Full-time Curriculum Working Hours and Workload

I. Work Loads

The teaching load for faculty teaching only lecture courses is up to 40 contact hours per 9-month contract period.

The teaching load for faculty teaching a combination of lecture/lab/clinical hours is up to 44 contact hours per 9-month contract period.

Deans shall make reasonable allowances for variances in contact hours, preparations and the number of students taught to provide equity in teaching assignments. Deans may propose alternative assignments in lieu of contact hours during a given semester, typically not exceeding four (4) contact hours per semester of teaching load. Proposed alternative assignments should be for duties which fall outside of the standard faculty job description and a written justification should be submitted detailing the nature and scope of the proposed assignment. All alternative assignments must be approved in advance by the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs. All nine (9) month faculty are paid at the adjunct faculty rate for all summer courses.

II. Faculty Work Week

The faculty work week, which includes instruction, preparation, student hours, and service to the college, shall be a minimum of thirty-seven and a half (37.5) hours per week as part of the normal five (5) day work week and consistent with the faculty job description.

III. Other Work Load Requirements

IV. Student Hours

All full-time faculty members are required to maintain a minimum of five (5) student hours per week. Additional time may be necessary for high enrollment courses. For faculty teaching in technical areas with high contact lab hours, student hours may be satisfied through time spent with students in the lab setting. Faculty members should use their professional judgment and discretion to determine when additional time above the required minimum is necessary.

The following criteria are to be used in scheduling the required student hours.

1. A minimum of one (1) hour per day of on-campus student hours must be scheduled on at least four (4) separate days of the week. Any faculty member teaching between fifty-one percent (51%) and ninety-nine percent (99%) of their course load online must schedule on-campus student hours on at least three (3) separate days of the week. Any full-time faculty member teaching one-hundred percent (100%) of their course load online may hold student hours without an on-campus requirement with prior approval of the appropriate Dean. Permission to hold student hours without an on-campus requirement does not eliminate other faculty workload requirements that necessitate presence on campus including, but not limited, attendance at meetings and participation in professional development activities.
2. Student hours must be scheduled in minimum increments of thirty (30) minutes. Student hours should be scheduled in a manner that maximizes student access.
3. Full-time faculty members teaching classes in the evening and/or at off-campus locations are encouraged to make time available to assist those students.
4. Each faculty member must post their student hours in a convenient location for student viewing. For online courses, online availability and expected response times should be made available to students through the course syllabus.
5. Full-time faculty shall also provide students with the ability to schedule student hours outside of posted student hours when necessary.
6. Faculty members are required to attend campus and other required meetings even if those meetings are scheduled on days the faculty member does not have student hours or scheduled classes.
7. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by the appropriate Dean and the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs.

V. Overload Assignments

No overload or additional assignment(s) will be allowed without the recommendation of the appropriate Dean(s), prior approval of the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, and final approval by the President. Faculty members should typically not exceed ten (10) contact hours per 9-month contract period of overload.

Overloads will be paid at the adjunct contract rate for any contact hours of instruction above the 40/44 contact hour 9-month teaching load. Overload pay will be based on the faculty member’s teaching load as calculated after the faculty member’s final respective spring census date.

Courses with fewer than five (5) students enrolled are not included as part of a faculty overload unless required in the given semester for a student to graduate in the semester the course is being offered. In the event that a required course or appropriate substitute course is not available for a student to complete the student’s program of study, necessitating the course being offered outside of a faculty member’s standard workload with fewer than five (5) students, that coursework will be offered through independent study. The load calculation for independent study courses is 0.5 contact hours per student enrolled at the course census date.

In certain semesters, it may be necessary to exceed these guidelines without overload recognition for individual instructors if the instructional budget does not allow for the necessary funds for adjunct instructors.

VI. Absences

When a faculty member must be absent from class, the faculty member must notify their Dean or divisional administrative assistant as soon as possible. If faculty are unable to reach the Dean or departmental administrative assistant, they should call the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs. If at all possible, arrangements should be made by the faculty member to have the class covered. Instructional time lost due to faculty absence must be made up to assure student completion of course objectives and to comply with state regulations. All faculty absences must be accounted for in accordance with the College leave policies.

VII. Graduation

Attendance at the curriculum graduation is required of full-time curriculum faculty, college council, and the professional staff. Exceptions or leaves of absence may be made or granted to the faculty by the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs; all other exceptions or leaves of absence must be made by the President.

Policy Number: 03.01.03.01

Legal Reference:

1D SBCC 400.4 (Recodified Nov 2017)

Adopted: June 14, 2022

Reviewed: December 12, 2023

Amended: February 26, 2024

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