Professor survey on the burden of committee work ("ProBef")
Research team University of Oldenburg
Prof Dr Karsten Speck (project leader)
Dr Sandra Kirchhoff (Research Assistant)
Professor survey on the burden of committee work ("ProBef")
(an internal survey commissioned by the Planning and Development Unit of the University of Oldenburg)
Aims of the project
The "Professor survey on the burden of committee work" at the University of Oldenburg is conducted on behalf of the Planning and Development Unit and is a measure anchored in the Equal Opportunities Plan.
The aim of the study is to record the extent of committee work and the associated burden on professors. The research questions focus on the extent to which professors at the UOL perform committee work, the extent to which this work is perceived as stressful and which measures can help to relieve or support this work. In particular, gender-specific differences are to be analysed and starting points for structural optimisations identified.
The results will create an empirical basis for assessing the stress caused by committee work and support the development of recommendations for action regarding measures to improve working conditions and equal opportunities.
Objectives of the project:
- Recording the current situation of professors' committee work
- Visualisation of existing burdens
- Comparison of female and male professors
- Discussion of possible measures to relieve the burden and derivation of recommendations
Methodical design
The study is expected to be conducted in the summer semester of 2026 as a one-off, anonymous and voluntary survey of all professors at the University of Oldenburg.
The data will be collected by means of a quantitative online survey. A questionnaire developed for this research purpose serves as the survey instrument, which primarily records various aspects of committee work (including time spent, workload, benefits, opportunities for relief).
The analysis is carried out using quantitative methods.