plans, compensation, finding my place in academia, great day at clinical, "I wanted to be successful," preparation for the faculty role, struggling, student experiences, support, lack of support, and surprise. Finding ways to recruit and retain qualified faculty is imperative. Inadequate support for transitioning to the faculty role may contribute to faculty turnover; developing a strong mentoring program may help retain qualified faculty. [J Nurs Educ. 2023;62(8):433-442.].

The Relationship Between Job Satisfaction and Faculty Turnover Among Physician Assistant Educators During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This research explored the relationship between job satisfaction and intent to leave among physician assistant (PA) educators during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the study aimed to identify differences in PA educators' job satisfaction within gender and their intention to stay at their current employment. A nonexperimental, cross-sectional survey was conducted with 1788 PA educators at 232 accredited programs nationally. A Web-based survey was employed to measure job satisfaction and intent to leave and to collect demographic information. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the study population, and logistic regression was used to analyze the independent variables predicting faculty turnover. PA educators were generally satisfied with their jobs (51.2%, n = 251), with the nature of the work, quality of supervision, and collegial relationships contributing the most to job satisfaction. Males were generally more satisfied with their jobs than females. More than half of the PA educators (52.4%, n = 257) considered leaving academia in the past year. Job satisfaction (odds ratio [OR] = .945, 95% confidence interval [CI] = .936-.956) and individual facets-including the nature of the work (OR = .806, 95% CI = .731-.888); communication (OR = .926, 95% CI = .860-.997); and quality of supervision (OR = .904, 95% CI = .850-.960)-were predictive of intent to leave. Gender was not found to significantly affect the relationship between job satisfaction and intent to leave. The findings from the study suggest the need for faculty retention to be prioritized among program and institutional leadership. PA programs need experienced leadership to develop, guide, and mentor faculty. Lastly, program and institutional leadership should create a supportive work environment that communicates clear expectations.

The Impact of COVID-19 on U.S. Computer Science Faculty's Turnover Intentions: The Role of Gender.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for college faculty, with evidence that it has the potential to exacerbate pre-pandemic gender inequities in work demands (Tugend, 2020). The impact of the pandemic may be particularly difficult for women in male-dominated STEM fields such as computer science that pose additional challenges and had high attrition rates among women faculty pre-pandemic (NSF, 2019; Weisgram & Diekman, 2017). The present study examined the mechanisms through which gender may have implications for changes in turnover intentions due to the pandemic among computer science faculty, with a focus on changes in work-family conflict and workplace attitudes. A total of 317 tenure-line and non-tenure line computer science faculty across the U.S. (54.26% women, 49.84% tenured) completed a survey that included items examining whether the pandemic changed work-family conflict, work-related attitudes (job satisfaction, sense of belonging, burnout), and turnover intentions. Results of analyses indicated that identifying as a woman indirectly predicted larger increases in turnover intentions due to the pandemic, through increased work-family conflict, burnout at work, and decreased feelings of job satisfaction. The results suggest that the pandemic has the potential to increase women's attrition from computer science faculty positions, further exacerbating their underrepresentation.

Exploring Subordinates' Perceptions and Experiences with Abusive Leaders in Higher Education: A Qualitative Study

Exploring Subordinates' Perceptions and Experiences with Abusive Leaders in Higher Education: A Qualitative Study

Meritocracy or aristocracy? Appraising the performance appraisal systems

Learning outcomes The aim of the case is to understand the performance management system of academic staff members in higher education institution. Furthermore, students would be able to compare two performance appraisal policies and analyze which one could better serve the purpose considering the context of educational institution. The case would help students understand the performance dynamics of the academic staff and how the performance management system in place affect employees. Case overview/synopsis The case study presents a troubling situation faced by Asim Khan, a newly appointed director of the Midland University, regarding retention of the faculty. Upon joining Midland, Khan noticed a trend that faculty who was serving the university from many years are leaving the organization one after the other. He decided to revise the faculty policies that he believed was the root cause of faculty turnover in Midland. He formulated a committee to review the existing policies and revamp if required. The committee identified some flaws in the faculty appraisal policy in place at that time and formulated a new one with the consultation of top management. However, when the new appraisal policy was presented to the faculty, few faculty members raised their eyes over a few aspects of the proposed policy. As the new academic year was approaching, Khan had to make an important decision after critically analyzing the pros and cons of both policies that which of the two should be followed for the upcoming year’s appraisals. Complexity academic level The case can potentially be used in the post-graduate courses in MBA programs offering a major in human resource management. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 6: Human resource management.

Mediating roles of college teaching self-efficacy in job stress and job satisfaction among Chinese university teachers

Colleges and universities have been experiencing high rates of faculty turnover across countries, and hiring and retaining influential faculty members is a constant challenge that higher education institutions have encountered. Job stress and job satisfaction are stable predictors that psychologically determine teachers’ persistence in their institutions. The present study aimed to extend understanding of a mediating effect of college teaching self-efficacy (CTSE) on the relationship between faculty job stress and job satisfaction. Data collected from 455 Chinese university teachers were analyzed using structural equation moderated mediation models. CTSE was an effective mediator in alleviating the negative relationship between job stress and job satisfaction. Our finding from a moderated mediation model suggests that the mediation effect of CTSE did not differ by teaching experience, ranks, gender, and workload. However, the significant covariate effect of teaching experience incorporated in the mediation effect implies that teachers with more teaching experiences may have greater teaching self-efficacy, which may positively change the perceptions of job stress and job satisfaction. By way of discussion, we provided evidence regarding current trends and underlying psychological reasons for university teachers’ dissatisfaction which might be useful for educators, university administrators, and policymakers framing policy and institutional decisions. Some impractical implications are further discussed.

Faculty Turnover: It's Preventable

Faculty Turnover: It's Preventable

The effect of leadership support on commitment to change and turnover intention in Omani higher education

ABSTRACT Empirical evidence increasingly suggests that supervisors’ support significantly impacts employees’ commitment to change and possibly diminishes their turnover intention. This study, conducted at a government university in Oman, investigated a mediated-effects model of leadership support and faculty turnover intention. The model proposes leadership support (supervisor support) as an antecedent of faculty turnover intention and commitment to accreditation-related change as a mediator in the leadership support–faculty turnover intention relationship. Survey data were collected from faculty members (n = 221) and analysed using structural equation modelling. Findings showed that leadership support greatly contributes to low faculty turnover intention and improves faculty’s commitment to accreditation, which has a significant and direct impact on their turnover intention. Therefore, university-level leadership support, both directly and indirectly, shapes faculty’s commitment to change. These results have significant implications for practice as well as for future research related to leadership support for academic accreditation in higher education institutions.

Faculty retirements will likely exacerbate the anatomy educator shortage.

Medical education has reported a shortage of anatomy educators since the 1960s. While the faculty pipeline has recently been explored, insights into retirement intentions, a key driver of faculty turnover, have yet to be investigated. With the mean age of anatomists rising, knowledge of retirement intentions among current educators is essential to understanding the anatomy educator shortage. This study explored the retirement intentions of current anatomy educators and their likely effects on the workforce. Surveys were distributed to department heads and the American Association for Anatomy (AAA) membership to inquire about job postings from 2018-2020 and retirement intentions, respectively. Department heads sought to fill open positions due to faculty retirements (36%, 15 of 42), faculty relocations/sabbaticals/new responsibilities (31%), and brand new positions (24%). The retirement intentions survey revealed that 61% (23 of 38) of faculty '55 and older' intend to retire within five years. Based on the extrapolation of AAA membership data, estimates suggest that almost twice as many anatomy faculty could retire per year (n=40) over the next five years compared to the estimated number of annual PhD graduates (n=22) likely to enter the workforce. Factors driving retirement intentions were overwhelmingly age and finances, followed by job satisfaction and family. The creation of new anatomy educator positions to address increased student enrollments and new health sciences programs is likely to place even greater strain on workforce demands.