Faculty Workload

Research active tenure-track faculty holding full-time appointments (100%) in the College of Fine Arts will teach a minimum two course per semester (2/2) teaching load, or its equivalent, of organized lecture classes or studio courses.

Research active tenure-track faculty teaching individual lessons in the Butler School will carry a minimum load of 18 one-hour, student lessons per semester, or the equivalent.

Individual instruction and advising, thesis or dissertation supervision is expected as a normal part of a faculty members teaching load and will not, except in extraordinary cases, affect teaching loads.

Tenure-track faculty holding a joint appointment in a College of Fine Arts department or school will be expected to teach a minimum of one course per year in that department or school.

Courtesy or 0% appointments do not have a teaching load expectation.

Tenure-track faculty members are expected to be research-oriented faculty members, contributing significantly in the area of research, creative activity, or professional activity appropriate for their particular field.

Tenure-track faculty members are expected to be good citizens of their department and college, participating in the activities of the department and their program, including but not limited to regular service on committees, any student-related or curriculum development activities necessary for delivery of the department’s degree programs, and any administrative activity necessary for the faculty member’s academic activities.

While the College of Fine Arts encourages tenure-track faculty to achieve a productive balance of research, teaching and service activities, that balance can tip toward one concentration of duties and efforts rather than another. If a faculty member’s research productivity diminishes over time, teaching and service should take a greater share of that faculty member’s efforts and assignment of duties.

Research, teaching and service productivity is evaluated by the faculty member’s peers on the executive committee or budget council according to the established standards and criteria for faculty review in each department and program. This evaluation is accomplished through the promotion and tenure review process and the annual faculty review process.

One clear indication of diminished research productivity is an associate professor with more than ten years in rank and poor prospects for promotion to full professor.

Department chairs and School Directors should mentor associate professors with ten years or more in rank toward a promotion review or into more productive assignments of their efforts in teaching or service. A 3 + 3 teaching load of organized courses, or its equivalent, should be the norm for associate professors in the College of Fine Arts with small likelihood of promotion. At the discretion of the department chair, appropriate adjustments to teaching assignments can and should be made for large-enrollment course instruction, graduate advising, administrative service, or other service to the department, college or university.

Modulations in a faculty member’s assignment of duties are not punitive. A tenure-track faculty member with a large teaching responsibility and diminished research expectations should still be able to look forward to merit salary increases and other honors that reflect proportionally on his or her success in teaching or service.

Full-time equivalent (100%) senior lecturers, distinguished senior lecturers and faculty in the Instruction faculty series and Practice faculty series will carry a minimum three course per semester (3/3) teaching load, or its equivalent, in organized lecture classes or in studio art, studio dance, studio theatre, or music ensembles.

Full-time equivalent (100% time) senior lecturers, distinguished senior lecturers and faculty in the Instruction and Practice title series are expected to be good citizens of their department and college, participating in the activities of the department and their program, including but not limited to regular service on committees, any student-related or curriculum development activities necessary for delivery of the department’s degree programs, and any administrative activity necessary for the faculty member’s academic activities.

In most cases, full-time equivalent (100% time) non-tenure track faculty members are not required to contribute in the area of research. Some do contribute significantly in the area of research, in which case and at the discretion of the department chair or school director, research, creative activity or professional activity can be made part of their faculty workload.

The title “Lecturer” will be reserved for adjunct faculty members, whose appointments are temporary and typically part-time (less than 100%). Full time equivalent (100% time) Lecturers will carry a minimum four course per semester (4/4) teaching load, or its equivalent, in organized lecture classes or in studio art, studio dance, studio theatre, or music ensembles. The percent time of appointment will be prorated proportional to the number of organized courses taught, or equivalent. These faculty will have no expectation in the area of research and no expectation in the area of service, except for those administrative and student service activities necessary to deliver their courses.

Visiting faculty, and retired faculty on modified service, should have a proposed workload plan detailed on the Prior Approval Request.

Faculty who are on a phased retirement contract, should work out a specific teaching schedule with their chair or director. These faculty do not hold tenure and are technically temporary, but because of the unique nature of their appointment, may have workloads of 2/2 for a full-time (100%) appointment.

Department chairs, school directors, and associate deans will teach one course per year.

Associate and assistant chairs will receive teaching load reductions at the discretion of their supervisors, typically a reduction of one course per year or semester, depending on duties.

It is the policy of The College of Fine Arts to modify the classroom instructional responsibilities of faculty members and allow for equivalent academic service for one semester when necessitated by the care of a child or family member and when such modifications are found to be in the best interest of the University’s instructional programs. This policy is especially appropriate when the birth or adoption of a child prevents a faculty member from being able to perform his or her classroom teaching duties. (This policy is not intended to apply to situations where use of sick leave is appropriate. See the Handbook of Operating Procedures 2-2240.)

• Lower division lecture courses must have a minimum of 15 enrolled students.
• Upper division lecture courses and graduate lecture courses must have a minimum 10 enrolled students.
• Studio, performance, ensemble, or lab courses, lower or upper division, must have a minimum of 10 enrolled students.
• Graduate seminars must have a minimum of 5 enrolled students.
• Exceptions to these limits will be at the discretion of the department chair or school director with review and oversight by the senior associate dean.
• Faculty whose course enrollments fall below these minimums will be given the option to drop the course and be assigned another; or
  continue offering the course, but teach an additional course in the current or a future semester as an overload.

Team Teaching: Faculty may team teach a course within a normal course load, first, with permission of the department chair or director and second, when there are at least 10 students enrolled for each faculty member in the teaching team. Or a team-taught course may be offered as a teaching overload by at least one member of the team.