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Article
The Meaning of Academic Life
The Review of Higher Education
  • Linda Serra Hagedorn, Iowa State University
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-1-2012
DOI
10.1353/rhe.2012.0024
Abstract
This address reports the findings of a survey of higher education colleagues on the degree of happiness associated with personal definitions of “meaning of life” and “purpose in life.” Using a unique sliding scale, the survey draws items from the Oxford Happiness Project among other sources and began with all ASHE members (N = 1,904) with a final response rate of 38%. The highestscoring responses were “serving others” and having meaningful relationships. Responses from graduate students and emeriti faculty/administrators showed particularly interesting patterns. The article includes the original survey so that those who did not participate initially can still take the survey and calculate their own ratings.
Comments

This article is from The Review of Higher Education 35 (2012): 485–512, doi:10.1353/rhe.2012.0024. Posted with permission.

Copyright Owner
Association for the Study of Higher Education
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Citation Information
Linda Serra Hagedorn. "The Meaning of Academic Life" The Review of Higher Education Vol. 35 Iss. 3 (2012) p. 485 - 512
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/linda_hagedorn/33/