Overview
Higher education continues to evolve through the aftermath of Covid-19 and the explosion of Generative AI. While the initial rush to online learning has subsided, the challenges and complexities of hybrid and remote instruction persist.
As educators continue to navigate an increasingly complex and evolving teaching landscape, this report highlights their growing responsibilities and workload pressures, as they juggle teaching in multiple formats, finding time to design their courses, and increasing student engagement. Despite these pressures, faculty remain dedicated to student success. They continue to explore innovative teaching approaches to meet the diverse needs of today’s learners. However, a sense of overwhelm has become increasingly prevalent.
Through this analysis, we hope to provide valuable insights for institutions seeking to enhance faculty well-being, improve teaching and learning experiences, and innovate through digital transformation.
This report offers a comprehensive look into the current state of faculty experiences in higher education. Key areas of exploration include:
Faculty Heroes: Understanding the Higher Ed Teaching Environment
Faculty Action: Creating Student-Centric, Inclusive & Engaged Learning
Faculty Struggle: Why Faculty Feel Overburdened and Burnt Out
Faculty Innovation: How Faculty are Keeping Up Given Changing Technology and Environments
About This Study
From September 2023 to January 2024, Alchemy conducted a nationwide survey of higher education faculty. The 527 respondents represent full-time and part-time faculty who teach across the academic disciplines at four-year and two-year public and private institutions. The survey consisted of questions about how faculty approach designing and teaching courses, how they spend their time, and what they find most difficult. They were asked about their experience and satisfaction with support resources on campus. And, finally, they were asked to rate the factors they enjoy most about their role (from a list of 15) and express agreement/disagreement with a series of 19 statements about their attitudes/feelings. Alchemy conducted a similar survey in 2022, so we highlight here the consistencies and disparities in findings where appropriate.