University Faculty Workload Policy and Guidelines

General Policy Statement

• It is the responsibility of all faculty members to be engaged in the pursuit of excellence in generating, transmitting, applying, and preserving knowledge. The distribution of workload assignments for a tenured/tenure-track academic faculty member will be determined in accordance with the mission and priorities of the University and the goals and needs of that faculty members governing Unit. All workload assignments shall be consistent with the University Workload Policy and Guidelines, as well as the policies and bylaws of the faculty members governing department or equivalent units and college. Each faculty members workload will be distributed over an agreed-upon allocation of activities in the areas of teaching or librarianship, research or creative activity, and service. The workload policy guidelines below shall apply to full-time, tenured and tenure-track academic faculty.
• The responsibility of each university tenured/tenure-track faculty member should be determined in such a way that each person can make significant contributions toward achievement of NIUs mission. Fulfillment of the mission of the University requires effective instruction or librarianship, substantive research and artistic outcomes, and professionally-related public service. Faculty members also are engaged in institutional service, academic program development, curricular design, and professional renewal and development. Faculty assignments and, subsequently, the opportunity, recognition, and rewards for realization of those assignments must align with the institutions mission. Equitable workload policies should recognize and respect the demands that activities place on a faculty members time, and should be designed to best utilize each faculty members individual strengths.
• Recognizing the great diversity among colleges and units as to the specific nature of their work, the University Workload Policy and Guidelines provide the basic principles on which faculty workload assignment and distribution decisions are based. Each department or equivalent unit shall have a Workload Policy consistent with these guidelines except for departments or equivalent units that choose to defer in writing to their governing colleges Workload Policy.
• The faculty should participate fully in providing input into the determination of workload policy in each college, department, and/or unit, both initially and in all subsequent reappraisals.
• All College Workload Policies must be approved by the Faculty Senate Personnel Committee (FSPC) and the Executive Vice President and Provost. Workload policies for departments or equivalent units must be approved by the appropriate college personnel committee (either the college council or an ad hoc college personnel committee, depending upon which type of group considers personnel matters in the college), and the dean. Copies of all approved workload policies will be kept on file in the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost.
• In the absence of an approved College, Department or Unit Workload Policy, the University Workload Policy and Guidelines shall be used as guidance in making workload assignments.
• In order to fulfill the multiple responsibilities required of Northern Illinois University faculty, the standard University teaching workload for all full-time, tenured/tenure-track faculty is equivalent to three (3) courses per semester, totaling at least nine (9) credit hours. This workload expectation assumes that faculty members also: engage in sufficient scholarship or artistry to be considered to be satisfactory under the merit evaluation criteria of their department/school and to remain current in their disciplines; they participate in advising/mentoring of students; and that they engage in service to the department, college or university. The adjustments and reassignments from the standard teaching load described in Section III are for activities and achievements that are above and beyond these expectations for satisfactory performance.
• The standard three courses per semester teaching workload within colleges and/or departments may be adjusted to allow faculty members to pursue other activities that support the University mission and the goals and needs of the department or equivalent unit (see Section III). Teaching workload assignments may be defined in terms of credit hours or contact hours. The specific formula based on contact hours must be specified in the applicable governing Workload Policy(ies). The nature of academic work dictates against a standardized definition of work in terms of hours (e.g. a 40-hour work week).
• It is recognized that the unique nature of the teaching programs in certain professional programs, as well as University Libraries, does not fit into the standardized instructional guideline defaults of three (3) 3-credit courses per semester. The Workload Policies for these programs shall parallel the University Workload Policy and Guidelines, differing where appropriate and justified.
• In compliance with the APPM (Section II, Item 20), it is the responsibility of the academic unit chair/director, under the oversight of the college dean, to make workload assignments to faculty members. The workload assignments shall be made in such a way as to advance unit, college and University mission areas, to be in compliance with unit, college and University workload policies, and to balance those policies with other institutional considerations such as curricular needs; retention and graduation needs; student credit hour production; accreditation requirements, sponsored research commitments, and resource constraints. It is also the responsibility of the unit chair/director, under oversight of the college dean, to evaluate and determine whether the expectations for reassignments from the standard teaching load for an academic year have been adequately and productively fulfilled before reassignments are made for the next academic year.
• The teaching workload equivalencies described throughout this document are designed to provide guidance to department chairs/directors in making teaching reassignments. However, chairs/directors have the discretion to adjust workloads to accommodate unique situations or to address the enrollment demands, financial realities and missions of their units. The equivalencies should not be considered to be guarantees or entitlements regarding teaching workload assignments. With justification, Units may adopt different equivalencies based upon their mission, student demands, and any unique disciplinary considerations.

• Seminal activities to the Mission of the University are teaching or librarianship; research, scholarship and artistry, creative activity, academic advising; administrative and governance service; professional development; maintaining currency in academic discipline; public, professional, and institutional service; developing curriculum and other instructional enhancements; pursuit of interdisciplinary opportunities; and resource procurement. Meaningful activities in these areas could serve as justification for requesting and/or being assigned workload reassignments and/or other teaching assignments.
• Given the diversity among and within colleges, workload assignments may vary depending on the mission and priorities of the University and the goals and needs of the faculty members governing unit. College, school, and department workload policies shall conform to the general principles in this policy, with allowance for criteria and standards relevant to the unit's overall mission.
• The applicable workload guidelines, procedures, and policies must be consistent with the Academic Policies and Procedures Manual, the University Constitution and Bylaws, college Bylaws and personnel guidelines, and department -level personnel documents. College and department workload policies, promotion and tenure policies and annual merit policies should be in alignment, so that workload policies recognize requirements for promotion and tenure and incorporate standards and criteria appropriate to successful achievement of those requirements; and so that merit policies support and reinforce workload policies.
• All workload policies for departments or equivalent units must be approved by its college council and dean. All workload policies for colleges or equivalent units must be approved by the Faculty Senate Personnel Committee (FSPC) and Executive Vice President and Provost.
• It is encouraged that chairs and directors will meet annually with their faculty to develop workload plans. All workload allocations must be documented and reported by chairs or directors to their deans or supervisors on an annual basis. Any changes that occur due to course enrollments, grant awards, or any other changes will be documented and reported in a timely fashion.
• Summer and off-load assignments are not considered part of the academic year workload assignments for a 9-month contract faculty member. A faculty member who assumes additional teaching, advising, or other responsibilities during the summer must be compensated by means of a summer contract for an agreed-upon amount, a supplemented contract, or in exceptional circumstances, adjustment during the academic year.
• Overload teaching assignments must be approved by the faculty members supervisor and dean. Faculty with approved teaching overload assignment contracts must continue to fulfill service and research and artistry activity obligations.
• If a faculty members course fails to enroll a sufficient number of students the faculty member may be assigned to teach another course by the faculty's supervisor. Other types of assignments must be approved by the faculty members supervisor and dean.
• Faculty members may teach a classroom, laboratory, or equivalent course for a Unit other than their own, and that course may be considered part of the faculty members standard University teaching workload assignment. The faculty members supervisor must approve this assignment.
• Teaching assignments will not be reduced to zero over an academic year except in the case of sabbatical leave, externally funded release time, fellowship leave (e.g., Fulbright), temporary assignment to a major University position (e.g., Interim Dean, Assistant to the President), or other approved assignment or leave. Any assignments, adjustments, and/or other teaching assignments which bring the faculty members teaching assignments to zero must be approved in advance by the faculty members supervisor; dean, Vice Provost, or chair/school director; and Executive Vice President and Provost.
• Under limited circumstances (i.e. when a chair/director determines that a faculty member is not adequately fulfilling the non-teaching responsibilities assumed by the 9-credit teaching load described in Section I.7.), a faculty member may be assigned a four-course (12-credit) semester workload. College and department-level personnel committees should develop personnel policies that address issues of merit and other non-teaching responsibilities prior to the assignment of a four-course workload.

Individual workload assignments and distribution of responsibilities will be determined for faculty members in accordance with the mission and priorities of the University, and the goals of that faculty members governing units. All faculty who are governed by the University Workload Policy and Guidelines must follow the practices and procedures for implementation and record keeping in accordance with the general guidelines of this Policy. Teaching assignments and/or adjustments may be requested and/or assigned and must be documented and approved in writing as detailed in the respective governing Units Workload Policy(ies) and Bylaws. Faculty members will be required to report the results of their adjustments. Failure to document results may result in the denial of future adjustments and/or the cancellation of adjustments that may have been pre-approved.

Teaching Assignments

Teaching assignments approved for tenured/tenure-track faculty cannot be defined by only using the framework of standard lecture and laboratory courses. College and governing unit teaching workload policies may be different from the standard university teaching workload. Possible adjustments and their value must be identified in the applicable governing units policies and approved by the faculty members Supervisor and Dean. When establishing workload policies and faculty assignments, the colleges and departments may consider the following activities:

• Supervision and/or Teaching of Students in Laboratories, Clinics, Practica, Internships, Externships, Field Experience, Workshops, Seminars, and/or Other Similar Educational Settings. Credit approved for these duties should be determined by the number of credit hours and/or required student contact hours as specified in the applicable governing Units Workload Policy(ies).
• Supervision and/or Teaching of Students in Undergraduate Research, Experiential Learning, Service Learning Projects, Study Abroad Honors Courses (i.e. sections involving only honors students) and/or Other Engaged Learning Activities. Guidelines for the approval of these assignments and the credit to be assigned must be specified in the applicable governing Units' Workload Policy(ies).
• Student Credit Hour Production: Credit approved for this assignment should be based on a formula established using the class size and/or other variables as determined by the faculty members governing Units and detailed in the applicable governing Units Workload Policy(ies). Some Units may decide to make reassignments based on total student credit hours (or student FTEs) associated with students enrolled in the courses offered rather than the credit hours or contact hours associated with the courses.
• Doctoral Program Involvement: Activities could include, but not be limited to: development of a new Doctoral Program; working with and/or advising Doctoral students; responsibility for recruiting and interviewing prospective Doctoral students, evaluating Doctoral-program admission applications; and/or the successful completion of a specified number of dissertations or equivalent projects/documents by a faculty members Doctoral students. The faculty members role and responsibilities with the Units Doctoral students and/or Doctoral program(s) must be detailed in order to receive this teaching assignment. Guidelines for the approval of these assignments and the credit to be assigned must be specified in the applicable governing Units Workload Policy(ies).
• Masters/Specialists Program Involvement: Activities could include, but not be limited to: development of a new Masters/Specialists Program; working with and/or advising Masters/Specialists students; responsibility for interviewing prospective Masters/Specialists students, evaluating Masters/Specialists-program admission applications; and/or the successful completion of a specified number of theses/equivalent projects by a faculty members Masters/Specialists students. The faculty members role and responsibilities with the Units Masters/Specialists students and/or Masters/Specialists program(s) must be detailed in order to receive this teaching assignment. Guidelines for the approval of these assignments and the credit to be assigned must be specified in the applicable governing Units Workload Policy(ies).
• Course and Curriculum Development: Guidelines for the approval of these assignments and the credit to be assigned must be specified in the applicable governing Units Workload Policy(ies).
• Innovative Teaching: Activities include, but are not limited to, team teaching, group-based instruction, engagement, and other nontraditional approaches to instruction where extra preparation time or a higher than normal rate of student contact hours is required. Guidelines for the approval of these assignments and the credit to be assigned must be specified in the applicable governing Units Workload Policy(ies).
• Independent Study: Guidelines for the approval of credit for this assignment must be based on a formula (e.g., number of independent study credits equivalent to one [1] credit of classroom lecture credit) established and detailed in the faculty members governing Units Workload Policy(ies).

Adjustments

The university's missions in research and artistry and public and professional service are upheld through the activities of its faculty. In order to fulfill these responsibilities, the teaching workloads of individual tenured and tenure-track faculty may be adjusted by their Units on an annual basis. When establishing adjustments, the colleges and departments may consider the following activities:

• Research, Artistry Creative Activity: Adjustments may be assigned for the preparation of peer-reviewed articles and books; reports, presentations, and other manuscripts for publication; and the preparation of creative performances or exhibits. Guidelines for approving these adjustments must be established and detailed in the faculty members governing Units Workload Policy(ies).
• Professional Development: Adjustments may be assigned for the purposes of developing new skills, abilities, or backgrounds related to research, or creative activities or instructional expertise; and/or preparing a new area of research or creative activity. Guidelines for approving these adjustments must be established and detailed in the faculty members governing Units Workload Policy(ies).
• Participation in Performance Groups and/or Collaborative Creative Exhibits: Adjustments may be assigned for participation in performance groups and/or creative exhibits related to the faculty members field. Guidelines for approving these adjustments must be established and detailed in the faculty members governing Units Workload Policy(ies).
• Preparation of Major Proposals for External Funding: Adjustment may be assigned if a faculty member is preparing a major new proposal for which the faculty member would be a Principal Investigator/Project Director. The proposal should be submitted for review to a funding agency within 12 months of the time that the adjustment is approved. Guidelines for approving these adjustments must be established and detailed in the faculty members governing Units Workload Policy(ies). Adjustments may be assigned to faulty members in more than one unit, when there are co-Project Principal Investigators/Project Directors preparing a proposal to support a major interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Research or Creative Activity Supervision/Project Director: Adjustment may be assigned if the faculty member is the Principal Investigator, Chief Administrator, or Director/Supervisor of a research, scholarship or creative Activity supported by a grant or contract funded by extramural sources. Whenever possible, compensation in the form of direct costs paid by the sponsor should be returned to the University to cover costs of replacing the faculty member with the grant or contract funding. Guidelines for approving these adjustments must be established and detailed in the faculty members governing Units Workload Policy(ies).
• Department Chair, School Director, Program Director, Center/Institute Director, or other administrative assignment: Adjustments shall be offered to faculty members serving in these administrative appointments. Adjustments may vary depending on the size/complexity of the Department, School, Program, Institute, or Unit; the number and level of degree programs offered; and/or whether the faculty member has the major responsibility for the administration and supervision of a Facility or Unit. Faculty will negotiate this adjustment with their Supervisors.
• Academic Advisor/Graduate Coordinator/Undergraduate Coordinator: Adjustments may be assigned for these responsibilities and will vary depending upon the number and level of degree programs offered; if the faculty member has advising or recruiting responsibilities for the Units graduate or undergraduate program(s); the number of students actively enrolled in the program(s); if the faculty member is responsible for scheduling (classes and/or faculty); or if the faculty member has responsibility for curriculum development for the Units graduate or undergraduate program(s). Faculty will negotiate this adjustment with their Supervisors.
• Major University, College or Unit Service: Adjustments may be assigned for serving as Chair of a significant committee/task force, serving on multiple committees/task forces, serving as Faculty Senate President, or other similar service-intensive positions. Faculty will negotiate this adjustment with their Supervisors.
• Service to Profession: Adjustments may be assigned for significant service to the profession. These could include serving as editor/associate editor of a professional journal; conference/program chair; officer of a professional association, or other significant service to the faculty members profession. Faculty will negotiate this adjustment with their Supervisor.
• Supervision and/or Teaching of Students in Undergraduate Research, Experiential Learning, Service Learning Projects, Study Abroad, Honors Courses (i.e. sections involving only honors students) and/or Other Engaged Learning Activities. Guidelines for the approval of these assignments and the credit to be assigned must be specified in the applicable governing Units Workload Policy(ies).

Newly Hired Faculty

Newly hired faculty in tenure track-positions, who are not hired with tenure, should receive a reduction of at least one three-credit course (or its equivalent) within their first two years of appointment. Faculty will negotiate the timing of this adjustment with their Supervisors.

Reductions in teaching assignments shall not be approved for:

• Any activities where there is remuneration over and above the faculty members University compensation.
• Community service activities (e.g. personal volunteer work with civic organizations), unless these are formal, externally funded public service activities of the University and there is a percent of the faculty members effort committed to the sponsor.

Joint Appointments

For faculty who hold joint appointments, care must be taken to ensure that their total workload is commensurate with that of faculty on single appointments in corresponding disciplines. The Memorandum of Understanding governing the appointment should specify how responsibilities for assigning workload will be shared between the units chairs/directors. In the event that the units involved in the joint appointments establish Workload Policies and Guidelines that set different standards, the Memorandum of Understanding must clarify how those standards will be applied to that individual.

• Private professional work, consulting, outside employment, and other bases of supplemental compensation should not be a factor in workload assessment and determination in any University workload assignments, requests for adjustments, and/or requests for other teaching assignments. Workload adjustments and/or other teaching assignments should not be requested, assigned, and/or approved for any extra-compensation activities.
• Visit the current Conflict of Interest and Commitment Policy for more information.

Background

The AAUPs Statement on Faculty Workload defines the maximum teaching loads for effective instruction at the undergraduate level as a teaching load of twelve hours per week, and [f]or instruction partly or entirely at the graduate level, a teaching load of nine hours per week based on an academic year of not more than 30 weeks of classes. In recognition of the diverse teaching responsibilities of tenured and tenure-track faculty, NIU has adopted, within the General Policy Statement, the standard University teaching workload for all full-time, tenured/tenure-track faculty is equivalent to three (3) courses per semester (one course equals three credits). In addition to teaching, this standard teaching workload assumes that NIU faculty members also: engage in sufficient scholarship or artistry to be considered to be satisfactory under the merit evaluation criteria of their department/school and to remain current in their disciplines; they participate in advising/mentoring of students; and that they engage in service to the department, college or university. Faculty engaging in other significant mission-critical activities described in the equivalencies guidelines in this appendix may be reassigned from additional portions of their teaching workload by their chairs/directors.

This appendix provides specifications for implementation of the university workload policy. College, department or unit workload specifications may be developed that vary from university specifications, with appropriate justification and university approval. Any academic unit may choose to defer to the workload policy of the next higher administrative level in lieu of developing separate unit-specific specifications. In the absence of an approved College, Department or Unit Workload Policy, these university specifications will apply.

Specifications

• Teaching Assignments, follow the standard of a 3-3 course load, totaling at least 18-credit hours, per academic year as suggested in the AAUPs Faculty Workload Statement. Other assignments of workload credit are as follows:
• Supervision and/or Teaching of students in:
  • Laboratories: Workload credit will be offered consistent with credit hours associated with the course.
  • Clinics or Clinical Course: Additional workload credit for regularly scheduled clinical courses shall not exceed fifty-percent above standard course workload credit.
  • Internships, Practicums, Externships, Field Experience, Workshops, Seminars: Workload credit shall not exceed one credit per 12 student credit hours.
  • Independent study: Workload shall not exceed one credit per 12 student credit hours.
• Student Credit Hour Production: Workload credit may be proportionally increased for teaching a large class that requires extensive grading or evaluation of students work by the faculty member.
• Doctoral committee chair: The chairperson of the dissertation committee will accrue workload credit at the rate of no more than one semester credit hour for each three total student semester hours of dissertation credit per semester.
• Masters/Specialists Committee Chair: The chairperson of the thesis committee will accrue workload credit at the rate of no more than one semester credit hour for each six total student semester hours of thesis, research, or performance credit per semester.
• Course and Curriculum Development: Workload credit for the development of new course and significant curriculum development activities shall not exceed three credits per year.
• Innovative teaching: Workload credit may not exceed three credit hours per year.

Adjustments

• Research, Scholarship, Artistry and Creative Activity: Workload credit for a faculty member engaged in high levels of research, artistry, and/or creative activity shall not exceed six credits per year. This limitation shall not apply to release time for research/creative activities that are funded by extramural funds.
• Professional Development: Workload credit for a faculty member engaged in significant professional development shall not exceed three credit hours per year.
• Significant Participation in Performance Groups and/or Collaborative Creative Exhibits: Workload credit for a faculty engaged in these activities shall not exceed three credits per year.
• Preparation of Proposals for External Funding: Workload credit shall not exceed 3 credits/year.
• Research or Creative Activity Supervision/Project Director: Workload credit shall not generally exceed three credits per year. This limitation shall not apply to funded release time for research/creative activities that are funded by extramural funds.
• Department Chair, School Director, Program Director, Center/Institution Director or other Administrative Assignment: Workload credit may be accrued for a faculty member who is head of a department or head of a comparable administrative unit up to a maximum of nine semester hours of workload credit per semester. Up to six hours of credit may be given to a faculty member who provides non-teaching academic services to the department/unit head. The total for departmental administration, including the head, will be determined by the dean.
• Major University, College or Unit Service, including but not limited to an appointed role as academic advisor, graduate coordinator, or undergraduate Coordinator, shall not exceed three credit hours per year.
• Significant Service to Profession: Workload credit shall not exceed three credits per year.
• Newly Hired Faculty: Workload credit for newly hired faculty shall not exceed six credit hours in the first two years of employment for the purpose of developing instructional materials for courses that the faculty member will teach.

Summary of Workload Credit Equivalencies

It is the sole responsibility of the department chair/director under the supervision of the dean to make workload assignments. These equivalencies are designed to provide guidance to department chairs/directors in making teaching assignments. They should not be considered to be guarantees or entitlements regarding teaching workload assignments. With justification, Units may adopt different equivalencies based upon their mission, student demands, and any unique disciplinary considerations.

Approved by the Council of Deans