10.1 Policy. The professional obligation is comprised of both scheduled and non-scheduled activities. The parties recognize that it is a part of the professional responsibility of faculty to carry out their duties in an appropriate manner and place. For example, while instructional activities, office hours, and other duties and responsibilities may be required to be performed at a specific time and place, other non-scheduled activities are more appropriately performed in a manner and place determined by the faculty member in consultation with his or her supervisor.
10.2 Considerations in Assignment.
(a) The faculty member will be granted, upon written request, a conference with the person responsible for making the assignment to express concerns regarding:
(1) the needs of the program or department/unit;
(2) the faculty member’s qualifications and experiences, including professional growth and development and preferences;
(3) the character of the assignment, including but not limited to
- the number of hours of instruction,
- the preparation required,
- whether the faculty member has taught the course in the past,
- the average number of students enrolled in the course in past semesters,
- the time required by the course,
- whether travel to another location is required,
- the number of preparations required,
- the faculty member’s assignments in other semesters,
- the terms and conditions of a contract or grant from which the faculty member is compensated,
- the use of instructional technology,
- the availability and adequacy of materials and equipment, secretarial services, student assistants, and other support services needed to perform the assignments,
- any changes which have been made in the assignment, including those which may have resulted from previous evaluations of the faculty member; and
(4) the opportunity to fulfill applicable criteria for tenure, promotion, continuing multi-year appointments, successive fixed multi-year appointments, and merit salary increases.
(b) If the conference with the person responsible for making the assignment does not resolve the faculty member’s concerns, the faculty member will be granted, upon written request, an opportunity to discuss those concerns with an administrator at the next higher level.
(c) The Board and the UFF recognize that, while the Legislature has described the minimum full academic assignment in terms of twelve (12) contact hours of instruction or equivalent research and service, the professional obligation undertaken by a faculty member will ordinarily be broader than that minimum. In like manner, the professional obligation of other professional employees is not easily susceptible of quantification. The Board, acting through the University, has the right, in making assignments, to determine the types of duties and responsibilities which comprise the professional obligation and to determine the mix or relative proportion of effort a faculty member may be required to expend on the various components of the obligation.
(d) Furthermore, the Board, acting through the University, properly has the obligation to monitor and review the size and number of classes and other activities, to consolidate inappropriately small offerings, and to reduce inappropriately large classes.
(e) No faculty member’s assignment will be imposed arbitrarily or unreasonably. If a faculty member believes that the assignment has been so imposed, the faculty member should proceed to address the matter through the procedures in Appendix “II” of this Agreement, which will be the exclusive method for resolving such disputes. Other claims of alleged violations of the Agreement with respect to faculty assignments are subject to the provisions of Article 22 (Grievance Procedure and Arbitration).
10.3 Annual Assignment.
(a) Communication of Workload Assignment. Faculty will be apprised in writing, at the beginning of their employment and at the beginning of each year of employment thereafter, of the expectations related to teaching, scholarly and creative projects, and service for that year. Any special or atypical work expectations affecting these activities will be identified in the workload assignment letter.
(b) Informal Communication of Instructional Assignment. The published schedule available on the first day of student registration will serve as the informal notification of the faculty member’s course assignment. If there is a mismatch between the published schedule and the workload assignment, the faculty member and supervisor will discuss and resolve the discrepancy. The informal communication of instructional assignment is not grievable.
(c) Formal Communication of Instructional Assignment. This instructional assignment will be confirmed in writing no later than six (6) weeks in advance of the start of classes.
(d) Instructional Assignment. The period of an instructional assignment during an academic year will not exceed an average of seventy-five (75) days per semester and the period for testing, advisement, and other scheduled assignments will not exceed an average of ten (10) days per semester. Within each semester, activities referred to above will be scheduled during contiguous weeks with the exception of University breaks, if any.
(e) Change in Instructional Assignment. Should it become necessary to make changes in a faculty member’s instructional assignment less than six weeks before the start of classes, the supervisor will notify the faculty member prior to making such changes and will specify such changes in writing. Faculty can identify late changes in schedule as an extenuating circumstance in interpreting their performance evaluation data. Supervisors will take the late assignment into consideration in interpreting the results of student evaluations from those classes.
(f) Equitable Opportunity. Each faculty member will be given assignments which provide equitable opportunities, in relation to other faculty in the same department/unit, to meet the required criteria for promotion, tenure, successive fixed multi-year appointments, and merit salary increases.
(1) For the purpose of applying this principle to promotion, assignments will be considered over the entire period since the original appointment or since the last promotion, not solely over the period of a single annual assignment. The period under consideration at the University will not be less than four (4) years. The faculty member’s annual assignment will be included in the promotion file.
(2) For the purpose of applying this principle to tenure, assignments will be considered over the entire probationary period and not solely over the period of a single annual assignment. The faculty member’s annual assignment will be included in the tenure file.
10.4 Summer Assignment.
(a) The Summer instructional assignment, like that for the academic year, includes the normal activities related to such an assignment as defined by the department/unit and the nature of the course, such as course preparation, minor curriculum development, lectures, evaluation of student efforts, consultations and conferences with students, and minor committee activities.
(b) When a Summer instructional appointment immediately follows the academic year appointment, the faculty member may be assigned reasonable and necessary non-instructional duties related to the Summer instructional appointment prior to the conclusion of the academic year appointment.
10.5 Place of Employment.
(a) Principal. Each faculty member will be assigned one (1) principal place of employment, as stated on the University employment contract. Where possible, a faculty member will be given at least nine (9) months notice of a change in principal place of employment. The faculty member will be granted, upon written request, a conference with the person responsible for making the change to express concerns regarding such change, including concerns regarding considerations in assignment as described in section 10.3, above. Voluntary changes and available new positions within the department will be considered prior to involuntary changes, if practicable.
(b) Secondary. Each faculty member, where possible, will be given at least ninety (90) days written notice of assignment to a secondary place of employment more than fifteen (15) miles from the faculty member’s principal place of employment. The faculty member will be granted, upon written request, a conference with the person responsible for making the assignment to express concerns regarding such assignment.
(c) If the assignment to a secondary place of employment is made within a regular, full-time appointment, the supervisor is encouraged to make an appropriate adjustment in the assignment in recognition of time spent traveling to a secondary place of employment. Necessary travel expenses, including overnight lodging and meals, for all assignments not at the faculty member’s principal place of employment will be paid at the State rate and in accordance with applicable provisions of State law.
10.6 Teaching Schedule.
(a) Teaching schedules should be established, if practicable, so that the time between the beginning of the first assignment and the end of the last for any one day does not exceed eight (8) hours.
(b) Teaching schedules should also be established so that the time between the end of the last assignment for a day and the beginning of the first assignment for the next day is not less than twelve (12) hours.
(c) Colleges may develop policies with respect to workload adjustments to recognize non-traditional work assignments.
10.7 Equipment. When equipment is required for classes, it is desirable that there be sufficient equipment to accommodate the students assigned thereto. The Board and the UFF are committed to seek funding to provide for the replacement of obsolete equipment, recognizing the necessity for maintaining an adequate inventory of technologically current equipment.
10.8 Workweek.
(a) Scheduled hours for all faculty will not normally exceed forty (40) hours per week. Time will be allowed within the normal working day for research, teaching, or other activities required of the faculty member, when a part of the assigned duties.
(b) Supervisors are encouraged to make appropriate reductions or adjustments in the number of hours scheduled in recognition of evening, night, and weekend assignments.
10.9 Instructional Technology.
(a) “Instructional technology material” includes video and audio recordings, motion pictures, film strips, photographic and other similar visual materials, live video and audio transmissions, computer programs, computer assisted instructional course work, programmed instructional materials, three dimensional materials and exhibits, and combinations of the above materials, which are prepared or produced in whole or in part by a faculty member, and which are used to assist or enhance instruction.
(b) The parties recognize the increasing development and use of technology, such as videotapes, interactive television, and computer software, to support teaching and learning and to enhance the fundamental relationship between faculty and student. This technology may be used in the context of distance learning. Furthermore, the parties also recognize that this technology should be used to the maximum mutual benefit of the University and the faculty.
(c) The University will review the considerations stated in (1) through (4), below, which may be raised by faculty development and use of instructional technology/distance learning. It is recognized that these considerations may already apply to other faculty instructional activities and, therefore, be addressed by existing University policies and procedures. If the University concludes that new or revised policies are needed, it will develop such policies and consult with UFF pursuant to section 2.1 (Consultation with President), prior to their implementation. Colleges may develop policies with respect to workload adjustments to recognize nontraditional work assignments.
(1) Recognition of that faculty effort spent in the assigned development of instructional technology/distance learning materials and in providing instruction assigned in this manner which is appreciably greater than that associated with a traditional course;
(2) Training and development resources available to faculty who have been assigned to provide instruction through the use of instructional technology/distance learning;
(3) Provisions for clerical, technical, and library support in conjunction with the assigned use of instructional technology/distance learning; and
(4) Compensation, including recognition in a faculty member’s assignment or provisions for extra State compensation, for appreciably greater workload associated with the assigned development and use of instructional technology/distance learning.
(d) The faculty member will not make use of appreciable University support in the creation or revision of instructional technology materials unless the University approves such use in advance and in writing.
(e) Releases.
(1) Provisions governing releases to be obtained when the University has an interest in instructional technology are contained in section 20.3(c)(3).
(2) Consistent with such provisions and prior to the use of the instructional technology materials described in section 10.9(a), above, releases will be obtained from persons appearing in, or giving financial or creative support to their development or use, and the faculty member will certify that such development or use does not infringe upon any existing copyright or other legal right.
(3) The faculty member will be liable to the University for judgments resulting from such infringements.
(4) The University will assist the faculty member in obtaining releases regarding instructional technology materials when:
- the University has asserted an interest in such materials; or
- the University has assigned the faculty member to develop such materials.
uffuwf.org 