Pacific Professors Experiencing Burnout

Previously, I have written an article on student burnout for the Pacifican. Now, we’re highlighting another case of burnout: one that affects our very own professors at the university.  

Recognizing the irony of my request, I emailed professors from the various schools here at the university and asked them to take a moment out of their busy schedules to answer my questions. I wanted to gather a better understanding about what caused prolonged fatigue among professors and what changes the university can implement. 

On Wednesday February 23rd, I met with Professor Abel Fernandez, who is a professor at the School of Engineering and Computer Science here at the Stockton campus. It was prior to his eleven AM class, which I was able to note when he showed me his filled calendar. 

We began a discussion about the pandemic and how to define the sensation of burnout. Professor Fernandez discussed with me the connotation of the word. He showed me an article he had read at 3:30am earlier that morning. The article centered around a psychology professor at Yale who talked about why she was taking time off from teaching. “I’m showing you this because it happens to everyone,” he said. We agreed that the definition of burnout was different for everyone. Even the word was misleading. He pointed at the light bulb of a lamp. “Light bulbs burnout. Candles burnout.” When these objects burn out, they are drained, diminished, and need to be reignited. 

But this is not the case for the professors at the university. Professor Fernandez, who is taking a sabbatical in the fall, agreed that it was more of the case that professors just needed a break. That they were overwhelmed but they were not falling out of love with teaching. 

With this new perspective on burnout, I wanted to know how course loads and the lack of administrative staff has affected departments. A professor who wishes to remain anonymous informed me that “the reduction in staff has meant that things take longer and sometimes fall through the cracks – this means more work for me to ensure things get done and double-checking work to make sure it is correct.” There is also a general sentiment from the professors that I interviewed around course loads and the amount of work and accommodations that is expected for professors. 

Professor Susan Sample, a political science professor for the School of International Studies as well as a Department of Political Science, describes the increased expectations of professors by saying that “we’re rather like frogs being boiled slowly. I think the administration is assuming we won’t notice.” Professors are often asked to do more than just teach classes. They make accommodations for students, such as turning courses with too few students into independent studies. They also serve on committees and have to cut time out of their work day to grade and update canvas. Professor Fernandez also reminded me that they have to reply to dozens of emails a day with an appropriate response. He talked about his regret over wanting to participate in events but feeling that he doesn’t have the time or energy to commit to them. It only makes sense. Even though most events involve some form of leisure activity, they still require time and energy; most of which professors run out of after the end of their work day.

I also asked each professor what the university could do to help decrease feelings of stress and burnout. A cohesive statement was made about pay raises given the increased expectations for faculty. Professor Sample described how she is far less emotionally invested in the job than she used to be and it has become more about taking home a paycheck while she is aware that it’s value declines annually. She believes the university needs to enact cost-of-living adjustments and be mindful of the amount of extra work that professors are taking on beyond teaching a full course load. 

When I asked Professor Fernandez, he responded that he would like more stability. Given that the last two turbulent years have been hard on both professors and students, I think a sense of calm sounded like an ideal environment. He talked about the amount of changes that are constantly being introduced. He clarified that they were necessary and most of them were also important for the university to focus on. But it was a lot for professors to adjust to after returning from virtual learning. While we are attempting to regain our footing, it seems as though the university has forgotten the toll that the pandemic has taken on all of us. 

It is comforting to know that our professors can empathize with student burnout. We are all attempting to balance work, school, and personal life precariously as the turbulent waves of the pandemic threaten to drown us. 

If you ever feel the symptoms of burnout, remember that you are not a candle. You might just need a break from whatever is causing your fatigue.