04.01.40-Faculty Workload

01.     POLICY STATEMENT

SOHA is committed to implementing a faculty workload system that effectively documents the professional responsibilities of faculty, ensures compliance with state reporting regulations, is carried out efficiently, is distributed equitably, and informs the development and implementation of workload policies in our school. College and university workload policies always supersede those of the School, and the awarding of assigned time is always contingent on the School’s ability to meet its fundamental teaching obligations. The Director will make every effort to arrange teaching assignments and allocate resources so that assigned time can be awarded in accord with School, college, and university policies. Additional sources include:

01.01     AA/PPS 04.01.40 (7.05) Faculty Workload.

01.02     AA/PPS No. 04.01.41, Summer Faculty Workload.

01.03     UPPS No. 07.07.06, Salaried Graduate Student Employment.

01.04     AA/PPS No. 04.01.22, Clinical Faculty Appointments.

01.05     AA/PPS No. 04.01.23, Faculty of Practice Appointments

01.06     AA/PPS No. 04.01.20, Faculty Responsibilities, Definitions, and Titles.

02.        DEFINITIONS

02.01     No unique definitions exist for SOHA outside what is already defined by the University and College of Health Professions.

02.02     Workload – standard unit of reporting activities that justifies salary/payment. The standard workload for an FTE is 12 workload units. Each workload unit is roughly equivalent to one academic credit hour. Each academic credit hour is equivalent to 2-3 hours of prep for every 1 hour of instruction. Each 3 credit hour course is roughly equivalent to 10 hours of productivity (prep and instruction). Every 3 hours of workload is equivalent to about 10 hours of work per week. The 3 workload units granted for a service obligation such as a Program Director is equivalent to about 10 hours of work per week.

02.03     Workload for full-time, tenure-line faculty – All full-time tenure-track and tenured faculty in the School of Health Administration are expected to meet a set of professional responsibilities that include teaching, scholarly/creative activity, and service. This equates to 12 workload units, which equates to 40 hours per week.

02.04     Workload is distributed equitably in order to enable equitable treatment during the Annual Performance Evaluation process.

03.        RESPONSIBILITIES

03.01     The SOHA Director is responsible for implementing the workload policy in the School.

03.02     The SOHA Director ensures the workload in the School complies with policies of both the CHP and Texas State University. The workload in SOHA must meet School goals for teaching, research, scholarly activities, and service for each faculty member.

03.03     The full professional responsibility in the careers of tenured or tenure-track faculty include their obligations to the University for teaching, conducting research activities, and providing service to the University and/or their profession. The division of the obligations outlined above may vary from individual to individual, and change over time.

04.     PRACTICE FOR ASSIGNMENT AND ADJUSTMENT OF WORKLOAD FOR TEACHING

04.01     Newly-hired, tenure-line faculty are usually granted an additional research credit of 3 workload units (at total of 6) for two semesters sometime in the first two years of employment. This is done to help the faculty establish their line and record of sustained scholarly activity.

05.        PRACTICE FOR ASSIGNMENT AND ADJUSTMENT OF WORKLOAD FOR SCHOLARLY ACTIVITIES

05.01     Faculty members receiving assigned time for major research/creative or grant-related activity will annually provide evidence during the annual review process that they are engaged in such an activity and that their activity meets School expectations. The School of Health Administration recognizes that scholarly research and creative activity may take a variety of forms and that no quantitative measure of one year’s work can capture this diversity. While the regular publication of books and journal articles or creative work is a compelling demonstration that faculty are using assigned time productively, the School also recognizes that these activities can also enabled by other activities such as reviewing the work of other scholars/writers or presenting at conferences. Moreover, publication in the peer-reviewed journals often comes only after extended periods of reflection and even rejection. The Director—in approving assigned time for research and creative activity—will take these variables into consideration.

05.02     The normal workload for full-time faculty is a minimum of twelve workload units during the fall semester and 12 workload units during the spring semester. For most tenured and tenure-track faculty in the School who consistently engage in research and service at a usually meets expectations level as measured by the previous year’s annual evaluation, this twelve workload unit standard is fulfilled by teaching three courses (9 workload credits) and conducting research and service at level that warrants the awarding of three workload credits. Faculty no longer producing research may not receive a workload release and may be assigned an additional course to teach in order to meet state requirements for 12 workload units.

06.        PRACTICE FOR ASSIGNMENT AND ADJUSTMENT OF WORKLOAD FOR SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES

06.01     The following are standard workload unit waivers:

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      1. School Director receives 6 workload units each long semester and 6 workload units each summer session for service as Director.
      2. One graduate advisor (MHA/Graduate Programs Director) receives 3 workload units each long semester and 3 workload units each summer session for service as advisor and Admissions Committee Chair.
      3. One undergraduate advisor (BHA Director) receives 3 workload units each long semester and 3 workload units each summer session for service as advisor and Admissions Committee Chair.
      4. One graduate certificate advisor (LTCA Director) receives 3 workload credits each long semester and 3 workload credits each summer session for service as advisor and Admissions Committee Chair.
      5. One undergraduate advisor (BSHS Director) receives 3 workload units each long semester, but no summer credit because the summer workload is not as onerous as the other programs.
      6. Field experience coordinators

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      7. During periods of accreditation/certification and other special projects, the Director may assign up to 3 additional workload units.

06.02  Workload units assigned for Thesis Committee Chair are usually 1.5 for each committee and zero for committee members. Two subsequent years of serving as a Thesis Committee Chair can equate to a 3-workload unit waiver, or a course release.

06.03  Tenured faculty members, in consultation with the Director and with the concurrence of the Director and the Dean, may negotiate to concentrate in two areas of professional responsibility rather than three. Tenured faculty who choose to be evaluated in the annual review on only two areas [teaching and service] will ordinarily teach a four-course load.

07.        PRACTICE FOR ASSIGNMENT AND ADJUSTMENT OF UNIVERSITY APPROVED LEAVE

See the University policy on this category. SOHA has no changes or specifics that differ from policies of higher entities.

08.        WORKLOAD AND REPORTING PROCEDURES AND GIA ASSIGNMENTS

08.01     Faculty workloads are determined by the School Director each semester and summer session and are submitted to the Dean of the College of Health Professions for final approval.

08.02     Graduate Instructional Assistant assignments are made by the Director and allocates funding for student workers to assist staff and faculty in the School office. The School currently has three GIA positions funded every semester. At the beginning of each semester, the Director will notify faculty requesting GIA support that semester of their assigned GIA. GIAs will be assigned to a panel of faculty they will work with for the semester, and each faculty member will be assigned hours commensurate with supply and demand. While GIAs are hired to support the work of faculty in instructional assistance only, they should not be asked to perform tasks outside their usual routines (e.g., work that should be done by IAs). Tenure-track faculty are usually funded a dedicated Research Assistant for their first Academic Year as part of their start-up packages. These students are required to work on research related activities for the faculty member assigned only. Both instructional and research assistants are limited to 20 hours per week. Any additional requests for GIA support for a short-term project can be made to the Director who will evaluate and approve on a case- by-case basis.

09.        CALCULATING SUMMER WORKLOAD

08.03     Summer workload is not guaranteed to any faculty member because faculty are on nine-month contracts with the University. Faculty may request summer courses to teach, and the Director makes assignments based on student need, availability of funding, the number of faculty requesting to teach, and a course’s history of successful enrollment. Summer workload is usually established by October of the previous year.

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      1. In the event that there is insufficient money to fund the summer schedule, the Director will retain courses on the schedule based on the following priorities:

1.   The highest priority will be graduate courses that are taught only once a year.

2.   The second highest priority will be senior-level courses that if not offered, may delay a student's graduation.

3.   The third highest priority will be junior-level courses that if not offered, may delay a student's progression to senior-level courses.

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      2. Once the schedule meets the budget constraints referenced above, the Director will assign faculty to the schedule using the following criteria:

1.   The highest priority will be given to tenure-track faculty who are primary for the course up to 50 percent per faculty (75% if demand requires).

2.   The second highest priority will be given to faculty who have taught the course before.

3.   The third highest priority will be given to faculty who are identified as secondary to a course, but who have never taught the course.

4.   When budget dictates, a junior faculty member may be offered to teach a course because they are less expensive to employ, provided they are qualified to teach the course (e.g., terminal degree).

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      3. Calculating your summer salary is complex.

1.   A 5-week course is equivalent to 50% FTE for 1.5 mo.

2.   A 10-week course is equivalent to 25% for 3 months.

3.   Program Directors are paid 25% for 3 months (except BSHS)