Workload

The work of the university faculty in teaching, research/ creative activity, administration, and service is professional in character and does not, therefore, conform to an exact pattern such as the eight-hour day or the forty-hour week. However, so that there may be consistency, equity, and some basis for judgment of workloads and assignments and for comparison with other institutions and state agencies, the standards summarized here will be used. The basic element of faculty work assignments is a work unit, which is based on the contact and preparation time for one class hour (50 minutes) per week for a semester or an equivalent amount of time for other kinds of scheduled activity. Included in each of these work units is the classroom contact time, the time for class preparation, grading, office hours’ and other work with students outside class. A minimum of twelve work units per semester constitutes the typical work assignment of a full-time faculty member. However, individual work units will vary considerably in nature (if not, theoretically, in number). Work assignments typically include assigned teaching and advising, research/scholarly/creative activities, and service or administration, in varying proportions. For workload assignments, evaluative criteria, and general standards, see Academic Policy 1405.11 (Revised April 13, 2019).

Faculty members are typically expected, as part of their university service as full-time faculty members, not only to teach, to take part in research/scholarly and/or creative endeavors, and to perform academically related and public service, but also to take part in advising students and prospective students, serving on committees, and maintaining currency in their teaching and research disciplines through professional development activities. Non-tenure track faculty have a range of workload expectations. Workload expectations for lecturers and instructors typically do not include scholarship/research/creative activities, but they may include service expectations. Workloads for non-tenure track faculty in professorial ranks should include expectations for scholarship/research/creative activities Specifically, for promotions to associate or full professor, non-tenure-track candidates must be effective scholars and teachers and show a pattern of accomplishments (or distinguished accomplishments) in scholarship/research/creative activities (APS 1405.11.V.A.) Individual colleges or schools may adopt additional or more specific requirements in their approved policy documents. Some non-tenure track faculty may be on 100% research appointments. All full-time faculty are also responsible for participating in program curriculum development and reviewing and maintaining program currency, viability, and quality. Such activities are considered a normal part of the duties of full-time faculty, along with those activities directly linked to a particular class, and constitute a necessary part of such a work assignment.

However, work units may be earned for work done beyond the minimum in any of these areas, as well as for instruction and administration. Work units are only earned for assigned responsibilities, not for work and activities undertaken at the initiative of the faculty member. Any departure from a work schedule normal for the tasks assigned should receive approval from the appropriate department chair/head and dean in advance.

Faculty members assigned to teach classes are responsible for establishing learning objectives for their courses, determining that the content of their classes is appropriate to each course, as officially described in the catalog (or proposing changes to the description through the campus curriculum review process), and achieves the coverage indicated by that description. Faculty members are responsible for confining classroom discussion to subjects related to the topics of concern in the course and for conducting the class so as to facilitate learning for all students, consistent with good teaching practices. They are also responsible for choosing appropriate texts and other teaching materials in a timely way. They are responsible for holding the classes and giving final exams at the times and places approved for them, except as changes are authorized by the appropriate department chair/head,  dean, and provost. They are responsible for providing reasonable accommodation to students with documented disabilities, consistent with policies and procedures of the Center for Educational Access (CEA, telephone 575-3104; http://cea.uark.edu). Faculty members are expected to provide a syllabus for each course they teach to inform students of the learning objectives for the course, the course coverage/topics, the required texts and materials, how the final grade will be determined, the policy on making up work, requirements for class attendance, and how the students may contact the instructor. It is also the responsibility of the faculty member to make course information and class instructions on how students can learn prior to class time, whether a class is canceled because of weather conditions or for other reasons, available in the course syllabus and via the current campuswide learning management system.  Academic Policy 1858.10 (Revised November, 21, 2022).

Faculty members who develop or teach courses off campus through global campus, online instruction, and/or courses with some or all of the course activity conducted outside the U.S.A. are required to comply with all the university policies applying to such activity. Sources of information for regulation and policy include the Academic Policy 1650.10, Academic Policy 1835.00, the Office of Study Abroad, and the Global Campus.

Faculty members are responsible for maintaining in the classroom and laboratory an environment appropriate to academic endeavor and complying with the Fayetteville Policies and Procedures 214.1 policy (Revised August 21,  2020), that states that the University prohibits discrimination, including discriminatory harassment and sexual harassment against any student, applicant for admission, employee, applicant for employment, or others participating or receiving campus services on the basis of race/color; national or ethnic origin; age; religion; disability; sex; sexual orientation; gender; gender identity and expression; marital or parental status; military or veteran status; genetic information; and any other characteristic protected under applicable University policy, state or federal law/executive order.

As stated in FPP 214.1, “University is committed to building and maintaining a diverse community to reflect human differences and to improve opportunities for all. The University is committed to equal opportunity, affirmative action, and eliminating discrimination. This commitment is both a moral imperative consistent with a campus community that celebrates individual differences and diversity, as well as a matter of law.”