DSU Faculty Workload Policy (approved April 2001)

The faculty workload policy of Dakota State University for the academic year is stated in sufficiently broad and sufficiently specific terms to allow for the fulfillment of the mission of the University while respecting the rights and prerogatives of faculty unit members and administration. The genuine realization of the spirit of the policy pivots on the mutual respect and goodwill that should characterize colleagues having complementary responsibilities.

1. Teaching Load
   
   
   1. All faculty members are expected to fulfill the basic professional responsibilities of the mission of the institution as outlined in the master contract.
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   2. The normal full-time teaching load is 22-26 semester credit hours for each academic year (fall and spring). However, 28 semester credit hours may be assigned to a faculty unit member each academic year, if that teaching load is needed to provide students with the minimum degree program requirements. The distribution of these hours will not normally exceed 15 hours in a given semester. 
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      Where appropriate, the institution will follow the workload guidelines endorsed by the institution’s accrediting agencies.
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   3. Unless a formula is stipulated below, the semester credit hours of the course will be used to determine the course’s value in the faculty unit member’s teaching load. The semester credit hour teaching load of a faculty unit member is determined by adding the semester credit hours and the equated credit hours of the assigned courses. Equated credit hours for the courses designated below will be calculated using these formulas:
      
      
      1. Science laboratories: 3 contact hours equal 2 equated credit hours.
         
         
      2. Applied music courses: 3 contact hours equal 2 equated credit hours.
         
         
      3. Studio art courses: 3 contact hours equal 2 equated credit hours.
         
         
      4. Activity courses: 2 contact hours equal 1 equated credit hour.
         
         
      5. Mentored (independent study) courses and formal research experiences: (.10) x (semester credit hours of the course) x (number of students being mentored) equals equated credit hours.
         
         
      6. Instructor of Record:
         
         
         1. Supervision of 1 graduate teaching assistant equals 2/3 
            equated credit hour.
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            For example: A faculty unit member is responsible for 
            supervising 3 graduate teaching assistants. Each graduate 
            teaching assistant teaches 1 section of CSC 105. The 
            faculty unit member receives 2 equated credit hours for 
            this supervision. (3 supervised assistants * 2/3)
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         2. Supervision of 1 graduate lab assistant equals 1/3
            equated credit hour.
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            For example: A faculty unit member is responsible for 
            supervising 3 graduate lab assistants. Each graduate lab
            assistant teaches 1 section of BIOL 101 lab. The faculty 
            unit member receives 1 equated credit hour for this 
            supervision. (3 supervised assistants * 1/3)
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      7. Graduate Courses: (1.33) x (semester credit hours of the course) equals equated credit hour
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      8. Supervision of multiple-section courses (if responsible for development of standardized content, assessment, and syllabus for the course): 1equated credit hour for each multiple-section course supervised.
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   4. Overload pay begins with any assignment over 28 credit hours per 9-month academic year. The faculty unit member is responsible for monitoring their teaching workload and for notifying their dean, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the COHE president when they are eligible for overload pay. This notification shall be made within 10 days of census day (which is the first work day after the drop/add period) and shall include a request for an adjustment in their salary for the spring semester. Faculty unit members may also request a reduction in their spring teaching load, in lieu of overload pay.
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      Standard overload pay will be calculated at 8% of the faculty member’s 9-month academic salary for each 3 credits of overload.
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      A Faculty Overload Pay Committee (6 members, 3 appointed by the administration and 3 appointed by the local DSU-COHE president) will meet to review overload pay calculations every 5 years or upon the request of either party. The decision of the committee must take into account the fiscal ability of the University. Faculty unit members will continue with their teaching assignments during negotiations. If the committee cannot reach agreement, the issue will be referred to the President for a final decision.
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   5. Academic advising will be considered a part of a faculty unit member’s regular workload and generally will not exceed an assignment of 50 students. An unusually heavy advising load can be offset by a reduction in the faculty unit member’s committee assignments.
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   6. These factors will be considered at the college level and may be used to displace a proportional amount of the normal, full-time workload assignment each semester, upon authorization by the Vice President for Academic Affairs:
      
      
      • class size and other related classroom issues; 
        
        
      • supervision of interns and practicums; 
        
        
      • coaching or directing; 
        
        
      • institutional committee chairmanship;
        
        
      • responsibility for institutional projects;
        
        
      • team-teaching a multi-disciplinary course
        
        
      • guidelines of external accrediting agencies

      If an agreement cannot be reached at the college level, the faculty unit member may request a review by the VPAA. If the authorization is denied by the VPAA, the faculty unit member may request a review by the Ad Hoc Workload Committee. Recommendations made by this committee will be given very serious consideration by the administration.

2. Class Preparation
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   1. The usual number of class preparations for faculty unit members will be 3 to 6 per semester. If / when the faculty unit member’s teaching assignment for any given semester exceeds 7 class preparations, other workload assignments will be reduced proportionately.
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   2. When two or more sections of the same class are taught by the faculty unit member during the same semester, those courses will be counted as a single class preparation.
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   3. For each credit hour or equated credit hour taught per week by a faculty unit member, the faculty unit member is expected to spend three hours in class preparation, evaluation of students, tutorials, or other course-related activities.
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   4. Faculty unit members are expected to maintain an office schedule that provides for reasonable on-campus accessibility during the work week. Minimum standards for office hours will be established annually by each college.
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3. New and Experimental Academic Programs and Courses
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   1. New academic programs and courses will be excluded from this policy for the first three years of their implementation. 
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   2. If an agreement cannot be reached at the departmental level, faculty unit members assigned to teach courses in new academic programs may request a review of their workload by the Ad Hoc Workload Committee. Recommendations made by this committee will be given very serious consideration by the administration.
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4. Promotion, Tenure and Retention
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   1. Overload work assignment will not unduly influence decisions regarding promotion, tenure or retention.
      

5. Julie Smith	6/19/01		C. Wittmayer	6/19/01
   COHE Rep	Date		Administrative Rep	Date
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   Lynette Molstad	6/19/01		Mark Lee	6/20/01
   COHE Rep Date	Date		Administrative Rep	Date
   .			.
   Risë L. Smith	6/21/01		Rick Christoph	6/25/01
   COHE Rep	Date		Administrative Rep	Date