WSU Profs’ Stress Above Average, Study Finds But Faculty’s, Public’s Objectives For Higher Ed In Tune, Faculty Leader Says

Professors at Washington State University feel more stressed and are less likely to have tenure compared with their peers at other schools, a survey showed.

The survey of 340 faculty members and administrators at WSU found 39.6 percent saying they experienced extreme stress, compared with 33.7 percent at other universities.

The most common reasons, in order, were: time pressures, lack of personal time, institutional red tape, research and publishing demands, household responsibilities, students and teaching loads, the survey showed.

The survey found that 57 percent f WSU faculty had tenure, compared with 76 percent nationwide, said Val Limburg, chairman of the Faculty Senate.

“The data provides a pretty accurate profile of the WSU faculty and the demands placed upon them,” Limburg said Friday.

The survey was conducted in 1995 by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA.

Officials for WSU later asked the institute to determine if lower morale and higher stress among faculty were the result of tenure status, Limburg said.

The results were released Friday.

Professors at WSU averaged 34 hours a week teaching, preparing for classes, advising students and conducting research, the survey found.

They averaged 18 hours a week at tasks ranging from committee and administrative duties to sending and reading e-mail.

The faculty averaged 11 hours a week of household and child care duties.

Limburg said 47 percent of the WSU faculty surveyed were considering leaving academia.

Asked about important goals, 98 percent said being a “good teacher” was a priority.

Asked the highest priority for WSU in the coming year, 54 percent of faculty said it should be building public and political support for higher education.

Other priorities were increasing the prestige of WSU, promoting intellectual development and recruiting more minority students.

“The survey also demonstrates that the faculty and public objectives for higher education are in harmony,” Limburg said.

“Being a good teacher comes first and scholarly investigation is an important component supporting undergraduate and graduate education programs.”