Tales from three countries and one academia: Academic faculty in the time of the pandemic

Since the start of the pandemic and the related major disruptions introduced to all aspects of university work and life, one invariable focus has been on students and the effects of dislocation, lockdown, illness, and isolation, not only on their academic performance and career advancement but also on their physical well-being and mental health. In departure from this focus, this editorial turns attention to faculty members and analyzes the different paths and management strategies that universities around the globe took through the pandemic. Bringing perspectives from Australia, Canada, and the United States, from online only, on-campus only, and hybrid programs, this editorial highlights the gamut of experiences with and views on navigating the pandemic in higher education from the faculty perspective. Some reflections are personal and program-bound (Garner, Thompson), whereas others are analytical and span the entire academic realm (Caidi, Dali). We introduce a series of vignettes that, together,compose a picture of faculty struggles and triumphs during the pandemic. We also touch on the administrative and managerial context in which the events of 2020–21 in academia unfolded.We call these vignettes “tales.” These tales address the differences and striking commonalities in experiences of faculty across institutions and geographic borders, pointing to new challenges,successful innovations, and surprising constants—positive and negative—that came to the fore and were accentuated during the time of crisis and change.