Faculty Workload Guidelines

Preamble
The purpose of this policy statement is twofold. First, it provides guidance to the
faculty, Chairs and the Dean in making assignments of workload to faculty.
Second, it assists in an effort to equitably distribute faculty responsibilities across
faculty in the College over time. It is acknowledged that there is rich diversity
across units and individual faculty members in the College, and that simplistic
approaches to equity in workload will not work.
Through time these guidelines should assist all involved to make more equitable
workload decisions through discussion, negotiation, and resource allocation. That is,
this policy and its implementation shall assure that full-time faculty members have
comparable total effort, although individual distributions of teaching, service,
outreach, and research may vary across faculty members.
This document is based on the University requirement that a faculty members
responsibilities be allocated across various apportionment categories (please see
the Appendix). According to the Board of Regents (BOR) Bylaws 4.3 the terms of
this apportionment are to be reviewed periodically and may be changed by mutual
consent. Within the terms of this general apportionment of responsibilities and
subject to a faculty member's general area of competence, the details of a faculty
member's specific assignments or job description should be subject to joint
consultation but are to be determined by the department chair, unit administrator,
or director concerned (UNL General Principles of Faculty Evaluation: Process,
Criteria, and Standards-subsection on Criteria).
Definitions
Faculty Workload refers to all faculty activities that contribute to the
accomplishment
of
unit-related
activities
and
responsibilities:
research/creative activity, teaching, service, outreach, and extension (where
appropriate). As such, Faculty Workload may be conceptualized at both the
individual level and the unit level.
Apportionment refers to the specified division among teaching, research,
service, extension, and administrative responsibilities making up a faculty
member's University appointment (BOR Bylaws, 4.3.d).
Faculty are defined by the Colleges bylaws.
Principles underlying CEHS workload policy
1. The policy reflects the CEHS mission and values.
2. The policy involves communication among all parties invested in the
appointment.
3. The policy encompasses the total faculty role.
4. The policy needs to be flexible and responsive to the needs of individuals
and units (over time, over career stage, across the mission, across
individuals).
5. The policy allows for differentiated staffing.
6. The workload policy informs an individuals performance evaluation, but it is
not the same as evaluation. The former adopts a prospective perspective,

whereas the latter is retrospective.

7. The policy takes into account a unit goals/needs/mission as well as an
individual faculty members goals/needs.
8. The policy needs to be capable of addressing multiple timeframes
(semester, annual, and multiyear).
9. Each unit is responsible for contributing to the mission areas: research,
teaching, service, and outreach.
10. The workload policy supports, but does not replace judgment in
determining the distribution of work for individuals or among groups of
faculty over time.
11. It is the chairs responsibility to strive for equity in faculty total effort over
time.
12. A faculty members workload will be consistent with tenure and/or
promotion and annual evaluation guidelines.
Principles underlying apportionments
1. The total apportionment across all areas will total 100%; areas are defined
in the Appendix.
2. no special adjustments of norms for units or individuals shall alter the
University's fundamental criterion: all faculty members must do scholarly or
professional work that demonstrates creative achievement (UNL General
Principles of Faculty Evaluation: Process, Criteria, and Standards: Criteria).
3. Anyone with a teaching apportionment must teach a minimum of 1 course
per academic year.
4. It is generally expected that a faculty member's apportionment of
responsibilities shall be relatively stable from year to year, unless there is
reasonable justification for change (BOR Bylaws, 4.3.d).
5. Appropriate management of apportionments by administrators seeks to
best serve student interests, faculty interests, and meet departmental
responsibilities by maximizing the application of faculty expertise.
6. A change in the apportionment of duties cannot be made unilaterally by
administrators or by faculty members.
7. The specific apportionment of a faculty member's responsibilities shall be
reviewed periodically.
8. Either the faculty member or the responsible unit administrator may initiate
discussions of changes in apportionment.
9. In the process of any such discussions, both the faculty member and the
unit administrator shall act in good faith to reach a mutual agreement.
10. There will be a written statement by the chair of the agreed upon
apportionment.
11. All individuals are expected to perform department and/or college service.
12. External funding is considered to be part of load unless there is other
significant effort in progress. The determination of whether such effort is
considered significant is made by the relevant administrator(s) in
collaboration with the faculty member.
Note: If the faculty member and the unit administrator are unable to reach mutual
agreement with respect to changes in apportionment of the faculty member's
responsibilities, the unresolved issues between them shall be expeditiously reviewed and

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decided by an elected faculty committee of the faculty member's tenure home college (see
Regential Bylaws 4.3.b.2).

Guidelines:
The metrics below are used to determine a faculty members apportionment values.
Teaching
Courses
Guideline 1: A three-credit course constitutes a 10% apportionment for the
academic year. Each department is to define this standard based on their
individual circumstances (e.g., the typical enrollment, whether this refers to
graduate or undergraduate level, etc.).
Advising
Guideline 2: Three to ten fulltime graduate students constitutes a 5%
apportionment for the academic year. Each department will determine the
valuing of specific factors (e.g., nonthesis versus thesis students, doctoral
student supervision, doctoral committee chair, doctoral committee member,
doctoral committee Reader, masters/EdS committee chair, masters/EdS
committee member, endorsements, etc.) and their interactions.
Research/Scholarship/Creative Activity
Guideline 3: Research, scholarship, and creative activity will have a focus within
the Unit, Department, or College mission and that this body of work is
recognized by professional peers.
Guideline 4: A record of outside peer-reviewed or professionally-reviewed
publications or creative exhibitions, that on average, results in one to two
refereed publications/creative exhibitions per year (in addition to other
publications/creative exhibitions that may not be refereed, involvement in
obtaining patents and technology transfer, etc.), and on average, at least one
national professional meeting presentation per year will constitute a 30%
apportionment.
Service
There are two facets to Service: Service to the institution and service to the
discipline.
Service to the Institution: This category reflects service or leadership roles at
the Department, College, Cooperative Extension, Division, Institute, Campus, or
University level. It represents active participation on committees that focus on
issues or directives of the institution, which includes assuming a leadership role
on one or more committees or actively participating on one or more committees
per year. For senior faculty service would also include formal mentoring of junior
faculty. Departmental and college citizenship is expected of all faculty.

Service to the Discipline: This category reflects service involving active

participation in professional or governmental organizations at the local, state,
regional, national, or international level. This participation may include serving
on committees, being an officer in an organization, and/or developing a
conference program. It also includes providing professional peer reviews, news

releases, or other means for informing the popular media; jurying creative
work; serving on external review teams; and speaking to local, regional,
national, and professional agencies.
Guideline 5: Balanced involvement across service to the institution and to the
discipline will constitute 10% to 20%. Among other issues, departmental size is
an important factor in determining participation on committees. Service loads
generally will not exceed 20% unless there are unusual circumstances that are
approved by the Department Chair and/or the Dean.
Outreach/Non Extension Appointments
Guideline 6: A record of, on average, one to two documented outreach projects
per year will constitute a 5% apportionment. A non exhaustive list of examples
of outreach projects are conducting workshops, curricular development
associated with implementing an intervention program, serving as an expert
witness, providing clinical services, appearing in the popular media, testifying to
governmental bodies, etc.
Extension Appointments
Guideline 7: Typically, extension faculty have 3-5 program goals on which they
work at any one time and the goals vary in complexity. The objectives of some
goals can be achieved in two or three years while others require career long
efforts. These educational program goals typically address critical issues
impacting individuals, families, communities and businesses. Apportionment is
negotiated with the Cooperative Extension Division.
Administration
Guideline 8: The corresponding apportionment is determined by the college
and/or university administrator(s).
Additional Issues to Be Considered
Issues to be considered by the administrator and faculty member in load
determination:
Teaching
Some factors that may influence an individuals load and apportionment include
but are not limited to:
New course preparation.
Instruction of graduate students.
Distance education courses.
Course delivered off campus.
Courses with substantially higher than standard enrollment.
Courses taught outside the faculty members area of expertise.
Higher than expected numbers of students advised or in independent studies
or practica
Development of new curriculum, programs or courses
Special efforts in recruitment or retention of students
Documentation required for accreditation and professional approvals
Type
of
course
(e.g.,
Practicum/Field
Experiences/Independent
Studies/Student Teaching supervision courses, etc.)

Intensiveness and independence of advisees

Allocation of graduate assistant help.
Courses with substantially less than standard enrollment.
Courses regularly and repeatedly taught over time.
Preparation and management of grants related to teaching

The following examples are not meant to be exhaustive, but rather to exemplify
some of the tailoring that will need to take place within the Colleges departments.
Example 1: In a particular department the governance structure (i.e., the chair
and the department faculty) may decide that a studio course with 15 students
is equivalent to 1 times the three-credit standard. Therefore, the studio
course would be worth 15%.
Example 2: In a particular department a course that involves teaching 100
students with use of a graduate assistant may be considered to be equivalent to
teaching 30 undergraduate students. Therefore, the large lecture course would
be 10%. However, without the assistance of a graduate student the large lecture
course might be equivalent to 13-15% apportionment.
Example 3: In a particular department a laboratory course of a given size
without graduate assistant is worth 15%, but with a graduate assistant the
course is worth 10%.
Example 4: In a particular department a two-credit course may defined to be
worth less than 10%. Conversely, a four-credit course may be defined to be
worth more than 10%.
Research
Some factors that may influence an individuals load and apportionment include,
but are not limited to:
Grant productivity and time framework for grant projects
Beginning a new line of research
Variances in time needed for different research methodologies
Availability or lack of availability of research assistant help or funding.
Service
Some factors that may influence an individuals load and apportionment include,
but are not limited to:
Recognition that particular committees have heavier workload than others
Recognition that some committees may have a heavier workload than others
in certain years (e.g., P&T)
Leadership in professional organizations or activities (Presidencies,
chairmanships, committee activities, etc.)
Professional advocacy such as testifying at governmental hearings
Editorships
Number of Chaired Committees
Number of Committees.

Outreach/Non Extension Appointments

Some factors that may influence an individuals load and apportionment include,
but are not limited to:
Recognition that some individual projects may require a greater commitment
of a faculty members resources than a collection of others.
The amount of funding received for outreach from grants, contracts, and/or
fees collected. (This also includes whether or not this funding is increasing,
decreasing, or remaining constant over time as well as whether it is
internal/external to the College and/or University.)
In the case of workshop(s), the number of participants in the workshop(s)
and their evaluation of the quality of the workshop(s).
The projects delivery medium (e.g., distance technology, face-to-face,
curricula distributed via web or via CDs, etc.).
Indications of the demand and need for a particular outreach project.
The benefit to a particular outreach projects constituents.
A projects congruence to unit, department and colleges mission, goals, and
priorities.
The degree of fit between project needs and the faculty members expertise.
A projects developmental stage (e.g., needs assessment, methodological
development, pilot, initial study, replication, etc.).
A projects product(s) (e.g., technical report(s), scholarly presentation(s),
public performances, etc.).
Awards received/constituents evaluative ratings.
Thematic nature of the projects
The extent of collaboration with professional colleagues.
Use of and number of undergraduate/graduate assistants.
Repetitiveness of content (e.g., same workshop delivered multiple times)
The projects setting (i.e., local, regional, state, multi-state, national,
international)
Extension Appointments
A factor that may influence an individuals load and apportionment include, but is
not limited to:
Consideration of the 'difference or outcomes' the educational program is
making not simply by the number of educational activities, publications or
media items developed and delivered.
Administration
Some factors that may influence an individuals load and apportionment include,
but are not limited to:
Extensiveness of the responsibilities.
Amount of assistance available to accomplish the administrative
responsibilities.
Appeals Process
It is expected that most apportionment allocations will be determined to the mutual
satisfaction of the faculty member and the chairperson through an Annual Review
meeting and conversation. This conversation should adhere to the definitions,
principles and guidelines provided in the CEHS Faculty Workload Guidelines
document approved by the faculty.

When a disagreement occurs about a faculty members apportionment, the faculty

member and the chairperson should try to resolve it amicably. If a resolution is not
reached, the faculty member may initiate the appeals process.
1. The appeals process begins when a faculty member notifies the Deans Office in
writing that he or she wishes to appeal his or her apportionment. This
notification should occur within 5 business days after the last conversation or
meeting in which the faculty member determines it is unlikely that a mutual
agreement will be reached.
2. The Deans Office will notify the FAC chair of the appeal. Excluding the appealing
Faculty members department, the FAC chair will randomly select and appoint
two FAC representatives and two representatives from the Chairs Council to
serve on an Apportionment Appeals Committee. All four members of the appeals
committee will be from a department other than the department within which
the appeal is taking place. At least three departments will be represented on the
committee.
3. The FAC chair will acknowledge the appeal in writing and ask the faculty
member and the chairperson to provide a response to the situation in writing.
This response is to be based on the CEHS workload document. Both the chair
and faculty member will provide a one-page response summarizing their
viewpoint related to the apportionment appeal. Supplemental documentation
(not to exceed five pages) to facilitate understanding of the appeal may also be
provided, if desired.
The response must be submitted within 10 business days after the request for
response by the FAC chair. The Apportionment Appeals Committee may also
request an opportunity to speak to each party in person.
4. Within 15 business days of receiving of the Faculty members and chairs
responses, the Apportionment Appeals Committee will meet and will provide a
written document that includes a decision and rationale. This decision will be
binding for the academic year in question. The Apportionment Appeals
Committee document will be sent to the Dean, the Faculty member and
Chairperson.
4a. If the Apportionment Appeals Committee determines that it is not possible
to agree to a majority decision, the response documentation will be
forwarded to the Dean for a final decision.
5. In the spirit of continuous quality improvement, the FAC and the Chairs Council
will participate in an orientation in the early fall, each year. The purpose of the
orientation is to acquaint all potential members of the appeals committee with
the CEHS Faculty Workload Guidelines, Appeals Process, and examples of
workload allocations across the College.

Appendix
Board of Regents Apportionment Category Definitions
Definition of Teaching: All activities related to teaching credit-generating courses,
whether residential or distance, with regularly enrolled students and general
student advising.
Preparation for a course
Development of material for new courses and curricula
Preparation of lectures and demonstrations
Time in the classroom (or equivalent for distance courses)
Instructing a recurring credit class or section of a class in a formal setting
Supervision of students in independent study courses
Direct contact with students related to the course
Supervision of graduate students on thesis and dissertation research
Interacting with students during office hours (or via distance)
Administrative duties related to the course
Supervision of teaching assistants
Class rosters
Thesis/Dissertation committees
Time

spent in evaluations related to the course

Preparation of evaluation tools (exams, quizzes, assignments, etc.)
Grading of exams/quizzes
Evaluation of student-prepared documents and/or creative works

Activities related to improving general undergraduate instruction (excludes

committee work)
Advising student clubs and groups
Development of new learning experiences for students involving laboratories
or computers (e.g.)
General advising of students on:
Enrollment issues
General career choices
General academic issues
Advise to undergraduates about graduate school options
Graduation checks
Personal counseling related to academic issues, etc
Definition of Research/Creative Activity: Activities associated with investigation or
experimentation aimed at the discovery and/or interpretation of facts or ideas as
well as the development of creative works or new products.
Creation of New knowledge through
Experimentation
Data analysis

Library research

Creation of dramatic, literary or artistic works.

Creation of professional books, book chapters, or monographs.
Creation of new products (e.g., computer programs, cultivars).
Research or creative work directed at the generation of new knowledge or materials
(e.g., paintings, poems, designs, etc.) for publication in professional journals,
technical reports, other similar professional outlets (e.g., electronic media) or
presentations at professional meetings.
Preparation of grant proposals for funding.
Management of grant activities.
Supervision of post-doctoral research associates.
Definition of Service (Citizenship): Citizenship activities that contribute to the
operation of the institution or of a disciplinary or professional organization.
Initiating, working on, and/or providing support for the goals, missions, or
aspirations of:
University of Nebraska
College / Division
UNL
Department / Center
Academic Affairs / IANR
Activities related to serving or chairing committees on issues or directives of these
units.
Activities associated with such departmental functions as interviewing prospective
faculty members, assisting in the development of department policies, tenure
review, and so forth.
Activities associated with shared governance, academic affairs, and other forms of
institutional operation.
Time spent in leadership roles in professional organizations outside of the
University.
Activities associated
Reviewer, etc.

with

Professional Groups, Leadership

Positions, Journal

(Does NOT include civic contributions such as election to office, jury duty, or
volunteerism with religious, philanthropic and other nonprofit organizations.)

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Definition of Extension/Outreach (Public Service): A form of scholarship that cuts

across teaching, research and service. It involves generating, transmitting, applying
and preserving knowledge for the direct benefit of external audiences in ways that
are consistent with the university and unit missions.
Outreach activities contribute to public welfare or the common good, call upon
faculty members' academic and/or professional expertise and directly address or
respond to real-world problems, issues, interests or concerns. In short, the
organized application of a faculty member's professional expertise to problems and
tasks both on-campus and outside the campus.
Outreach includes dissemination of information to and other programming for the
general public through written, oral, electronic, or other media. Activities make
available institutional resources and expertise outside the context of the
instructional program (extending the instructional program to a broader student
clientele is included under teaching).
Definition of Administration: Activities associated with the day-to-day management
of the institution, its units and programs.
This category would include all college and departmental/unit activities that are
associated with the administration functions of the instructional, research, and
service activities.
It includes the activities of the college deans, the administrative activities of
department heads or chairpersons and the activities of their associated support
staff.
It includes the executive level activities concerned with the overall management of
and long-range planning for the institution.
It consists of the activities related to the day-to-day financial management and
fiscal operations.
Activities that relate to the administration of personnel such as recruitment and
hiring of faculty and staff and administration of employee programs.
Computer and data processing services that are needed to support the institutionwide administrative functions.
Activities needed to maintain relations with
governmental entities and the public in general.

the

local

community,

alumni,

Activities related to maintaining the existing grounds and facilities, providing utility
services, facilities and space management and health and safety services.