The Aspiring Professor: A crafting framework to promote joy and self-expression in the academy

Year: 2023

Issue: Vol. 40 Issue. 1

Journal Name: School Psychology Training and Pedagogy

Title: The Aspiring Professor: A Crafting Framework to Promote Joy and Self-Expression in the Academy

Citation: Talapatra, D., Hazel, C. E., & McCreadie, K. (2023) The Aspiring Professor: A Crafting Framework to Promote Joy and Self-Expression in the Academy. School Psychology Training and Pedagogy, 40 (1), 72-87. 

Abstract: A culture of striving for more publications, more teaching, and more service exists in academia. Increasing administrative work, emerging neoliberal student-as-customer models, unrealistic research expectations, and eroding work-life boundaries have resulted in the “Great Disengagement” for many faculty. The recent shifts in socio-cultural factors (e.g., COVID-19 pandemic, the racial awakening) have also further exacerbated stressful work conditions. All of this has led to burn-out for many. This paper proposes a framework employing tenets of job-crafting, personal planning, and faculty development to guide school psychology faculty in creating a career that is meaningful and sustainable: the FAQS Guide. We delve into the stress and stressors in academia and the complexities of burn-out. We posit that aspiring, instead of striving, can promote successfully meeting external demands, while prioritizing work that brings joy and self expression. 

Keywords: job-crafting, faculty development, professional planning, burn-out

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