POL - 10.06.3 Faculty Workload Policy

1. Purpose

1.1  The UNC Policy on Faculty Workload (400.3.4) instructs all institutions in the University of North Carolina System to develop a policy on faculty workload and workload plans for their respective institutions. The expectation is all full-time faculty have a workload of 100% effort, which encompasses efforts in the areas of teaching, research and service. UNC Policy 400.3.4[R] provides guidance on the responsibilities and required processes associated with development of institutional workload policies. 

1.2  The purpose of this policy is to define how North Carolina Central University (NCCU) will comply with UNC System Policy 400.3.4 and its implementing regulations 400.3.4[R]. 

2. Scope

2.1  This policy applies to full-time tenure-track, tenured, and fixed-term faculty, with contracts for longer than one year. Faculty members who are appointed for one year or less than full-time may also have a workload plan. 

2.2  Individual faculty workloads are best managed at the department and school levels, not the University, UNC System, or State levels. This policy grants academic units the authority to adjust faculty workloads according to the needs and requirements of their disciplines and within the context of the University's mission. 

3. Definitions

3.1  Workload.· The activities undertaken by a full-time faculty member in the areas of teaching, research/creative activity, and service. 

3.2  Workload Plan: The document that identifies the specific outputs and efforts a faculty member is expected to complete in the next academic year. Circumstances may arise that require modification to an individual faculty member's workload plan. 

3.3  Instructional Teaching Load: The number of semester credit and/or contact hours each full-time faculty member is expected to teach in a semester or an academic year. 

3.4  Research and Creative Activities: Innovative research informs effective teaching and learning. Sponsored research funding is important to the university. Community-based research and creative activity are aligned with the university's mission whether it leads to, or is a result of, external funding. Faculty members discover, disseminate and apply knowledge and professional expertise. To this end, activities may include the following: conducting empirical, exploratory and/or theoretical research, engaging in developmental or translational work, and/or producing creative works. 

3.5  Service: Faculty members engage in service that advances the work of the institution and the institution's role in supporting North Carolina. Service work of faculty may include activities that enhance the scholarly life of the university or the discipline, improve the quality of life for society, or promote the general welfare of the institution, professional and academic societies, the community, the state, the nation, or international community. Faculty members may also serve in administrative capacities, including, but not limited to, committee assignments, department chair/head, program director, and institute/center director. 

3.6  Differentiated workload: A department may assign differential levels of teaching, research and creative activities, and service to a workload for individual faculty members based on the specific needs of the program, department, school/college, and University, and in consideration of the strengths of each faculty member. 

4. Faculty Workload Assignments

4.1  Pursuant to UNC Policy Manual 400.3.4, NCCU provides general guidelines for faculty workload policies and procedures across all academic units of the University. Each academic unit shall establish, publish, monitor, and report on faculty workloads in the areas of teaching, research/creative activities, and service to best serve the mission of the University. 

4.2  North Carolina Central University recognizes teaching and instruction as the primary components when determining workload assignments. NCCU establishes teaching workload criteria based on the standard faculty teaching load defined in the UNC System Policy 400.3.4. The standard teaching load consists of 24 credit hours (or equivalent contact hours) per academic year, along with routinely expected instructional duties, as defined by the academic unit. 

4.3  Consistent with UNC System Policy 400.3.4, instructional teaching loads may be less than the above standard, as defined by the academic unit, depending on the nature of the faculty member's appointment; variations in normal class sizes; graduate and/or undergraduate classes; mentoring; advising; master's theses, master's projects, or doctoral dissertations supervision; research, scholarship, creative activities; community engagement (including service learning and experiential learning), and other activities. Additionally, the unit may consider as a legitimate teaching workload the following scenarios: the developing of materials for a new course, and course revisions; developing courseware or other materials for technology-based instruction; directing students in co-curricular activities such as plays, concerts, and performances; equipping new laboratories; and supervision of teaching assistants/students in practicums; and other activities that support student success as agreed upon by the faculty, department chair, and deans. 

4.4  Each unit must have a process that clearly outlines and documents the creation and approval of teaching expectations and faculty workloads to ensure alignment with university policies. Additionally, a process for making in-year adjustments may impact faculty workloads, when necessary, must be developed. 

5. Training and Reporting Requirements

5.1  The Office of the Provost will support each academic unit and provide training aligned with guidance by the System Office. 

5.2  Each academic unit will submit an annual report in the format prescribed by the University.