I. Instructional Responsibilities

A.

The primary responsibilities for full-time faculty shall be teaching and learning, professional development, and college service. The faculty job description provides additional details regarding duties and responsibilities. Each teaching faculty member will be assigned a teaching load according to the length of employment term and the types of courses taught. The associate dean/supervisor will assign schedules equitably to each member within the department. Schedules should be based on the needs of students and should take into account such factors as the size of the class, the number of different preparations, the difficulty of the teaching assignment, the locations of the classes, the qualifications and preferences of the instructor, the needs of the division, the type of evaluations required of students, and other appropriate considerations.

The effective implementation of this policy hinges on trust and mutual respect between faculty and leadership that characterizes the relationship of professional colleagues. No single workload standard can provide equitable individual workloads across disciplines at all times. Workloads will be established following the workload procedures outlined here, however exceptions may arise.

B.

Individual teaching schedules may be adjusted upward or downward from one term to another to accommodate variations in enrollments and to meet other needs, such as approved College/division projects requiring responsibility equivalent to teaching a class or classes.

C.

Academic leaders may make reasonable allowances for variances to provide equity in faculty responsibilities with approval from an Associate Vice President. Ideally, faculty workload is adjusted each semester to avoid overload situations and ensure the quality of the learning environment. Academic leadership shall monitor the teaching assignments of faculty in their respective areas to ensure that they meet the needs of the students, are equitable to faculty, and consider the financial resources available. Teaching load adjustments (overloads or reductions) must be approved by the appropriate Associate Vice President. The procedures outlined here will be reviewed periodically to ensure the needs of students, faculty, and the institution are met appropriately.

II. Teaching/Work Loads

A. Curriculum Faculty

The full-time teaching load is an annual load of 33 - 38 load units over a 9-month employment term, with an expectation of 15 - 20 load units each term. Each term, the teaching load will be based upon load units calculated as follows:

• Lecture/Lab per week (1 contact hour = 1 load unit)
• Lecture classes with 50 students or less (1 contact hour = 1 load unit)
• Lecture classes with 51 students or more (1 contact hour = 1.5 load units)
• Clinical Coordination, Clinical Instruction, and Clinical Supervision are calculated based on the Allocation of Faculty Clinical Load Units.
• Co-op per number of students (1 student = .60 load unit; maximum of 10 students per class)
• Faculty who have 200 or more students enrolled in their assigned sections will be considered to have met their full-time load for that term, regardless of the number of sections assigned.

All faculty must carry a teaching load that puts them within the full-time load range. If faculty carry a load that makes the semesterly load expectation mathematically impossible, then the faculty must meet the annual range. Examples include:

• If faculty teach only 7-contact hour classes, then one semester their load would be 3 classes, totaling 21 load units. The following semester they may teach 2 classes, totaling 14 load units for the term and 35 load units for the year, placing them within the full-time range.
• If faculty teach only 12-contact hour classes, then one semester their load would be 2 classes, totaling 24 load units, and the following semester they would teach one class. This would give them an annual load of 36 load units, placing them within the annual range.

In some instances, faculty may share in teaching responsibilities (team teaching) in order to more effectively serve the learning needs of students. In such cases, contact hours will be divided appropriately based on faculty responsibilities.

B. Continuing Education Faculty

The standard teaching load for Continuing Education faculty is 24–32 contact hours per week, and workloads will be averaged on an annual basis.

C. Mixed Workloads

Associate deans/supervisors may assign workloads that mix curriculum and continuing education instruction. Classes will be equated according to the following definitions and formulas:

• Type A Continuing Education Class = 1.50 curriculum load units
  • In Type A classes, the instructor conducts needs assessment, develops customized course materials, meets with possible clients, and teaches the class.
• Type B Continuing Education Class = 1.25 curriculum load units
  • In Type B classes, the instructor develops a course based on existing units, updates materials to meet client needs, meets clients, and teaches the class.
• Type C Continuing Education Class = .75 curriculum load units
  • In Type C classes, the instructor teaches an existing course (lecture/lab) and no prior meetings are necessary.

E. Associate Deans in Academic Affairs

Standard minimum full-time load of 40 hours per week. As a part of this workload, associate deans will teach a minimum of 6 load units per fiscal year. These load units may be taught during any term, at the individual dean's discretion.

F. Other Exempt Personnel

Standard minimum full-time load for other exempt personnel is 40 hours per week. Job responsibilities may require additional hours per week. Exempt employees are not eligible for overtime pay except as in IV. Overload Assignment.

III. Accessibility Responsibilities

A.

Each teaching faculty member will schedule and maintain office hours in appropriate locations (e.g., office, lab, and studio).

B.

At the beginning of each term, curriculum instructors shall post the minimum 30-hour on-campus professional commitment (including the class schedule, locations, and office hours) at their work site(s) and with the associate dean.

C.

When the instructor cannot meet the scheduled hours, the instructor should notify the associate dean/supervisor or administrative assistant as soon as possible and post appropriate notice.

IV. Overload Assignments

A.

To ensure that course quality and integrity remains high and that other required duties and responsibilities are met, the College has an interest in ensuring that faculty does not take on an excessive amount of work. Overload in moderation for capable and willing full-time faculty can offer an advantage for students, including continuity in course content and full-time faculty availability to students.

B.

Full-time faculty may request overload, but overload cannot be assumed. Faculty overload is in excess of, not part of, the standard workweek and includes additional office hours to accommodate required service to students. Any full-time faculty member may be granted an overload based upon the following conditions:

Students need:

1. The availability of qualified part-time instructors
2. The performance ranking of the faculty member and judgment of the associate dean/supervisor
3. Meets credentialing requirements of the program/course
4. Meets or exceeds the expectations of all duties of their regular role
5. The faculty member is willing to take the overload.

Because of the great diversity of teaching methods, credit hour values per course, and duration of courses, overload will be measured in contact hours per semester for fall and spring semesters for 9-month faculty and fall, spring, and summer semesters for 12-month faculty. The total overload shall be no more than two courses, not to exceed 10 weekly contact hours, per semester. Any exceptions will require the written approval of the appropriate dean. When granting overload, the following should be observed:

• Faculty must make their full-time load range before an overload is granted.
• Once faculty have met their full-time teaching load commitment, the course that takes their load beyond the maximum of the semesterly or annual range is considered an overload course.
• When an overload assignment puts faculty above the maximum of the range, the smallest contact hour class shall be paid as an overload, assuming the faculty member is within the range prior to adding the overload course.

Related Policies and Procedures

• Policy 1.04 Employment of Part-Time Personnel
• Policy 1.07 Employment Contracts
• Policy 1.12 Workloads for Faculty
• Allocation of Faculty Clinical Load Units

Changes

Changes approved by Cabinet on June 27, 2022.