ISUPP 4090 Faculty Workload Policy Open for Comment

This policy represents the Technical Working Group's (TWG) policy draft with redlined additions from Faculty Senate feedback. Comments from the University community are requested following a Faculty Senate vote endorsing the posting of ISUPP 4090 Faculty Workload into 30-Day Review. 

Faculty workload is a complex issue, and insight from an additional group of diverse faculty perspectives will be of great value as we finalize this policy draft. The purpose of this comment period is to seek constructive, actionable language changes that would improve specific parts of the proposed policy revision.

Throughout the comment period, the Workload policy’s Technical Working Group will discuss the potential implementation of comments received. Comments will also be provided to the Faculty Senate, along with proposed policy language adjustments resulting from the feedback.

Policy Process

The Faculty Workload policy underwent extensive review and revision, through a process beginning in the Fall Semester of 2022 by the Faculty Senate’s policy committee, the FPPC. An FPPC sub-committee began a complete rewrite of the current policy and after a semester of concentrated work, the sub-committee’s policy draft went before the full FPPC for additional discussion and consideration. 

A review of the FPPC policy draft by the Office of the Provost and the President identified that the Faculty Workload policy has a far-reaching impact on the entire institution, including budget and employment equity issues. It was determined that wider representation was necessary to provide additional perspectives and ensure the needs of the entire institution as a whole were met. 

A Technical Working Group (TWG) formed with faculty representation from every college. Faculty representation also included two faculty senators and three members of the original FPPC sub-committee, in order to retain the knowledge and insight gained from the FPPC process. Representation from Academic Affairs, Human Resources, Finance, and Dean’s Council was also included in the working group. The TWG used the FPPC draft as its base document. Building upon the excellent work produced by the FPPC, the TWG revised the draft language to its current form, emphasizing the need for flexibility to handle diverse programmatic needs, transparency and accountability in workload decisions, and equity both within and across colleges.

Upon completion of the policy draft, the TWG unanimously voted to move the policy forward for further consideration by the Faculty Senate. The Faculty Senate voted to endorse the Workload policy moving forward into 30-Day Review to gather additional input.