Coaching Faculty and Staff with Burnout in Higher Education | Dr. Rebecca Pope‑Ruark – S1 E09

Описание: Coaching Faculty and Staff with Burnout in Higher Education | Dr. Rebecca Pope‑Ruark – S1 E09
Companion Site: https://leadershipimagined.com/podcas...
In this episode of Coaching in Higher Education, Dr. Tim Jansa talks with burnout expert and coach Dr. Rebecca Pope‑Ruark about the growing crisis of burnout and workplace trauma among faculty and staff in colleges and universities. They explore how chronic stress, institutional betrayal, value misalignment, and constant change since the COVID‑19 pandemic have pushed many higher‑education professionals beyond their limits and what coaches can do to support them.

You’ll learn how to:
💥Recognize the three core dimensions of burnout (exhaustion, cynicism, reduced efficacy) in faculty and staff
💥Understand the role of institutional betrayal, toxic culture, and misaligned values in higher‑ed burnout
💥Distinguish clearly between coaching and therapy when working with clients who carry trauma
💥Use values work, boundaries, and “seasons of life” to help clients redesign their work and identity
💥Support faculty and staff as they make hard decisions about roles, careers, and institutional fit
💥Foster compassionate conversations and more caring institutional cultures in academia

If you coach in the higher‑education space—or work as a faculty or staff member yourself—this conversation offers practical language, frameworks, and coaching moves to help clients who feel they “can’t hack it anymore” but still care deeply about their students and their work.

Chapters:00:00 Introduction & welcome
01:21 Why burnout and trauma matter in higher education
01:30 Recent increases in faculty & staff burnout since COVID‑19
02:08 Chronic stress, doing more with less, and institutional betrayal
03:13 Burnout as a workplace stress syndrome, not a personal weakness
04:08 Exhaustion, productivity worries, and the three burnout dimensions
05:26 Institutional betrayal, values misalignment, and toxic cultures
07:08 Emotional vs. physical exhaustion and shifting student needs
09:21 Clarifying values and conflicts through coaching
09:41 Where to draw the line between coaching and therapy
11:25 Three levels of burnout and when therapy becomes essential
12:55 Rebecca’s personal burnout story as a faculty member
14:29 Overwork, student‑related trauma, and medical leave
16:11 Burnout, anxiety, depression, and major life changes
18:03 The systemic nature of burnout in academia
19:21 Compassionate conversations and “the caring university”
20:21 Rethinking workload, expectations, and well‑being as strategy
23:36 Faculty vs. staff experiences of burnout and workload
25:30 Identity, self‑worth, and “who am I without my work?”
29:00 Balancing crisis support with long‑term resilience in coaching
32:54 Designing more supportive institutional cultures

🔗 Companion site & resources
Explore more episodes, show notes, and resources on coaching in higher education:
https://leadershipimagined.com/podcas...

📩 Work with Dr. Tim Jansa
Interested in coaching support for yourself or your institution? Learn more about leadership and organizational transformation coaching for higher‑education professionals:
https://leadershipimagined.com

👍 If this episode helps you:
💥Like the video to support the channel
💥Subscribe for more conversations on coaching and leadership in higher education
💥Share this episode with a colleague who may be struggling with burnout

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Disclaimer:
This conversation is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute mental‑health, medical, or legal advice. Coaching is not a substitute for therapy or professional medical care. If you are experiencing severe distress or think you may be suffering from a mental‑health condition, please contact a qualified healthcare or mental‑health professional in your area.