Workload Guidelines

Office of Academic Affairs Faculty Workload Guidelines

The Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) Faculty Workload Guidelines establish a university-wide framework for assigning, documenting, and approving faculty workload assignments in accordance with Board Rule 3359.20-03.2. The guidelines promote transparency, consistency, fairness, and alignment with the University's academic mission while allowing colleges and academic units to develop discipline-specific workload standards.  

The document defines faculty workload categories, including teaching, research/scholarship/creative activity (RSCA), service, administrative responsibilities, and clinical responsibilities, and outlines expectations for annual workload planning, consultation, documentation, and approval processes. It also clarifies workload limits, reassigned time, service and administrative releases, and approval requirements for non-standard assignments. For most faculty, the standard academic-year workload is 24 load hours unless otherwise approved.  

In addition, the guidelines include an appendix that standardizes definitions and expectations for common faculty administrative roles such as Program Director, Graduate Coordinator, Undergraduate Coordinator, Academic Program Coordinator, Center Director, and Institute Director. These definitions are intended to support consistent use of titles, assignment of responsibilities, and workload or compensation decisions across academic units.  

Faculty, chairs, directors, and deans should use these guidelines together with unit-level workload policies to ensure effective workload planning and equitable assignment of responsibilities across the University.