Stress in tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty : what we know and where we are going

A great deal of research has over the last fifty years has examined chronic stress in the workplace across numerous vocations. Relatively little has been studied in the context of university faculty, and even less still has been examined in non-tenure track faculty (NTTF), individuals who seek academic work contingently and fill teaching, supervising, researching, and mentoring roles. This report outlines the extant knowledge on chronic stress in university faculty, ultimately focusing on the experiences of NTTF. Research into professor stress in the following domains are outlined: workplace factors, multicultural and sexual minority concerns, gender, and disparities in treatment and payment. Additional stress factors may affect NTTF that are not experienced by all university professors, such as perceived social status (PSS), workplace isolation, and incivility from students. Exploratory research into and implications of NTTF stress are discussed, and future research directions and possible clinical interventions for NTTF stress are suggested.