Extent and Consequences of Faculty Members’ Workload Creep in Three Canadian Faculties of Education

Authors

  • Sandra Kouritzin University of Manitoba

Abstract

The literature suggests that the emergence of market metrics in the administration of major research universities has led to an increase in workload, here called workload creep, among faculty members in academia. Addressing the research question “What is the evidence and impact of workload creep on faculty members in faculties of education in Canada?” this article begins to address the lack of empirical evidence addressing the scope and consequences of Canadian faculty members’ workload. To date, most research on the workload of Canadian higher education faculty is conceptual in nature, limited methodologically, or conflates data from multiple disciplinary areas. This research is different, focusing on faculties of education in three demographically similar U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities. Through analysis of qualitative in-depth interviews and comparison with research in different contexts, this article reports on the perceived personal and professional consequences of workload creep in terms of faculty members’ mental health, physical health, and productivity. Workload creep undermines traditional notions of valued academic identities.

Keywords: workload, higher education, faculty, academic identity

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Published

2020-01-02

How to Cite

Kouritzin, S. (2020). Extent and Consequences of Faculty Members’ Workload Creep in Three Canadian Faculties of Education. Canadian Journal of Education/Revue Canadienne De l’éducation, 42(4), 1092–1120. Retrieved from https://journals.sfu.ca/cje/index.php/cje-rce/article/view/4095