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Core Tensions: An Exploratory Case Study Of Faculty Work At A Striving Institution, Molly Ellis

Education Policy and Leadership Theses and Dissertations

Drawing from the literature on faculty culture and striving institutions, my exploratory case study sheds light on the work tensions and experiences of faculty at a striving university. As the pursuit of prestige permeates the American higher education landscape, a greater understanding is needed on how institutional striving towards prestige influences faculty work. While variation exists in the work of professors across institutional types and disciplines, one constant holds true: too many responsibilities are competing for faculty members’ time. Current research on faculty work posits that the modern professor encounters disparate demands that make achieving a balance challenging.

Using a …

Faculty Satisfaction At Striving Vs. Non-Striving Institutions, Na-Li Kim

Education Policy and Leadership Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I analyze the 2013-14 Faculty Survey data from Higher Education Research Institute (HERI), to observe whether faculty at striving and non-striving institutions have varying levels of faculty satisfaction. In addition, some of the individual-level factors such as demographic characteristics, tenure-status, STEM/non-STEM department, and career related stress are analyzed to see how these variables influence faculty satisfaction. I use a combination of OLS regression and multiple regression to present evidence, which provides support to my argument that faculty at striving and non-striving institutions have different levels of faculty satisfaction. The findings from my study show that faculty at …