Vitality in the Academic Workplace: Sustaining Professional Growth for Mid-Career Faculty

This study seeks to identify dimensions of the academic work environment that affect mid-career faculty vitality. Previous research suggests that mid-career faculty may struggle to maintain their vitality, as they are susceptible to high levels of burnout and extensive workload demands. We distributed an online survey to a random sample of 300 tenured faculty who were employed at three public comprehensive universities. Mid-career faculty (N=30) with the highest scores on a vitality survey measure were invited to participate in individual interviews. Study findings highlight the importance of creating vitality-enhancing work environments for mid-career faculty. In addition to identifying collegiality as a contributor to mid-career vitality, the study findings reveal specific sources of vitality-enhancing collegiality, including informal relationships in academic departments, participation in faculty development programs, and support and messaging from top-level academic leaders. Additionally, this study found that public comprehensive university missions served as a compelling basis for establishing collegial relationships and sustaining faculty vitality.