POL 02.05.

04
Faculty Workload Policy

Authority: Chancellor

History:
 First Issued: October 18, 2013

Related Policies:
 UNC Policy 300.2.6 [G] Guidelines for Reassigned Time for Faculty
 UNC Policy 400.3.4 Monitoring Faculty Teaching Workloads
 UNC Policy 400.3.4 [R] Regulations Related to Monitoring Faculty Teaching Workloads
 UNC Pembroke Faculty Handbook 2013-14, Section 2, Chapter 2 - Faculty Evaluation
Policy (Page 70)

Additional References:
 The National Study of Instructional Costs and Productivity (Delaware Study)
 UNC Pembroke Faculty Handbook 2013-14, Course Loads: Teaching Loads and Service
Responsibilities (Page 151)
 UNC Pembroke Faculty Handbook 2013-14, Course Loads: Overload and Overload
Compensation Policies (Page 151)
 UNC Pembroke Mission Statement

Contact Information: Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Planning and Accreditation,
(910-521-6180).

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 UNC Policy 400.3.4 – Monitoring Faculty Teaching Workloads, specifies that all campuses
and constituent institutions have policies and procedures in place to monitor faculty teaching
loads and to approve significant or sustained variations from expected minimums. Policies must
include the criteria and approval process for reductions in faculty teaching load. UNC Pembroke
must also have in place a standard methodology for collecting data on teaching load and policies
for annual evaluation of faculty performance that measures and rewards all aspects of faculty
workload, consistent with the university’s mission.

1.2 The UNC Pembroke Faculty Workload Policy will address the policies and procedures the
university has established to monitor faculty workload, the standard methodology it uses for
collecting data on teaching load, and the policies it uses to conduct annual evaluation of faculty
performance.

2. SCOPE

2.1 The UNC Pembroke Faculty Workload Policy applies to all tenured, tenure-track, and full-
time non-tenure-track faculty. It also applies to all persons who supervise these faculty members
with respect to the establishment or monitoring of faculty workload. This includes department
chairs, deans, associate deans, and personnel in the Office of Academic Affairs, primarily the
provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, and in the Office of the Chancellor.
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3. DEFINITIONS

3.1 Standard Faculty Teaching Load is the number of semester credit hours or courses each full-
time faculty member is expected to teach in a semester or an academic year.

3.2 Overload is coursework taught by full-time faculty that exceeds the standard teaching load. It
also refers to an additional non-teaching university assignment equivalent to one additional
course per semester.

3.3 Faculty Reassigned Time is a reduction in the standard faculty teaching load for the purpose
of undertaking other non-instructional activities in areas such as research, service, or other
professional development.

3.4 Area Weight is the percentage of time a faculty member indicates on the annual Self-
Evaluation Report that he/she has allocated to the various components of his/her workload
(teaching, scholarship, and service). According to the UNC Pembroke Faculty Evaluation Policy,
faculty members have considerable freedom to allocate their time and effort in ways that use
their competencies most productively while still fulfilling their responsibilities to the university.
To allow individual choices to play a meaningful role in self-evaluation, the faculty member
indicates a set of annual area weights when completing a Self-Evaluation Report. These weights
are taken into account by evaluators in developing overall performance evaluations.

3.4.1 Faculty members are evaluated in three areas (teaching, scholarship, and service) to which
flexible area weights are assigned.

4. POLICY STATEMENTS

4.1 Standard Faculty Teaching Loads

4.1.1 UNC Policy 400.3.4 establishes that standard annual teaching loads will be differentiated to
accommodate the diverse mission of the individual campuses. Standard faculty teaching load,
measured by the number of organized class courses a faculty member is assigned to teach in a
given academic year, will be the following:

Research Universities I 4
Doctoral Universities I 5
Masters (Comprehensive) I 6
Baccalaureate (Liberal Arts) I 8
Baccalaureate (Liberal Arts) II 8

4.1.2 At UNC Pembroke, the normal teaching load is twelve semester hours (four courses) or the
equivalent per semester. Faculty teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses will have a
teaching load of 21 semester hours (seven courses) for the academic year in which the graduate
course occurs. Faculty teaching only graduate courses will have a teaching load of 18 semester
hours (six courses) for the academic year.

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4.1.3 Variations from the standard faculty teaching load may be granted for purposes such as
externally funded or institutionally supported research; university, community, or professional
service; course/curriculum development; extraordinary academic advising responsibilities;
accreditation/program review; academic administration; and professional development.

4.2 Overload and Overload Compensation Guidelines

4.2.1 Since faculty have scholarship and service responsibilities as well as teaching assignments,
overloads should be assigned and accepted carefully so that faculty do not become over
extended. With the same cautions applied to external activities for pay, the priority must be on
faculty meeting their regular campus professional responsibilities.

4.2.2 Faculty may teach a maximum of one course overload (3 credits) per semester with the
approval of their dean. Overloads funded via Educational Outreach may be taught by faculty at
their election with the department chair’s and dean’s concurrence. However, any overload
supported by general funds shall only be authorized by the dean when it is impossible or
impractical to hire part-time faculty because of last minute staffing problems, lack of qualified
part-time instructors, or other factors. Deans shall notify the Provost’s Office whenever they
approve an overload paid from the general fund. The notification should include a brief
explanation consistent with this policy. The same maximum overload of one course (3 semester
hours) will be allowed for faculty members who have reassigned time for other duties, i.e.,
chairs, coordinators, etc. Overloads exceeding three semester hours will only be approved in the
rarest circumstances. They, and other exceptions to this policy, must be approved in advance by
the provost.

4.2.3 With the approval of the department chair and dean, faculty may engage in additional
university assignments (example: special projects, program/degree development) during a
semester as long as the extra assignments do not exceed the equivalent of one additional course
per semester. The compensation for the work will be allowed even if it exceeds the current 20%
limitation. For department chairs, the overload pay allowed will be 20% of their total annual
salary of base plus stipend.

4.3 Faculty Reassigned Time

4.3.1 The Faculty Research and Development Reassigned Time Program provides a limited
amount of reassigned time for full-time, non-tenure-track faculty to pursue professional
development and research activities. The objectives of the program are to encourage 1) faculty
research for scholarship (discovery, teaching, application, or integration) leading to publication
in refereed journals, books, etc. and 2) educational improvement through projects to improve
professional competence.

4.3.2 The 3/4 Reassigned Time Option for Tenure-Eligible Faculty gives tenure-track and
tenured faculty with a 4/4 teaching load the opportunity to receive reassigned time for
scholarship and service. Faculty shall apply for the course reduction to the department chair and
are expected to state research or service goals that justify the reassignment of time.

4.3.2.1 Faculty members who request reassignment to the 3/4 load are not permitted to teach a
class for overload compensation during the period of the reassignment and are not eligible for
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teaching assignments with other institutions.

4.3.3 The Directed Academic Leave of Absence Program is designed to give full-time, tenured
faculty the opportunity to pursue an intensive program of research. It is intended to provide
faculty with an extended period of time during which to conduct research and scholarly
activities, usually one academic semester. It is intended to relieve them of teaching and service
responsibilities in order to provide the quality and quantity of time that faculty usually do not
have due to heavy teaching loads and required service activities.

4.3.3.1 Full-time faculty at the rank of tenured associate professor or professor are eligible for
this program. Faculty must have completed at least three years of service after receiving tenure
and have been employed as a full-time faculty member at the university for a minimum of ten
years to be eligible to apply. Faculty who are seeking to build their research/scholarship portfolio
to achieve promotion and those seeking to refresh their portfolios or renew their commitment to
scholarship (possibly, but not necessarily, for the purpose of preparing for Post-Tenure Review)
are given priority consideration for a Directed Academic Leave of Absence.

4.4 Annual Faculty Performance Evaluation Policies

4.4.1 The UNC Pembroke Faculty Evaluation Policy includes procedures on annual faculty
performance evaluation. These policies detail how the university measures and rewards all
aspects of faculty workload, consistent with the university’s mission.

4.4.2 For purposes of annual evaluation, all faculty responsibilities are divided among three
general areas of teaching, research, and service as reflected in the UNC Pembroke Mission
Statement. Evaluation policies state that, at UNC Pembroke, teaching is the single most
important responsibility of regular full-time faculty members. According to the University
Mission Statement, UNC Pembroke “exists to promote excellence in teaching and learning, at
the graduate and undergraduate levels, in an environment of free inquiry, interdisciplinary
collaboration, and rigorous intellectual standards.” Teaching thus receives an area weight of 50-
70% in a faculty member’s annual evaluation, unless an exception is granted in writing.

4.4.3 Though teaching is their fundamental responsibility, all full-time tenured and tenure-track
faculty members are also expected to have a balanced pattern of scholarship and service during
their years of employment at UNC Pembroke. Scholarship and service receive area weights of
10-40% in a faculty member’s annual evaluation unless an exception is granted in writing.

4.4.4 Under the 3/4 Reassigned Time Option, faculty with a 4/4 load will continue to weight
teaching in the 50-70% range as provided by university policy on faculty evaluation. Tenured
faculty who opt for the 3/4 load will adjust the weights for teaching, research, and service
accordingly for the academic year in which the reassignment is sought. There will be a reduction
in the area weight assigned to teaching to account for the reallocation of faculty time and effort.
However, teaching will always receive a preponderance of the area weight and, in accordance
with the Faculty Evaluation Policy, will not receive an area weight below 50%.

4.4.5 The annual evaluation provides the basis for merit salary increases and ongoing
administrative supervision of faculty. The department chair completes the Annual Merit Salary
Increase Recommendation Form based on information developed in the annual Chair’s
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Evaluation Report for each faculty member. The recommendation is to correspond to the overall
performance rating contained in the Chair’s Evaluation Report. The dean of the relevant college
or school completes the Dean’s Recommendation for Annual Salary Increase, and the provost
and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs provides a recommendation on rewarding faculty
performance to the chancellor. The chancellor makes the final decision on all faculty salary
increases.

5. PROCEDURES

5.1 Monitoring Faculty Teaching Load

5.1.1 Department chairs and deans monitor faculty teaching loads. At the end of the academic
year, the Office of Institutional Research provides a report to each department chair on the
teaching workload and course reassignments for all faculty members in the department for the
preceding year. Department chairs are required to confirm the accuracy of the information and
provide any additional information on course reassignment to the Office of Institutional
Research.

5.1.2 The department chair and dean must endorse proposals for the Faculty Research and
Development Reassigned Time Program, and the department chair must indicate how reassigned
time will be covered if granted. Applicants are urged to consult immediately with the appropriate
department chair to insure the feasibility of reassignment for the semester requested

5.1.3 Deans hold primary responsibility for the implementation and oversight of the 3/4
Reassigned Time Option for Tenure-Eligible Faculty. For tenured faculty, the decision to
request/not request the 3/4 option is discussed with the department chair and should reflect both
individual and departmental or school goals. If the department chair approves the reassigned
time, he/she determines the semester of the reassignment, fall or spring, based primarily on
departmental need and secondarily on the faculty member's preference. Department chairs must
also approve the option for tenured faculty in subsequent years, taking into account each
individual's success in completing goals for scholarship and/or service from previous reassigned
time. Renewal of the 3/4 option in future semesters is subject to review by academic
administrators and is dependent on the availability of adequate funding to cover the reassigned
time.

5.1.4 Applications for the Directed Academic Leave of Absence Program must include a
statement of support from the department chair that expresses his or her evaluation of the merits
of the project and includes information about schedule adjustments, additional staff, or other
expenditures that will be necessary. The dean must provide a similar statement of support that
includes any appropriate remarks concerning budgeting or scheduling.

5.2 Approving Reductions in Faculty Teaching Load

5.2.1 All reductions in faculty teaching load are approved by the department chair, dean of the
appropriate college or school, and the provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs.

5.2.2 For the Faculty Research and Development Reassigned Time Program, the Faculty Grants
Committee reviews the proposal narrative which should cover the rationale for the project,

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statement of projective objectives, means of achieving the stated objectives, and how the
projective objectives relate to the program objectives. The committee makes its decision on the
basis of potential fulfillment of one or more of the program objectives which are to 1) encourage
faculty research for scholarship (discovery, teaching, application, or integration) leading to
publication in refereed journals, books, etc. and 2) encourage educational improvement through
projects to improve professional competence. The amount of reassigned time available to be
awarded is determined by the provost.

5.2.3 For the 3/4 Reassigned Time Option for Tenure-Eligible Faculty, department chairs
determine whether or not to approve the reassignment and determine the semester of the
reassignment, fall or spring, based primarily on departmental need and secondarily on the faculty
member’s preference. Department chairs must approve the option for tenured faculty in
subsequent years, taking into account each individual's success in completing goals for
scholarship and/or service from previous reassigned time. Continuation of the 3/4 option is
dependent on the availability of adequate funding to cover the reassigned time.

5.2.4 For the Directed Academic Leave Program, the Directed Academic Leave Committee
reviews all requests for a Directed Academic Leave of Absence. This committee consists of
representatives of the faculty, department chairs, and deans. The committee considers the
following factors in making its assessment of the merits of the project: 1) the clarity of the
proposal; 2) the contribution to the growth, integration, application or teaching of knowledge; 3)
the degree to which the research results will be disseminated and evaluated by others in the field;
and 4) the extent to which it contributes to the scholarly and professional growth of the applicant.
The committee makes recommendations to the provost who has final approval authority.

5.3 Methodology for Collecting Data

5.3.1 For reporting purposes, the Board of Governors annually reviews data from the National
Study of Instructional Costs & Productivity (The Delaware Study) of teaching loads for full time
equivalent faculty within the University. The Delaware Study provides comparable teaching data
at the discipline level using the following faculty categories: regular tenure stream, other regular,
supplemental and teaching assistants. Teaching load is derived by the number of organized class
courses a faculty member is assigned in a given semester. Courses that are not conducted in
regularly scheduled class meetings, such as “readings,” “special topics,” “problems” or
“research” courses, including dissertation/thesis research, and “individual lesson” courses
(typically in music and fine arts) are excluded from the Teaching Load calculation.

5.3.2 UNC Pembroke adheres to the procedures for collecting data as specified in UNC Policy
400.3.4 [R] on Regulations Related to Monitoring Faculty Teaching Workloads. UNC
Pembroke uses the National Study of Instruction Costs and Productivity (Delaware Study) Data
Collection Form for reporting. The University follows the Delaware Study data definitions to
complete the Data Collection Form and reports the specified UNC defined instructional formats
to the Delaware Study as an “Organized Class.” UNC Pembroke submits to UNC General
Administration annually the preceding fall Instructional Courseload (Part A) data of the
Delaware Study. This report is usually submitted at the end of January along with Cost Data
(Part B) for the preceding fiscal year.

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