Job Satisfaction of Experienced Professors at a Liberal Arts College

This study examined career satisfaction among experienced professors at a moderate-sized liberal arts college and explored their motivations for staying in the profession. Experienced professors were defined as tenure-track faculty who had been teaching in higher education for at least 15 years. Data sources included the Experienced Teacher Survey, returned by 43.5% (N=74) of the experienced professors, and interviews with 25 of these professors selected from the four schools that made up the college: Liberal Arts, Science, Economics & Business Administration, and Education. Results show the importance of professional over practical motivators, and of teaching and scholarship over service. Ways to enhance faculty satisfaction and to support new faculty members are considered.