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Faculty Workload

Understanding Faculty Workload in Higher Education

Faculty workload encompasses the distribution of duties related to teaching, research, service, and administration. It is used to ensure equity, set expectations, and manage institutional resources effectively.

Glossary Terms
Term
Description
Faculty Workload

The total set of responsibilities assigned to a faculty member, often measured in workload units or hours.

Teaching Load

The number of courses or credit hours a faculty member is assigned to teach.

Research Load

The time or effort allocated for scholarly research or creative activity.

Service Obligation

Responsibilities related to committee work, student advising, or community engagement.

Workload Policy

Institutional guidelines that define expected workload distribution by faculty type or rank.

Course Release

A reduction in teaching load granted for administrative duties, research, or special projects.

Evolving Workload Models

With the rise of hybrid instruction and cross-disciplinary collaboration, institutions are revising workload formulas to reflect actual effort and role diversity. Dashboards and workload planning tools are increasingly used for transparency.