Strategies to mitigate COVID-19-related faculty burnout: Opinion

Emma Pettit condenses a recent report on strategies postsecondary institutions in the US have used to support instructors and mitigate burnout after a year of increased demands and stress due to COVID-19. The author explains that having an automatic tenure-clock extension, being proactive in faculty assessments, and supporting non-tenure-track faculty members can support those whose experiences might otherwise be overlooked. Other strategies in the article include prioritizing tasks, evaluating committees, and tangibly showing appreciation for the extra work instructors have put in during COVID-19. “If institutions don’t offer meaningful support, if they don’t grapple with the seen and unseen implications of Covid-19,” writes Pettit, “they will lose vulnerable faculty members as teachers, mentors, community citizens, and groundbreaking researchers.” The Chronicle of Higher Ed (International)