Faculty Handbook
Approved by University Council May 8, 1997
The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines for the assignment of workload for full time non-tenure and tenure track faculty. A separate policy applies to part time faculty and is given in the faculty handbook.
The faculty and administration of the University of Houston-Clear Lake adhere to the following guidelines to ensure the delivery of the highest quality instructional program possible to students and to promote scholarship and professional service.
The deans of the schools, in collaboration with their respective associate deans, are responsible for implementing procedures to ensure adherence to the university workload policy for faculty. The deans are responsible to the senior vice president and provost who has overall responsibility for UHCL's workload policy, including academic assignments. The office of the Senior Vice President and Provost is responsible for preparing the faculty workload reports, based on the information provided by the schools.
Within their areas of responsibility, the deans certify that faculty have been assigned professional duties that are appropriate to the individual faculty member and which ensure effective management of the academic component.
3.1 Faculty: Non-Tenure Track
Normal Workload. The normal teaching load for a full-time, non-tenure track faculty member is twelve (12) semester credit hours, but deans may make exceptions for good and sufficient reasons. Visiting faculty members should have the same classroom teaching load as tenure track faculty. Other responsibilities for non-tenure track faculty will be assigned by the dean as appropriate.
3.2 Faculty: Tenure Track
Normal Workload. The normal teaching load for a full-time tenure-track faculty member is nine (9) semester credit hours per long semester. In addition to carrying the normal teaching load, faculty members are responsible for student advising and mentoring; school, university and system curriculum development; and maintaining an active involvement in research, scholarship, or creative activity. Faculty members are also responsible for service activities, such as academic program reviews; accreditation studies; shared governance; and faculty service to their profession and to the local community. Those activities beyond the normal nine hour teaching load shall be counted as the equivalent of three (3) semester credit hours.
Definition. A course is equated to three semester credit hours.
4.1 Laboratory teaching where the faculty member is present in the laboratory with or without an assistant. Two laboratory class hours are normally equated to one semester credit hour.
4.2 Supervision of student teachers/teaching interns. Supervision of six student teachers is normally equated to one three semester credit hour course.
4.3 Supervision of student interns. Supervision of six student interns is normally equated to one three semester credit hour course with the approval of the appropriate dean. Program requirements agreed upon by the program faculty and dean will determine the specific number of interns equivalent to one course.
4.4 Independent Studies. Course-load equivalencies for faculty supervising Independent Studies will be handled by the individual schools.
4.5 Thesis direction. A faculty member will receive one course release for every 24 credit hours of thesis research completed. A faculty member cannot count one student for more than six (6) credit hours of thesis credit for purpose of this policy.
4.6 Master's Projects. Course-load equivalencies for faculty chairing Master's Projects will be handled by the individual schools.
Faculty may request, and deans may assign, with the approval of the faculty member involved, an additional course in one long-semester in return for a reduction of one course in a long semester to be decided in negotiation between the faculty member and the dean.
Tenured faculty members may request to teach an additional three hour class in order to be evaluated primarily in teaching. The weights (Research, Teaching, Service) would be negotiated with the appropriate dean's office. This agreement must be renewed each academic year. The faculty member is advised to consider the effect the choice of weights may have on promotion.
The weighting structure (Research, Teaching, and Service) plays an important role in the granting of tenure. Untenured faculty should not be assigned duties outside this structure that diminish the likelihood of being granted tenure. Additionally, untenured faculty should not be given the option to teach more courses than required by the normal workload.
6.1 New tenure-track faculty.
Course releases for newly appointed, terminally-degreed, tenure-track faculty will be determined at the school level.
6.2 University Funded Course Releases.
The dean may approve an internally funded reduction in a faculty member's teaching load to allow the faculty member additional time for special research, administrative assignments, professional service, or other legitimate activity of value to the university. These assignments will be reviewed by the provost. If the provost requests a dean to release a faculty member from a course for a special assignment, then the provost will be expected to reimburse the school at a negotiated rate. Faculty are still responsible for their non-instructional duties. However, in special cases some or all non-instructional duties may be reassigned with the approval of the dean of the school involved.
6.3 Cost of Releases Not Funded by the University.
Normally, each course release must provide for funding at a rate of 1/8 of the faculty member's 9 month salary plus cost of benefits. The university may set a different funding rate for individual releases at the discretion of the appropriate dean. Faculty are still responsible for their non-instructional duties. However, in special cases some or all non-instructional duties may be reassigned with the approval of the dean of the school involved.
6.4 Deans and Associate Deans
In consideration of their administrative duties, deans and associate deans normally teach one course per semester.
6.5 Documentation
Course release approvals/disapprovals of both the appropriate dean and academic area administrator are required to be in writing. Annual reports on administrative and other course releases, approved by the provost's office, will be available in the provost's office.
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