Case Study: Academic Capitalism & Academic Coaches’ Working Conditions, Emotional Labor, & Compassion Fatigue

Abstract

Student affairs within higher education encompasses a wide range of professions, including academic coaching. Although most academic coaching programs have only been around for the past 20 years, much of the research has focused on its justification and value as a profession by evidence of students’ increased grade point averages (GPAs), retention rates, and goal attainment (Alzen et al., 2021; Capstick et al., 2019; Losch et al., 2016; Vanacore & Dahan, 2021). There remains a gap within the literature that falls short of examining the everyday experiences of academic coaches within university settings. This critical case study looked to give a platform for academic coaches to voice their experiences with their working conditions, emotional labor, and compassion fatigue. Through the means of 22 qualitative semi-structed interviews, the findings concluded that University of Arizona (UA) academic coaches exist within an institutional environment that promotes and upholds academic capitalist structures. This negatively effects their working conditions, while also advancing elements of emotional labor and compassion fatigue. Although collectively experienced across the university, department affiliation dictates the different ways or levels to which these elements of working conditions, emotional labor, and compassion fatigue are felt by academic coaches. Through evidence of these findings, recommendations and implications for academic coaches and university management are provided.