This document summarizes a study on faculty stress at private Christian liberal arts colleges. The study examined the major sources of stress, differences between men and women faculty, and how stress compares to other institutions. The top stressors for all faculty were self-imposed high expectations, lack of personal time, teaching load, and household responsibilities. After receiving tenure, women reported higher stress from expectations and time, while men's stress decreased in many areas. Stress levels were similar to other institutions. The study recommends supporting faculty well-being through mentoring and managing workloads to protect the mission of Christian higher education.

1. FACULTY STRESS AT PRIVATE
CHRISTIAN (CCCU) LIBERAL
ARTS COLLEGES:
SOURCES, PERCEPTIONS AND
IMPACT
Gary Railsback, Ph D
Dean, School of Education, Point Loma University
Janine Allen, Ed D
Dean of Education and Counseling, Corban
University
International Council for Christian Teacher Educators
May, 2012 Azusa Pacific University

2. Introduction
 Study data will share highest levels of stress during
the 2004-05 academic year.
 Since that time, economic downturn, prolonged
recession [endowments], hiring freeze, and layoffs
around the country have occurred (NAICU, 2008).
Private higher education has fought for enrollment and
several privates have closed due to the realties of a
tuition-driven budget.
 Additional stressors due to legislative oversight
 Will stress erode the mission of the CCCU university?
How do we maintain and protect our mission during
times of stress, increased uncertainty and new high-
stakes impact? Is this a concern?

3. Research Questions
The three research questions for this study are:
1. What are the major sources of stress for
private Christian Liberal Arts college faculty?
2. Are there gender differences in these sources
of stress?
3. How do private Christian Liberal Arts college
faculty compare with those at other
institutions regarding sources of stress?

4. Conceptual Framework
 Miller, Buchholdt and Shaw (2008) conclude that
there is no single unifying definition of the term
faculty stress in the literature.
 Jex (1998) three definitions of stress
 “environmental stimuli or conditions to which people
must adapt.”
 The second definition focuses on the individual’s
perceptions and feelings about their work environment
 The third definition is broader and is defined as “the
relationship between persons’ perceptions, needs and
abilities and the conditions of their work situations”
(Jex 1998, p. 4).

5. Methodology
 National survey distributed during the 2004-05
academic year. Higher Education Research Institute
(HERI) at the University of California, Los Angeles
(UCLA)
 National norms
 40,670 full-time undergraduate faculty : 2,762 CCCU
 421 colleges and universities : 38 CCCU
 Permission granted by CCCU
 The 2004-05 Christian College faculty subset has
been utilized previously to study spirituality
(Railsback, 2008), tenure
(Railsback, 2010), satisfaction (Railsback &
Swezey, 2010; Railsback, Swezey, Cintas, Croy, &
Gibbs, 2008), and now stress.

6. Research Question #1: What are the major
sources of stress for private Christian Liberal Arts
college faculty?
 Dey’s (1994) method of comparison used to
categorize responses
 Each of the sources of stress allowed faculty to
choose between “extensive,” “somewhat,” or “not
at all.”
 All CCCU have five major sources of extensive
stress – self-imposed high expectations (28%),
lack of personal time (25%), teaching load (21%),
household responsibilities (20%), and personal
finances (16%)

7. Research Question #2: Are there gender
differences in these sources of stress?
 Gender differences of tenured and untenured
faculty as sources of stress are considered
further
 Stressor one: “self-imposed high expectations”
; 28% of all CCCU faculty agree
 Ofthose, 23% of tenured men reported this as an
area of extensive stress, 36% of tenured women
report it.
 More tenured women reported high self-imposed high
expectations as a stressor than untenured women
(34%)
 Males report less stress from self-imposed high

8. CCCU sample: Stressors
 Second stressor: Lack of Personal Time (25%)
 Tenured women reported the highest level of
response for this stressor (40%); without tenure
(36%).
 Men report much lower levels of stress about the
lack of personal time when tenured (17%) and
untenured (20%).
 Third highest stressor: Teaching Load (21%)
 Notas much variation between men and women
faculty around teaching load once they receive
tenure (19 and 22% respectively),

9. Research Question #3: How do private Christian
Liberal Arts college faculty compare with those at
other institutions regarding sources of stress?
National: US Faculty n=
CCCU Faculty n= 2,762
40,670
 Self-imposed High  Self-imposed High
Expectations (79%) Expectations (83%)
 Lack of personal time  Lack of Personal Time
(74%) (77%)
 Household  Household
responsibilities (74%) Responsibilities (76%)
 Teaching Load (65%)  Teaching Load (66%)
 Personal finances 60% and
 Personal Finances
62%.

10. Unintended Findings
Areas  After tenure, women self-report an
women saw
a rise in the increase in stress in the following
dependent areas
variable
after tenure  Self-imposed high expectations
whereas
men saw a  Lack of personal time
decline in  Institutional procedures/red tape
the same
variable  Subtle discrimination
after
receiving
tenure.

11. Back to the Literature
 Women often experience overall higher levels
of stress in job-alike positions (Doyle &
Hind, 1998)
 Time
stress variable self-reported by women is
much higher (Lindholm & Szelenyi, 2008)
 Women saw in increase self-imposed
expectations and lack of personal time as
tenured faculty and experienced a decline in
work satisfaction (Olsen, 1993). Additional
analysis forthcoming

12. Implications
 Faculty may be less motivated to recruit, teach,
retain, and develop positive relationships with
students and colleagues
 Small system paradigm
 Current impact of recession is tenuous, budgets
are highly dependent upon student tuition and yet
faculty still need to develop scholarly work
 Imperative to support professional growth and
manage faculty emotional health and well-being
 Seventeen of 22 stress variables decreased after
tenure for men, thirteen of 22 stress variables for
tenured women

13. Recommendations
 Small system structure needs
evaluation
 Faculty mentoring, Programs to
alleviate stress
 Administration must provide support
to newer faculty for developing and
achieving a scholarship agenda
 longevity
in the institution and self-
perceived success
 Relationship networks

14. Mission of the Institution
 Faculty attrition will threaten or at least disturb
the culture of the CCCU institution which
depends upon internal and external
relationships
 Spiritual fulfillment of vocation in partnership
 Scriptural principle of community
 A Godward orientation and life-giving work
according to the specific call of vocation
(Smith, 1999)
 Vocational integrity (Ecc. 2:24, Col. 3:23)

15. Vocational Integrity
24 Aperson can do nothing better than to eat and drink and
find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from
the hand of God…
Ecclesiastes 2:24
23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as
working for the Lord, not for human masters…
Colossians 3:23

16. References
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17. References
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18. References
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19. References
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Satisfaction Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association.
 Railsback, G. L., Swezey, J., Cintas, C., Croy, K., & Gibbs, S. (2008). Faculty
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higher education. Unpublished Ph.D., Louisiana State University and Agricultural &
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20. Contacts
Gary Railsback, PhD Janine F. Allen, Ed D
Dean, School of Dean, School of
Education Education
Point Loma University Corban University
garyrailsback@pointloma.ed jallen@corban.edu
u (503)589-8158
(619) 849-2323