Do College Professors Really Work 60-Hour Weeks?
Teaching higher education is a demanding job, but how much time does it actually take? Dr. John P. Ziker (@DrZiker) set out to find the truth.
Way back in 2014, Ziker conducted a study to figure out how much time real professors spend working every week. His initial research revealed that on average professors work 61 hours — 10-hour days during the week and an additional 10 hours on the weekends.
When Ziker’s study resurfaced years later, academics were skeptical that his findings were truly accurate. Many believed the estimate was overinflated or that one group of professors from one university wasn’t a large enough sample size to produce credible results.
So Ziker continued his search for answers. Over the past four years he found that the more data he gathered, the more clear the results became: his 61-hour work week estimate from 2014 still holds true today! Not only that, he was able to produce a detailed breakdown of exactly what professors spend 61 hours each week doing.
To learn more about Ziker’s discoveries, check out our latest feature article: How to End the Academic 60-Hour Work Week. If you’re one of those professors working 61 hours every week, there is hope to reclaim your time and still support your students the best that you can — maybe even better.
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