The problem addressed by this study was the lack of understanding of the perceptions of faculty members regarding how motivation and stress levels were affected during emergency distance learning situation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to understand and explore how motivation and stress levels of faculty were affected by emergency distance education requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic. I used a case study to explore the stresses and motivation that the faculty at Norwich University felt when moving face-to-face classes to online delivery during the spring of 2020 semester. Faculty members who taught during the Spring of 2020 were invited to participate in a survey. I used a qualitative research methodology to provide a rich description of a complex phenomenon. Using criterion sampling, twenty faculty members were invited to participate in an online survey and interview. I used two data collection methods in this study. The first was an online survey, and the second method was an interview. I reviewed the data utilizing inductive coding, where codes were developed as the data were read and examined. As a result of the data collected in this study, the following recommendations for practice are given: institutions of higher education need to be aware of the stress and motivation levels of their faculty, institutions of higher education should train all their employees in multiple modalities, and faculty members need to be aware of their own stress levels. As a result of the data collected in this study, the following recommendations for future research are given: to expand this research throughout Vermont to see if the findings are consistent, to expand on the participants' level of stress in relation to their motivation, and to obtain information from part-time faculty members. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]