Abstract
A culture of striving for more publications, more teaching, and more service exists in academia. Increasing administrative work, emerging neoliberal student-as-customer models, unrealistic research expectations, and eroding work-life boundaries have resulted in the “Great Disengagement” for many faculty. The recent shifts in socio-cultural factors (e.g., COVID-19 pandemic, the racial awakening) have also further exacerbated stressful work conditions. All of this has led to burn-out for many. This paper proposes a framework employing tenets of job-crafting, personal planning, and faculty development to guide school psychology faculty in creating a career that is meaningful and sustainable: the FAQS Guide. We delve into the stress and stressors in academia and the complexities of burn-out. We posit that aspiring, instead of striving, can promote successfully meeting external demands, while prioritizing work that brings joy and self- expression.
