Work Load (Q 16)
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Having explored research productivity and the perceived adequacy of institutional resources to support faculty’s work, the focus now turns to an examination of how many hours per week faculty typically work and how they spend this time.

Two thirds of faculty work between 41 and 60 hours each week, and almost another quarter work 61 or more hours per week. (See Chart 10.) During these hours, 36% work on campus between 81 and 100% of the time and another 41% spend between 61 and 80% of their work time on campus.

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Fully 92% work at least part of the time from home, but for 59% this translates into only 1 to 20% of their total work time. Additionally, 41% spend between 1 and 20% of their time working away from both home and campus, while 55% report never working in a third location.

Differences by School

Schools most likely to have faculty who work 50 or fewer hours each week include Liberal Arts (48%), Technology (61%), and the Libraries (73%). Those schools most likely to have faculty who work 61 or more hours per week include Agriculture (27%), Science (27%), Management (29%), and Engineering (39%).

The location where faculty work also varies by school and appears to fit with the cultural norms in departments and schools. Those most likely to work at least 81% of the time on campus include faculty from the Libraries (48%), Management (52%), and Veterinary Medicine (62%). Liberal Arts faculty are the most likely to spend at least 21% of their time working from home (51% do so), followed by Education (46%) and Technology (42%) faculty. Health Sciences faculty are the most likely to work off campus, away from home (17% spend at least 21% of their time in another location).

Differences by Rank

Associate professors are the most likely to work 50 or fewer hours per week, but the differences are minimal (39% of associate professors work 50 or fewer hours, compared to 33% of assistant professors and 37% of professors). Assistant professors are the most likely to work on campus (43% spend at least 81% of their time working there compared to 36% of associate and 30% of full professors). The percentages of faculty who spend at least 21% of their time working at home or at another off-campus location are virtually the same across the three ranks.

Differences by Gender

Males and females work a very similar number of hours per week. Thirty-six percent of males and 38% of females work 50 or fewer hours per week. Men are slightly more likely than women to spend 81% or more of their time working on campus (36% vs. 33%). Women, on the other hand, are more likely to spend at least 21% of their time working from home (41% vs. 31%) and working away from campus at another location (7% vs. 3%).

Differences by Race

Caucasians are the most likely to work 50 or fewer hours per week (38% vs. 32% of underrepresented minorities and 16% of Asian Americans) and they are also the least likely to work 61 or more hours per week (22% vs. 32% of the other two groups). Underrepresented minorities are the least likely to work on campus 81% or more of the time (25% vs. 36% of the other two groups), while Caucasians are the only ones who reported working off campus, away from home at least 21% of the time (4% do so).