Faculty Instructional Responsibilities and Workload

Instructional responsibilities involve a range of activities. These include posting a syllabus for students that explains how the course will be presented, what are the intended learning outcomes, requirements and assignments of the course, how grading will occur, and how the student will be able to contact the professor (regular office hours are a minimum).

Loyola expects faculty to fulfill a minimum of contact and credit hours each semester. A 3/2 course load is the norm for research-active tenure-track faculty at Loyola and a 2/2 load represents a minimum course load. This norm includes an expectation of research and scholarship. Academic units may differentiate research-intensive faculty with 2/2 course loads, but such faculty must engage in a pattern of research that is exceptional by departmental standards (i.e., beyond that expected of tenure-track faculty at the various ranks). Teaching loads otherwise are higher for those faculty who do not actively perform research. A faculty member may teach only one course per semester with the permission of the respective Dean and Provost, and Department Chairs should carry a 2/1 teaching load under normal circumstances. Everyone otherwise teaches at least two courses per semester.

Supervision of masters theses, supervision of dissertation research, directing readings or independent study courses, mentoring or other duties that fall under the category of “teaching” are not generally considered as substitutes for teaching regular courses.

Undergraduate courses that enroll under 10 students do not generally qualify as fulfilling this course load, except with permission of the Dean as may be necessary to delivery of a particular program. Also, unless pedagogically designed and approved by the Dean, large sections do not qualify for double counting (e.g., simply placing 80 students in a section rather than 40). In fact, LUC seeks to provide most courses in sections of less than 20 or larger sections that are less than 50 students.

Those who are expected to take on extra duties and especially those who will need to work and be regularly available on campus beyond the 9-month contract period will be offered a stipend for these extra month(s) of service. In addition, some duties may qualify for a course reduction.

The following list is illustrative:

(a) Major School, College or Academic Affairs administrator;

(b) Department Chair/Affinity Group Leader;

(c) Endowed Chair/Professor; and

(d) Center Director.

The University's policy on a buy-out of teaching responsibilities is generally described as follows: a single course buy-out will be granted provided that the external grant or organization seeking a faculty member's time supports 15% of the faculty member's salary plus benefits.

Externally supported leaves of absence require a full buy-out for the period when the faculty member will be unavailable to students at the University. The salary remaining to the school or department will be used to enable the department or school to hire a full-time replacement. An exception exists for a university-granted paid leave of absence. A program of competitive leaves now exists and the University hopes to expand that program. Nevertheless, the summer stipend program more commonly supports faculty research, allowing faculty to receive a stipend to support their research programs during the summer.

Internally supported course-reductions must include a commitment to pay 10% of the faculty member's annual salary plus benefits. In no instance will a faculty member be allowed to obtain two course reductions in a given year from internal sources.

Teacher-Course Evaluations are conducted in every course. Each School or College should revisit/revise the annual evaluation form used for faculty reviews to ensure that teaching performance indicators are adequately captured.