Workload and Evaluation
"The University of Delaware exists to cultivate learning, develop knowledge, and foster the free exchange of ideas. State-assisted yet privately governed, the University has a strong tradition of distinguished scholarship, research, teaching, and service that is grounded in a commitment to increasing and disseminating scientific, humanistic, and social knowledge for the benefit of the larger society. Founded in 1743 and chartered by the state in 1833, the University of Delaware today is a land-grant, sea-grant, space-grant, and urban-grant university.
The University of Delaware is a major research university with extensive graduate programs that is also dedicated to outstanding undergraduate and professional education. UD faculty are committed to the intellectual, cultural and ethical development of students as citizens, scholars and professionals. UD graduates are prepared to contribute to a global society that requires leaders with creativity, integrity and a dedication to service.
The University of Delaware promotes an environment in which all people are inspired to learn, and encourages intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, free inquiry and respect for the views and values of an increasingly diverse population.
An institution engaged in addressing the critical needs of the state, nation and global community, the University of Delaware carries out its mission with the support of alumni who span the globe and in partnership with public, private and nonprofit institutions in Delaware and beyond." (Mission Statement approved 2008). link
Faculty workload is assigned in support of the academic programs of our departments, schools and colleges. Within this framework, all academic units must have written and approved workload policies. The procedures for development and approval of unit workload policies are stipulated in "Approval of a Unit's Workload Policies."
A unit's workload policy must be congruent with academic program needs and in compliance with all university policies and collective bargaining guidelines. link
Evaluation of academic program needs must include course requirements of the academic unit, teaching availability of full-time faculty, the non-instructional responsibilities of the academic unit, and the contributions of the unit within the college and the university.
It is recognized that, depending upon their responsibilities and priorities, academic units will vary in the relative balance of teaching, research and service assignments to faculty.
Periodic Review of Workload
Policies: Over time the needs of academic
departments/units will change necessitating periodic review and possible
modification of workload policies. Departments/units may modify their policies
at any time following the procedures outlined in the Faculty Handbook and the CBA. The recently
approved Collective
Bargaining Agreement (July 1, 2005-June 30, 2008), Article XI, 11.3
stipulates that: ".beginning July 1, 2002, all academic departments must
review their workload policies to maintain congruence with academic program
needs (following procedures outlined in 11.2 above) as well as to assure
compliance with all university policies and collective bargaining
guidelines." It is further stipulated that: "By June 30, 2003,
academic units and chairs must present their workload policies, whether revised
or not, for review and approval by the appropriate dean, the AAUP Contract
Maintenance Office, and the Provost."
Workload policies must also be reviewed as part of the unit's regularly scheduled Academic Program Review and/or periodic review for accreditation or re-accreditation.
Alignment of Workload with
Other Policies: The University seeks alignment
and consistency between wWorkload policies and will be
aligned and consistent with other policies related to faculty
contributions and evaluations such as.
As stipulated
above in "Consistency
between Workload Policy and Other Policies," the University strives
for consistency among workload policies, promotion and tenure policies and
decisions, faculty appraisals by the department chairpersonunit head or college dean, merit
salary award policies, and initial contract and contract renewal decision
policies.
Expectations of All Faculty: All faculty, whether tenure track or non-tenure
track, must meet general University expectiations. These
expectations include participation in and contributions to:
·
Regularly scheduled
undergraduate and/or graduate instruction;
·
Advisement, mentoring, and
academic supervision of students;
·
Faculty governance and the
development and effective conduct of the academic program as defined by
departmental and college by-laws;
·
Other responsibilities expected
of all faculty on the basis of approved departmental and college by-laws or as
set forth by the College or University Faculty Senate or as otherwise
stipulated in University policy.
The Administration and the AAUP will come to
agreement on a unit-by-unit basis on the general University expectations that
apply to faculty on non-administered workloads.
Expectations of Tenure-Track Faculty: Faculty
holding tenure track positions are expected to perform the activities
enumerated in the unit's approved Promotion and Tenure document.
Research and publication are a significant part of
each faculty member's total contribution as a member of the academic community.
Faculty members must be engaged in some form of creative activity in their
academic fields, and it is expected that creative activity will be evidenced by
publication or other forms of scholarly output, which not only signifies the
completion of scholarly inquiry but makes it available to other scholars. The
number and frequency of publications [or other forms of scholarly output] will
vary with the individual, the field of study, and the proportion of time
devoted to research; however, no faculty member can be excused from research and
scholarly productivity on the grounds that all available time is devoted to
other activities.
Conversely, teaching, advising, committee
responsibilities, and community service are not to be neglected on the ground
that research and publication have a higher priority. Each faculty member is
expected to make a balanced contribution to the University.
Administered Workloads: Twelve credit
contact hours or 18 teaching contact hours per week per semester constitutes a
100% workload for the semester for the academic year as describedFaculty
workload is defined in the Collective Bargaining
Agreement, Article XI.
In practice, however, tThe
University adheres to a policy of "administered" teaching
loads, particularly in the case of tenure-track faculty. Under this arrangement
department chairpersons and deans are encouraged to vary the teaching loads of
individual faculty members so long as the total teaching obligations are met
with the teaching personnel available. This flexible arrangement makes it
possible for the chairpersons unit head to make
assignments of individual faculty members on a semester-to-semester basis to stimulatefor such
purposes as stimulating research and scholarship or to provide for
unusually heavy committee assignments.
The policy of administered workloads carries a responsibility for the effective implementation by the departmental chairperson or other academic unit head. Workloads are to be administered to reflect an optimal utilization of the talents and contributions of the faculty in accord with the academic program needs of the department and the faculty's opportunities for continued professional development and achievement. Unit workload policies must stipulate how the policy of administered workloads will be implemented.
Administered workloads are not automatic, but must
accord with the actual contributions of the faculty members who are assigned
such workloads. Thus, workload assignments to support research and scholarship
must, over time, be reflected in research and scholarly productivity
commensurate with that workload responsibility.
When a faculty member's administered workload assignment does
not comport with his/her actual research and scholarly contributions, the chair
may increase the teaching or service components of that faculty member's
workload. In such an instance, the faculty member may request a review of
his/her research quality and productivity and the chair will appoint an ad -hoc
committee for that purpose. The composition of the review committee will be
decided by the chair and its recommendation will be advisory.
Alternatively the chair may appoint such a committee, in the absence of any
request from the faculty member. In all cases, the faculty member will
have the opportunity to submit any evidence deemed appropriate to the
committee's tasks. The recommendation(s) of the ad -hoc
committee are advisory; the chair has final responsibility for any change in a
faculty member's workload.
(Approved by the Provost and the AAUP Executive Council, 12/01/03)
Workload Policy Statement and the Composition of Workload: The workload policy statement must describe the expectations of faculty regarding teaching, scholarship and service, the composition of faculty workload in that unit, and the basis for that composition.
The composition of workload must be congruent with all University policies and Collective Bargaining guidelines. The composition must also be congruent with the mission and academic program responsibilities of the unit, the terms of appointment of the faculty member, and the contributions of the unit within the college and the University. For tenure-track faculty, the composition of workload also must be consistent with promotion and tenure guidelines. For these reasons and given that units implement a policy of administered workloads, the composition of workload varies among and within academic units.
The policy statement must include a description of the
composition of workload that reflects the application of a consistent metric
for assignments of annualized efforts in teaching, scholarship and service. The
metric must conform in all respects to University policies and the Collective
Bargaining GuidelinesAgreement. Link
Workload policies must describe the following: