Invisible Labor and Visible Consequences: A Case of Role Overload,Shared Governance Failure,and Faculty Burnout in Higher Education

Abstract

This case examines faculty burnout as an organizational outcome within a shared governance environment, highlighting the vulnerability of non-tenured faculty in leadership roles. Using the Social Ecological Model (SEM), the case follows Professor Ivy Bennett, a mid-career, non-tenured faculty member whose expanding responsibilities, amid systemic failures and limited administrative support, create sustained role strain. As demands intensify, she faces a critical decision: remain in a leadership role dependent on informal labor or step away to reestablish professional and personal boundaries. Designed for graduate and doctoral-level courses, the case invites analysis of leadership accountability, shared governance, invisible labor, and ethical decision-making under structural constraint.