Unraveling Faculty Burnout
Central to her book Unraveling Faculty Burnout: Pathways to Reckoning and Renewal (2022) is the idea that burnout needs to be discussed openly and destigmatized without normalizing the harmful academic practices that lead to it.
By Denise Drane, Senior Associate Director of Research and Evaluation
Pope-Ruark offers a compelling exploration into the issue of faculty burnout, blending her own experience of burnout and the personal narratives of other faculty with research-based insights and solutions. Although burnout is experienced individually, the book positions burnout as a systemic issue rooted in the culture of academia. It advocates for significant systemic change over superficial solutions that focus only on how individuals can recover from burnout. Pope-Ruark argues effectively that the path through burnout involves not just individual resilience but also a collective reimagining of academic culture to foster well-being.
Pope-Ruark critically examines aspects of academic life that both contribute to and mitigate burnout. Her insights into the fragile nature of academic identities, the impact of imposter syndrome and perfectionism, and the critical lesson that "a career is not a life" will likely resonate deeply with readers. She highlights how the seeds of burnout are often sown early in the competitive, isolating culture of graduate school, underscoring the importance of addressing these challenges and the culture of graduate programs from the onset.
The book provides four approaches to mitigate burnout: purpose, compassion, connection, and balance. Inclusion of opportunities for the reader to reflect within each chapter, practical tools, such as an abbreviated version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory, alongside strategies for cultivating self-compassion and connection and work life balance, offers readers valuable resources for navigating their journey through burnout. The book’s acknowledgment of its focus on mainly white women’s experiences opens up an essential dialogue about the need for more inclusive research and approaches to addressing burnout.
This book is an invaluable resource for faculty, graduate students, and administrators. Its blend of personal reflections, evidence-based strategies, and a clear call for systemic change makes it a must-read for anyone invested in the health and sustainability of academia. Pope-Ruark’s Unraveling Faculty Burnout challenges us to rethink how we support the well-being of educators and, by extension, the future of higher education itself.
As a bonus, Rebecca Pope-Ruark is a featured speaker in the TEACHxperts series. She will host a session on “Burnout Resilience through Connection” on April 3, 2024.