Enhancing faculty retention: The role of student initiatives, mentorship, advocacy, and collaboration

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Type of the article: Research Article

In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, higher education institutions face increasing challenges in faculty retention. The study analyzes the impact of Student Initiatives, Mentorship, Advocacy, and Collaboration on faculty intention to stay through the mediation of faculty satisfaction. The research process began with an exhaustive review of existing literature and the development of a structured questionnaire using a quantitative approach. A further survey was undertaken by collecting 390 responses from faculty members working in higher education institutions in Karnataka, India. The mediation was analyzed utilizing confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to check the model fit and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to test hypothetical relationships. Results revealed significant direct effects of Student-Led Peer Mentorship, Advocacy Groups, Student Initiatives, and Collaborative Learning on faculty satisfaction. These constructs also significantly predicted faculty retention, both directly and through the mediating effect of faculty satisfaction. Faculty satisfaction mediated these relationships, with the strongest total effect for advocacy groups (β = .537). While collaborative learning had a strong direct effect (β = .347), its mediated impact was comparatively weaker (β = .082). This study highlights that institutions that recognize and value the connection between student engagement and faculty engagement are poised to develop a strong academic community. The practical significance of the current study is considerable for institutional decision-makers and academic leaders. Institutions should not rely on just extrinsic rewards, such as salary or tenure, to be able to develop their faculties, but rather should intentionally develop a participative academic culture.

Acknowledgment
The authors acknowledge financial support for the Article Processing Charges (APC) from Yenepoya (Deemed to be University).

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    • Figure 1. Conceptual model
    • Figure 2. Mediating role of faculty satisfaction in the relationship between student initiatives, mentorship, advocacy, and collaboration and faculty retention
    • Table 1. Demographic profile of respondents
    • Table 2. Construct validity
    • Table 3. Direct effect of study variables
    • Table 4. Mediating role of environmental advocacy behavior in the relationship between digital fatigue, psychological safety, and faculty retention
    • Table B1. Student-led initiatives (SLI)
    • Table B2. Student-led peer mentorship programs (SLPMP)
    • Table B3. Student advocacy groups (SAG)
    • Table B3. Student advocacy groups (SAG)
    • Table B5. Faculty satisfaction
    • Table B6. Faculty intent to stay
    • Conceptualization
      Neekshitha V. Shetty, Shareena P., Afsana Mehar, Nehila Farveen P.
    • Data curation
      Neekshitha V. Shetty, Shareena P., Nehila Farveen P.
    • Formal Analysis
      Neekshitha V. Shetty, Shareena P., Afsana Mehar
    • Funding acquisition
      Neekshitha V. Shetty, Shareena P., Afsana Mehar, Nehila Farveen P.
    • Investigation
      Neekshitha V. Shetty, Shareena P.
    • Methodology
      Neekshitha V. Shetty, Shareena P., Afsana Mehar
    • Resources
      Neekshitha V. Shetty, Shareena P., Nehila Farveen P.
    • Software
      Neekshitha V. Shetty, Shareena P., Afsana Mehar
    • Supervision
      Neekshitha V. Shetty, Shareena P., Nehila Farveen P.
    • Validation
      Neekshitha V. Shetty, Shareena P.
    • Visualization
      Neekshitha V. Shetty, Shareena P., Afsana Mehar, Nehila Farveen P.
    • Writing – original draft
      Neekshitha V. Shetty, Shareena P., Afsana Mehar
    • Writing – review & editing
      Neekshitha V. Shetty, Shareena P.
    • Project administration
      Shareena P., Nehila Farveen P.