How Are We? Take the LEO COVID Caucus Mental Health Survey!

LEO’s COVID Caucus wants to share the responses we have received so far on our Mental Health Survey. We have decided to keep the survey open until December 18. So, if you have not done so already, please take a few minutes to let us know how you are doing: Complete the COVID Caucus Survey.

At present, sixty lecturers have taken the survey, a response rate of 3.7%. We’d like for that number to be at least 10%, or 90 more lecturers to fill out the survey. The results so far are informative and illuminating. They show a workforce that is physically and emotionally exhausted and greatly concerned about the wellbeing of their students. Read on for a more detailed summary of how your coworkers are coping, adapting, and keeping on during this emergency.

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1. First and foremost, how are you doing?

Though the majority of respondents said that they are “okay”, the details of these responses indicate all the ways that they are not actually okay. Overall, there’s a lot of exhaustion and concern for the well-being of students and colleagues. It is important to note that a third of responses wrote that they were awful, terrible, or traumatized. 

2. How challenging is it to teach during COVID?

Nearly half of lecturers responded that it has been “very challenging” to teach during COVID-19. 

3. Please indicate which (if any) of these have presented barriers to your teaching (choose all that apply)

By far the most frequently noted barrier to teaching this semester has been addressing physical and/or mental well-being of students more than a typical semester. Fifty-one of fifty-nine respondents said this was a problem for them. This is a reflection of the comments from question one asking how people are doing.

4. University Administration has consistently noted that faculty should not feel pressured into uncomfortable decisions (regarding modality or other issues) during these times. If you have felt pressured, please share your story here.

Only 8 respondents gave examples of feeling pressured into uncomfortable decisions. Most examples were related to vague expectations from departments or the university regarding flexibility with instruction quality and student grades.

A majority of respondents said the changes to the academic calendar have impacted their mental health. Almost one third said the lack of breaks has been very challenging. Most agreed that the university should allot more resources to mental health services, with many identifying CAPS specifically as an urgently needed investment in student wellbeing.

The two excerpts below capture the overwhelming sentiment voiced on the survey.

From a lecturer who identified as “BURNT OUT”:

“Many students are falling through the cracks, and as their instructor, I am doing my best to catch them. But this requires extra effort and mental bandwidth on my part. The U should be filling this role, not instructors.”

From another who said they were “Not well”:

“I felt a different pressure to make the class as flexible as possible. Maybe even "easy." I consistently extended deadlines, canceled classes, held extra office hours, and more, but it always felt like this just put the class further behind.”

As to what the COVID Caucus can do to alleviate the crisis, several respondents recommended advocating for fairer workloads, better job security to help people keep their health insurance, and special provisions during an emergency such as compensation for additional labor and protection against negative student evaluations. All these issues are represented in LEO's bargaining platform. Several also hoped to see the Caucus, and LEO generally, advocate for stronger mental health support for students.

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We hope more of you check in with us over the next two weeks. We want to know how our coworkers are doing. We also believe the data will strengthen our case for greater workplace support and protections in LEO’s upcoming contract negotiations.

Please take a few minutes now to complete the survey.

To join the COVID Caucus in helping to advocate for what we need during the pandemic and beyond, email Alex Elkins at alex@leounion.org.

Be well,
LEO’s COVID Caucus