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Policy number: 2.7

Policy section: Academic Affairs

Revised Date: November 1, 2021

1.  Policy Statement

As faculty are among the most important and consequential resources of any university, it is the policy of this University to maximize the efficient use of our teaching, research, and service resources and to ensure workload equity. It is also the policy of the University to achieve faculty compensation levels that are comparable to those at peer institutions. Compensation includes both salary and benefits.

2.  Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to set forth guidelines and expectations regarding workload assignments and compensation for faculty members of the University.

3.  Faculty Workload

The ordinary full-time faculty workload for faculty who have no responsibility for research, administration, advising, curriculum oversight, faculty and university governance, and committee work is twelve credit hours per week or the equivalent. Faculty with significant responsibility for advising, curriculum oversight, faculty and university governance, committee work, and other service to the University, school, and department ordinarily receive the equivalent of three credit hours of released time each week for such duties. Faculty with active and productive research programs normally receive three credit hours of released time for their research. Faculty with significant sponsored research programs may receive appropriate additional released time from teaching within individual school procedure and with the approval of the Dean. Faculty with administrative responsibilities may, when such administrative duties demand significant time, receive additional released time from teaching and research.

The actual workload for a given semester is determined by the department/division chair in consultation with the Dean or the Dean in schools without departments. It is understood that a “normal” workload as defined above is an average workload and that actual assignments may be more or less than the norm in a given semester, depending on relevant factors such as those factors outlined above.

The contract for non-tenure track full-time instructional faculty should specify the teaching load and any expectations for performing service or administrative tasks. When these faculty are asked to perform significant additional responsibilities that are not included in the original contract, the contract should be formally amended or a new contract offered. When appropriate, the amended contract should include adjustments to teaching load.

The Office of the Provost has oversight and administrative responsibility for this policy and may, with appropriate Stakeholder consultation, promulgate workload procedures and guidelines for each college and school of the University.

4.  Compensation

The University recognizes the importance of its faculty and the need to invest resources in them to achieve its mission. As a result, compensation decisions should support the recruitment, performance, and retention of high-quality faculty. When recruiting faculty, the compensation rate should reflect relevant competitive market forces, the individual’s impact on the department or school, and the individual’s credentials and record. The influence of the market is readily apparent in the differentials that exist between disciplines.

Merit shall be the prevailing factor in all recommended salary increases. Merit involves the evaluation of teaching, research, and service to the University, the community, and the profession. Fairness and market measures are other considerations. Fairness is related to salary considerations based upon comparative responsibilities and concerns the issues of length of service and merit/equality considerations for minorities, women, and faculty who entered the academy under different market conditions.

More details on the guidelines for the periodic evaluation of faculty are outlined in University Policy 2.10, Periodic Evaluation of Faculty.

5.  Salary Administration

Most faculty work on nine month academic year contracts that begin on September 1 and end on May 31. Even though the dates of the official contract do not match the dates of the academic calendar, the faculty member is expected to be present when the University is in session (typically mid to late August until the end of final exams in the middle of May).

Faculty on nine month academic year contract may elect to receive their academic year salaries in installments over 10 months (August to May) or 12 months (August to July). Once committed to either plan, the faculty member must give notice to change pay options by August 1 commencing the academic year in which the change is to become effective. The first salary payment for August is received on August 31 and is designated on the paycheck as “paid not earned”. The last salary payment is received on May 31 under the 10 month option and July 31 under the 12 month option. Under the 12 month plan, the final two month are designated as “earned not paid” since the faculty member chose to defer some salary to June and July.

Some faculty receive twelve month contracts for programmatic reasons. These programs typically operate throughout the year instead of primarily during the fall and spring semesters.

6.  Questions

Questions regarding this policy are to be directed to the Office of the Provost.

7.  Related Policies

Revised: November 1, 2021

Adopted: October 5, 2000