Examining Work-Life Balance of Faculty in Higher Education
ElsaDiego-Medrano & LeslieRamos Salazar
Abstract
The challenges of achieving work-life balance in higher education have been widely documented by previous education studies. Faculty who struggle with achieving balance between their professional and personal lives due to the demands of higher education may eventually become dissatisfied with their job in academia. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of non-tenured, tenure-track, and tenured faculty members’ needs to achieve effective work-life balance in their careers. Data were collected from 213 faculty members using Qualtrics and were analyzed using grounded theory. The analysis revealed eight emergent themes to understand faculty members’ work-life balance essentials. The themes included a) home responsibilities, b) family support, c) family life pressures, d) daycare/childcare, e) health issues, f) faculty support, g) work culture, and h) personal work challenges. Implications from this study can inform administrators in higher education about the work-life balance needs of their faculty members.