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This study concerns burnout and related factors as reported by 344 fulltime student affairs administrators (159 men and 185 women). The major findings show that women reported higher levels of emotional exhaustion, that men and women differed with respect to many personal and job-related characteristics and activities, and that the relationships between emotional exhaustion and many of these characteristics and activities differed for men and women. Implications and recommendations for both wellness interventions and further research are discussed.
As attendance at institutions of higher education across the country continues to grow rapidly, so do the responsibilities of the student affairs administrators (SAAs) who work within those institutions. SAAs are responsible for the cocurricular and extra-curricular experiences of students at colleges and universities. Their range of duties includes many different tasks, from academic advisement to residence hall management. The personal and professional demands associated with their duties also vary widely. For example, some SAAs are required to work essentially a regular eight-hour work day, while others are required to be available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Oftentimes, SAAs embrace a "yes I can, yes I will" frame of mind and work ethic. This involves not delegating, becoming a mentor for all students and colleagues in need, not using the word "no" as often as they should, or feeling that a sense of accomplishment is synonymous with exhaustion and fatigue. Unfortunately, the impact of the various workload conditions of SAAs is not fully understood, and many questions regarding stress, burnout, and wellness remain unanswered.
According to Cloud (1991), administrators who do too much for too long are at high risk for professional burnout. Clearly, burnout is a complex phenomenon, however, it is one which must be understood if SAAs are to avoid or reduce it.
Information about the stress and burnout associated with the work experiences of SAAs is just beginning to emerge (e.g., Berwick, 1992; Blix & Lee, 1991; Brown, Bond, Gerndt, Krager, Krantz, Lukin, & Prentice, 1986; Skipper, 1992; Ward, 1995). High levels of stress are apparent among SAAs and negatively affect various aspects of their personal and professional lives. In a study of SAAs by Berwick, increased stress levels were predicted by various personal characteristics and organizational variables such as...