Self-Reported Factors Involved in Attrition and Retention of Pharmacy Faculty

Objective To evaluate factors associated with pharmacy faculty attrition and retention. Methods A cross-sectional survey was developed that consisted of 33 closed-ended and open-ended items related to reasons or potential reasons for leaving academia, motivating factors for staying in academia, and personal and professional demographic characteristics. The survey was distributed via Qualtrics® to all current pharmacy faculty using the AACP email listserv, and posted in ASHP and ACCP online communities to recruit participants who were no longer in academia. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data using SPSS®. Results A total of 1011 current and 79 former pharmacy faculty completed the survey with the majority being female, white, full-time, non-tenure track, pharmacy practice, and at associate rank. Of current faculty, 21.5% intend to leave their current position within the next year and 37.4% of respondents think about leaving either daily or weekly. Faculty who are no longer in academia or potentially will leave their position cited an unmanageable workload as the most impactful reason, with other risk factors including unsupportive/inadequate direct supervisors or senior leadership, and inadequate work-life balance, compensation, and resources. The top reasons for staying in academia included having an adequate work-life balance, manageable workload, and meaningful relationships with students. Conclusions The academy and individual institutions must evaluate and address risk factors contributing to faculty attrition. Simultaneously, they should actively encourage conditions like maintaining a manageable workload and promoting work-life balance, to retain faculty members.