Faculty Workload Reporting Guidelines

Office of the Provost, 2007 March 7

 

These guidelines are based on the policies of the City University of New York as reflected in the provisions of the PSC/CUNY contract and CUNY Board of Trustees resolutions. On June 26, 1995, the Board passed a series of budget planning and policy proposals. Sections that focus on workload read as follows:

6.         It shall be the University policy that (1) all faculty be assigned the contractual maximum for the teaching portion of their workload unless they are granted reassigned time for specific purposes or purchase reassigned time through sponsored projects; (2) each college review its reassigned time policies and practices to obtain the maximum aggregate contribution of each faculty member to instruction, scholarship, and public service; (3) there is no requirement that the instructional portion of each faculty member’s workload be identical within each college or department, but rather that the instructional portion of the workload reflect the college’s judgment about how each faculty member can best contribute to the overall work of the college.

7.         It shall be the University’s goal to maintain or increase reassigned time for research for those faculty who are actively engaged in professionally recognized research and scholarship, including junior faculty establishing their professional reputations.

 

Based on these policies and prior practice at Queens College, the following guidelines and instructions, clarified and rearranged from the September 1996 guidelines, apply for this academic year.

 

Instructional Workload

1.    The annual instructional workload is mandated by the contract. This is 21 contact hours for faculty in professorial titles and 27 contact hours per academic year for those in the title of lecturer or instructor. Distinguished Professors are expected to teach four courses per academic year (12 to 16 contact hours). Substitute appointments are expected to teach 3 more contact hours per academic year than is standard for the corresponding non-substitute appointment. A contact hour is defined as an organized class meeting weekly at a regularly scheduled time during the semester for a 50-minute period or equivalent. For teaching commitments that do not involve weekly meetings at regularly scheduled times (independent study/tutorials/thesis supervision), assignable contact hours are as indicated below. These limits are not to be exceeded.

2.    Doctoral courses (students registered at the Graduate School and University Center - GSUC) are credited on the basis of actual contact hours.

3.    Independent study/tutorials/thesis supervision at GSUC:

a)              Doctoral (GSUC registered) independent study/tutorials are credited at the rate of 0.6 contact hours per student registration. Use Table B to list students supervised.

b)             Doctoral dissertation supervision is credited at the rate of 0.6 contact hours per student per semester. For any one student, credit in this category may be assigned for no more than six semesters. Use Table B to list students supervised.

c)              The maximum amount that can be applied to the instructional workload for doctoral (GSUC) independent study/tutorials and dissertation supervision is 3 contact hours per semester.

4.    Independent study/tutorials/thesis supervision at Queens College:

d)             Independent study/tutorials at Queens College (graduate and undergraduate) are credited at the rate of 0.1 contact hour per student credit hour registered. Use Table A to list students supervised.

e)              Master level thesis dissertation supervision at Queens College is credited at the rate of 0.5 contact hours per student per semester. For any one student, credit in this category may be assigned for no more than two semesters. Use Table A to list students supervised.

f)               The maximum amount that can be applied to the instructional workload for Queens College independent study and tutorial/thesis supervision is 3 contact hours per semester.

5.    Extra instructional workload may be granted for large enrollments in a specific class, depending on department and divisional norms and with documentation that illustrates the additional workload.

6.    For laboratory teaching, assigned workload is determined by actual laboratory contact hours/week rather than by student credit registration. For graduate courses of the “2 hour + conference; 3 credit” type, 3 contact hours are to be credited. For courses not requiring faculty supervision in hours beyond the credit registration (non-laboratory, but with extra hours e.g. 6 hours, 3 credits), workload is assigned by student credit registration.

7.    Other teaching credit: For workload credit for activities in supervision of internships, student teaching, or other similar activities, consult with the Divisional Dean for QC standards.

 

Scholarship Workload

1.    In accordance with the contract, untenured assistant, associate, and full professors, except Librarians and Counselors, initially appointed on or after Sept. 1, 2002 may apply for reassigned time “not to exceed a total of 12 contact hours during their first three annual appointments in order to engage themselves in scholarly and/or creative activities related to their academic disciplines,” following College procedures. Those appointed on or after Sept. 1, 2006 or Feb. 1, 2006, are to receive 24 contact hours, to be used during their first five annual reappointments.

2.    Reassigned time (workload credit) for effort on sponsored projects may be granted subject to approval of the Dean. More than 3 contact hours credited per year requires the approval of the Provost. Documentation must be provided.

3.    Reassigned time (workload credit) for effort on unsponsored projects (scholarship, creative activity, or other projects not reimbursed from sources outside the university) must be justified annually with a list of past accomplishments, including works published or exhibited within the past three years. More than 3 contact hours credited per year requires the approval of the Provost.

 

Administrative Workload

In view of the need to maximize the teaching capacity of our full-time faculty, administrative reassigned time should be kept to a minimum.

1.    Department chairpersons are expected to teach one to two courses per semester, depending on the size and complexity of the department and the scholarly and other service activities of the chair. Discuss this with the Dean.

2.    Other departmental administrative reassigned time (associate chairs, graduate advisors, etc.) should not exceed 3 contact hours for each 20 sections offered by the department. All such workload assignment is subject to the approval of the Dean.

3.    Executive Officers at GSUC receive full release from workload assignments at QC.

4.    Deputy Executive Officers and Subdisciplinary Chairs at GSUC receive credit for 3.5 administrative workload hours per semester.

5.    Program Directors at QC may receive credit for up to 6 administrative workload hours per year, subject to the approval of the Dean or Provost, where appropriate.

 

Teaching Load Averaging

With the approval of the Dean and Provost, academic year instructional workload can be “managed over a three-year period,” as long as the average equals the specified hours. This averaging cannot include summer sessions. Scholarly workload and administrative workload cannot be averaged.