As I’ve written elsewhere in this newsletter, burnout is a serious problem in higher education—not only for faculty but also for students and staff. Defined by the World Health Organization as a “syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed,” burnout manifests as exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy and can lead to mental, physical, and emotional health problems in the long term. And while burnout dramatically affects the individuals experiencing it and those they work with, its origins are cultural, in terms of both Western capitalist culture and the culture of our workplaces, which prioritize productivity over all else.
From “Rename and Remain” to “Reframe and Regain”: Reimagining Campus Inclusiveness
In my last article, I highlighted the crucial strategies of “person-first” and “targeted universalism” amid the wave of anti-DEI legislation in higher education. Initially, many of us embraced a “rename
Molly Kerby
July 7, 2025
