Faculty Resilience in Higher Education: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

The purpose of this review is to capture the scope of literature regarding resilience related to those faculty teaching in higher education. More specifically, this researcher is interested in those strategies and interventions that can be utilized to foster resilience among higher education faculty. In its infancy, research and intervention addressing this topic occurred at the K-12 level of education and later moved into baccalaureate programs of study for the most part. From an empirical standpoint, little is still known about resilience of faculty in higher education. Using Carl Rogers’ [1] self theory as a theoretical framework, the author investigates the literature in terms of the connection (as well as disconnection) between one’s selfimage and one’s ideal image. Through this theoretical lens, correlates of resilience as well as ways to foster resilience in instructors and professors in higher education are discussed. A deeper understanding of these factors will drive future research in terms of the development and evaluation of appropriate interventions to address faculty resilience in higher education with an intended emphasis on faculty who teach in health sciences.