Faculty Teaching Load Guidelines

Purpose

This document establishes guidelines for department chairs when making teaching assignments for full time members of the Corps of Instruction and tenured faculty holding administrative appointments.    These guidelines elaborate on the Teaching Load Policy in the Faculty Handbook.

Guidelines

• Faculty teaching assignments are the responsibility of the department chair in consultation with the faculty member and the dean.
• The expected undergraduate teaching load for full-time members of the Corps of Instruction is four courses or twelve credit hours (or equivalent contact hours) per semester for the fall and spring semesters. Three courses or nine credit hours (or equivalent contact hours) are required to qualify for full-time status during the summer semester.
• When a faculty member is awarded external grant funds for research, adjustments will be made in teaching responsibilities in accordance with provisions of the grant. 
• The University’s comprehensive mission and institutional priorities render exceptions to the standard undergraduate teaching load both necessary and appropriate. Examples of activities that may justify reassigned time include research development, independent study, direction of graduate theses and dissertations, approved administrative tasks and committee assignments, special projects and significant service assignments.
• Department chairs are normally expected to teach two classes per year.
• Academic administrators above the chair level holding faculty rank are normally expected to teach one class per year.
• Department chairs are expected to complete the Faculty Load Form each semester and submit it to their respective dean.

September 12, 2006