College faculty are under pressure to say and do the right thing – the stress also trickles down to students

Professors and other faculty were under a lot of strain even before the Trump administration took office. Spiffy J/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Heavy teaching loads, shrinking university budgets and expanding workload expectations have fueled stress and burnout among professors and other university employees in recent years.

Now, an increasingly polarized political climate, as well as emerging concerns around university funding cuts, self-censorship and academic freedom, has created new pressures for university and college employees.