Course of Life: A Transformative Design Inquiry into the Modern Academic CV

Abstract

This project addresses the growing issue of burnout among U.S. higher education faculty. An inquiry into the causes of faculty burnout points to weaknesses within the American higher education system that have been exacerbated by a network of external and internal pressures. From the outside, institutions are being pressured to act more like corporations and embrace neoliberal values. At the same time, the societal pressure to democratize American institutions by asking them to become inclusive in their policies and practices is felt acutely in academia. These aims—productivity and inclusive democratization– are often in tension in academia, with overseeing bodies like trustees and legislatures prizing measurable, economic productivity, and faculty and administrative bodies prioritizing gender and racial inclusivity. There is one place where all these pressures play out: the academic CV. The CV is an ideal lens through which to examine these dynamics as it struggles to link faculty, administrators, universities, and funding agencies, in their attempt to convey both neoliberal and inclusive values. Many stakeholders trying to construct different narratives leads to an inherent tension and leaves no one satisfied. To make matters worse, the growing use of digital analytic software in place of traditional CVs has led to an imbalance, with neoliberal success indicators overshadowing inclusive ones. This disparity negatively impacts faculty wellbeing, especially faculty in underrepresented demographics, as their sense of personal achievement is diminished under these criteria and raises the question: how might the CV evolve to balance the needs of all of its stakeholders? Doing so may ease some of the tension within academic life and enhance faculty wellbeing. This study employs a transformative research design to explore whether the CV can be reformed to rebalance the tensions within academia. The mixed-method qualitative study draws on interviews and participatory co-design activities, and a constructive design process to explore divergent ways the CV might evolve to benefit faculty more. After evaluating the designs through transformative criteria, new insights are developed about the nature of modern academic work and spheres of action that can lead to faculty wellbeing.