Supporting faculty well-being

The challenge: The enrollment cliff and resulting institutional pressures create significant stress for psychology faculty. Supporting educator well-being is essential for maintaining program quality and implementing effective responses to enrollment challenges.

1. The Healthy Minds Network Faculty and Staff Surveyopens in new window
   Why it’s valuable: This survey helps institutions understand their faculty and staff’s mental health and perceived ability to help students with mental health concerns. Use the results of the most recent survey to understand national trends in faculty and staff wellness.
2. Understanding and Fostering Mental Health and Well-Being among University Facultyopens in new window
   Why it’s valuable: This review synthesizes evidence-based approaches to faculty well-being. Use it to identify institutional policies and practices that could be advocated for or implemented at the department level.
3. Practice What You Profess: Faculty Mental Health and Resilience
   Why it’s valuable: This Psychology Teacher Network (PTN) article offers specific self-compassion and resilience-building strategies tailored for psychology educators. Share it with department colleagues as a starting point for conversations about well-being.
4. Creating and Sustaining Wellness Culturesopens in new window
   Why it’s valuable: Provides a framework for developing supportive departmental cultures during challenging transitions. Use it to guide discussions about collective approaches to well-being rather than focusing solely on individual coping.
5. The U.S. Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeingopens in new window
   Why it’s valuable: This practical framework offers specific strategies for addressing faculty mental health needs. Department chairs can use it to identify concrete steps for supporting faculty during enrollment challenges.
6. Civil Discourse Project Toolkit
   Why it’s valuable: Provides tools for facilitating difficult conversations about program changes, resource allocation, and institutional priorities. These skills are particularly valuable during periods of enrollment-related stress.
7. APA Response Centeropens in new window
   Why it’s valuable: Recent and proposed government policy changes are creating significant challenges for psychologists in education which can increase stress and reduce well-being. This site offers regular updates on policies impacting education, research, and practice; summarizes APA’s efforts; and recommends actions faculty members can take.

1. Faculty check-in structure: Establish regular, brief check-ins about workload and well-being as part of department meetings, normalizing these conversations.
2. Strategic planning day: Schedule a department retreat focused on collaborative response to enrollment challenges, emphasizing shared problem-solving rather than individual burden.
3. Priority on well-being: Establish a department work-life-family or well-being committee to review current policies and procedures to ensure they are well-being friendly. This committee can also propose initiatives that would be helpful to faculty.