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Faculty Fear Permanent Changes, Experience Increased Burnout Caused by COVID-19REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Nov. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to upend the college experience for students and educators, more than half of faculty are experiencing symptoms highly-correlated with workplace burnout according to research released today by Course Hero. The study of more than 570 full- and part-time faculty at two- and four-year colleges and universities examined how the pandemic has affected faculty views toward the academic work environment and job satisfaction. "The pandemic has had far-reaching implications on the day-to-day work of faculty, as well as on their long-term career trajectories, professional aspirations, and views on the future of higher education," said Tara Graham, Vice President of Educator Community and Partnerships at Course Hero. "Student success is tightly linked to the mental and emotional health and professional success of instructors. This research signals an urgency to expand the types of support offered to both students and faculty during this extraordinary time in education." Three out of four faculty reported significant stress as a result of challenges transitioning to new modes of teaching—the largest single source of stress for educators by a wide margin. Nearly two thirds said that challenges meeting the emotional and mental health needs of students caused significant stress. While stress was high at the onset of the pandemic, the research found that faculty anxiety appears to be increasing, with more faculty reporting peak stress now than at the beginning of the pandemic. While only 6% reportedstress from the loss of a job and a majority report no concerns that their institution or department would close permanently as a result of the pandemic, more than 40 percent of faculty have considered leaving their positions as a result of COVID-19 changes/impacts. Perhaps more worrying, faculty show concern that, even after the country gains more control of the deadly pandemic, changes to higher education will be permanent. Nearly two-thirds expect diminished perceptions of the value of higher education, and more than 40 percent expect an increased economic divide between students who go to elite, in-person colleges and those who attend online or part-time programs. Among other key findings, the research shows: Long-Term Impact of COVID
Faculty Mental Health & Job Satisfaction
Faculty Work Environment
This research is released as a part of Course Hero's newly launched Research Hub, a resource for data and insights on higher education sourced from its community of millions of students and over 50,000 verified educators. Discover additional insights on students and educators in higher education here. About Course Hero
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