Sec. 36. Minimum Faculty Academic Workload Requirements for General Academic Institutions
Each person paid full time from the appropriations item "Faculty Salaries" shall be assigned a minimum workload equivalent to 18 semester credit hours of instruction in organized undergraduate classes each nine-month academic year, or fiscal year at an institution's option, in accordance with guidelines listed below.
When a faculty member is paid partially from a source of funds other than the "Faculty Salaries" line item, the minimum workload shall be proportioned to the percentage of salary paid from the appropriations item "Faculty Salaries."
Teaching assistants shall be used only when given proper guidance and supervision to ensure quality instruction. The minimum faculty workload established below does not apply to graduate teaching assistants or assistant instructors who are pursuing degrees. The institutional head is responsible for assuring that all teaching assistants are carefully supervised.
This policy sets the minimum workload and equivalencies only; an institution may enact more intensive and/or more detailed minimum requirements for inclusion in the institutional Handbook of Operating Procedures, following appropriate approvals. For example, an institution may set individual minimum requirements, consistent with these minimum guidelines, for a specific school or college.
No two institutions in the U. T. System (and, indeed, no two teaching units within a particular institution) are alike in the workload required of individual faculty to meet student needs within the funds appropriated by the Legislature. It is the responsibility of each institutional head to require teaching in excess of the minimum where such teaching is necessary to meet the institution's obligations to its students. Each institution will establish additional standards as necessary in accordance with its role and scope, so long as it satisfies the minimum given herein, to meet the instructional obligations of the institution to the students and to operate effectively within the faculty salary resources available. Faculty members not actively involved in a program of research and publication or in equivalent academic service should typically carry a teaching load greater than the minimum.
State law requires the adoption of rules concerning faculty academic workloads. Texas Education Code Section 51.402(b) recognizes that important elements of workload include classroom teaching, basic and applied research, and professional development. Workload for U. T. System faculty members is expressed in terms of classroom teaching, teaching equivalencies, and presidential credits for assigned activities.
36.1 Teaching Equivalencies
36.11 Graduate Instruction
One semester credit hour of graduate instruction will be considered the equivalent of one and one-half semester credit hours of undergraduate instruction.
36.12 Specialized Instruction
One and one-half contact hours of instruction of regularly scheduled laboratory and clinical courses, physical activity courses, studio art, studio music instruction, and primary music performance organizations, such as ensembles and marching bands, for each week of a long-term semester will be considered the equivalent of one semester credit hour of undergraduate instruction.
36.13 Supervision
Supervision of student teachers, clinical supervision, and intern supervision shall be credited such that 12 total student semester credit hours taught will be considered the equivalent of one semester credit hour.
36.14 Practicum and Individual Instruction
Supervision of student practicum and individual instruction courses, such as honors programs and individual research projects, shall provide equivalency at the rate of one-tenth semester credit hour for each student semester hour of undergraduate instruction and one-fifth semester hour for each student semester hour of graduate instruction per long-term semester. In no case will individual instruction in a single course generate more semester credit hour equivalence than if the course were taught as a regularly scheduled, organized course.
36.15 Thesis and Dissertation Supervision
Graduate thesis or dissertation supervision shall provide equivalent credit hours only to the chairperson of the thesis or dissertation committee at the rate of one semester credit hour for each six total student semester hours of thesis research credit and at the rate of one semester credit hour for each three total student semester hours of dissertation credit.
36.16 Multiple Sections
A faculty member who coordinates several sections of a single course shall be given one semester hour of workload credit for each six sections coordinated up to a maximum of three semester hours of credit per semester.
36.17 Large Classes
Workload credit may be proportionally increased for teaching a large class that requires extensive grading or evaluation of students' work by the faculty member according to the following weighing factors:
Weighing
Class Size Factor
59 or less 1.0
60 - 69 1.1
70 - 79 1.2
80 - 89 1.3
90 - 99 1.4
100 - 124 1.5
125 - 149 1.6
150 - 174 1.7
175 - 199 1.8
200 - 249 1.9
250 or more 2.0
36.18 Team Teaching
When more than one teacher participates in the instruction of a single course, the credit is proportioned according to the effort expended.
36.19 Insufficient Enrollment
A reduced workload may be granted temporarily if assigned classes do not materialize because of insufficient enrollment and when additional classes or other academic duties cannot be assigned to the faculty member. This exception may be granted for two consecutive long-term semesters only for any particular faculty member.
36.2 Other Equivalencies
36.21 Administrative Assignments
Workload credit may be granted for a faculty member who is head of a department or head of a comparable administrative unit up to a maximum of six semester hours of workload credit per semester. When justified by the department/unit head and approved by the institutional head, three hours of credit may be given to faculty members who provide nonteaching academic services to the department/unit head. In no case will the total for departmental administration, including the head, exceed nine workload credits per semester unless the institution's organizational structure includes academic units composed of more than one academic discipline.
36.22 New Faculty
At the recommendation of the head of the department or comparable unit and upon approval of the institutional head, up to three semester hours of workload credit for each of two semesters may be given to a newly-appointed faculty member during the first year of employment for the purpose of developing instructional materials for the courses he or she will teach.
36.23 New Course Development
At the recommendation of the departmental chair and upon approval of the institutional head, workload credit may be granted to a faculty member involved in the creation of a new course, new course format, or new course materials.
36.24 Presidential Credits
Academic workload credit granted by the head of the institution for all other purposes is limited to 1% of the total semester credit hours taught at the institution during the comparable (fall or spring) semester in the previous year. With the approval of the institutional head, limited faculty workload credit (within the 1% limit above) may be granted for major academic advising responsibilities, for basic and applied research following a research work plan approved pursuant to institutional policy, for preparing major documents in the fulfillment of programmatic needs or accreditation requirements, or for duties performed in the best interest of the institution's instructional programs as determined by the head of the institution.
36.25 Faculty with Technical Rank
Instructional workload equivalents for faculty members holding technical rank may be determined on a clock-hour basis where full-time employment is equivalent to not less than 30 hours of instructionally related activities each week for contact hour courses taught on a quarterly basis.
36.3 Compliance
36.31 The president of a component institution shall designate the officer of the institution who will monitor workloads, review workload reports, and submit the reports to the institutional head for approval and comment, as appropriate, prior to submitting the reports to the Board of Regents through System Administration following the standard reporting format and deadlines as provided by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in accordance with Texas Education Code Section 51.402 and any applicable riders in the current General Appropriations Act.
36.32 Every faculty member's compliance with these minimum academic workload requirements shall be assessed each academic year. If a faculty member is found to be out of compliance, the institution shall take appropriate steps to address the noncompliance and to prevent such noncompliance in the future.
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