Rule 3344-16-16 | Faculty workload assignment.
(A) Teaching, conducting research, scholarship, creative activity and providing public, departmental and university service are together regarded as normal and necessary in fulfilling an academic appointment. Such an appointment implies that faculty members will be engaged in student advising and serve on departmental, college and university committees assisting in the day-to-day operations of the academic enterprise. Where appropriate, it is expected that faculty members will contribute their expertise to the public good.
(B) All full-time faculty members have a total workload of thirty credits per academic year, divided among teaching, research/scholarship/creative activity, service, clinical supervision and education and administration. The normative workload requirement for each faculty member with an academic appointment, consists of the standard teaching, scholarship, service, clinical supervision and education and administration, as described below, or an equivalent alternative.
(1) Teaching. A standard three-credit-hour course is defined as reflecting ten percent of total faculty workload. A standard teaching load for tenure-track faculty, including clinical faculty, is eighteen semester hours per academic year, equivalent to sixty percent of total workload. A standard teaching load for non-tenure-track faculty, lecturers and professors of practice, is twenty-four semester hours per academic year, equivalent to eighty percent of total workload.
The teaching needs of the school or department will be considered in determining whether a faculty member may be assigned a teaching workload that deviates from the standard eighteen credit hours. Individual tenure-track faculty may be assigned a teaching workload assignment outside the standard to reflect an extraordinary level of attention to research or service. Such a recommendation for deviation is made by the department chair or school director and must be approved by the dean.
Probationary, tenure-track, faculty members may be assigned a teaching load less than the normative teaching load assignment.
(2) Service. A standard service assignment for a full-time faculty member shall comprise twenty percent of total workload, equivalent to six credits per academic year. It is expected that most faculty members shall be assigned a standard service load, and it should be rare for a faculty member to be assigned more service than a standard load. Such a recommendation for deviation is made by the department chair or school director and must be approved by the dean.
(3) Research/scholarship/creative activity. The standard expectation for research, scholarship, or creative activity (RSCA) for a tenure-track or tenured faculty member is twenty percent of total workload, equivalent to six total credits per academic year.
In consultation with a faculty member, a department chair or school director may assign a deviation of the number of RSCA workload credits. Such a recommendation is made by the department chair or school director and must be approved by the dean. The basis for such deviation may include, but is not limited to, exceptional scholarly activity as well as external grants to support such scholarly activity.
Faculty members are allowed to buy additional credits of RSCA workload using external grant funds. Such credits may be used to reduce the teaching workload assignment.
Normally, there is no expectation of RSCA workload assignment for non-tenure-track faculty members, lecturers and professors of practice, or for clinical faculty members. In rare cases, a department chair or school director may recommend the assignment of some RSCA workload for a non-tenure-track faculty member. Such a recommendation must be approved by the dean.
(4) Clinical instruction and supervision. In departments or schools where clinical education is part of the curriculum, a full-time faculty member may be assigned workload hours to conduct clinical instruction or supervision.
(5) Administration. In some cases, full-time faculty on nine-month appointments may be assigned administrative duties as part of their workload.
(C) Policy review cycle. The provost's office is responsible for this policy. At a minimum, every five years, the provost shall ensure that the policy is reviewed and recommend whether the policy should be reaffirmed without revision, amended, or rescinded. The provost may invite the participation of faculty bodies in such a review. Policies may be reviewed on an earlier timeline depending on necessity and change in law or practice.
Last updated December 20, 2025 at 12:43 AM
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