Teaching Overload

Purpose:

To identify the college’s process for managing overload for teaching faculty positions, to establish what constitutes overload, and to identify the college’s compensation procedures related to overload payments.

Definitions:

Clinical hours: the number of hours per week in a clinical setting as defined in the course description in the catalog.

Course contact hours: actual hours of contact per week, per semester, in a course (lectures, seminars, laboratories, clinicals, shops, supervised practice, and similar instructional activities) or the total of lecture and laboratory/clinical hours. For purposes of calculating workload, the contact hours for distance learning courses will be the same as the established contact hours for oncampus courses.

Course credit hours: the credit-hour value of a course as described by the course description in the catalog.

Equivalent teaching load: teaching load adjustments translated into teaching credits and considered as part of the faculty member’s semester teaching load.

Full semester teaching load: twelve to fifteen (12–15) credit hours and fifteen to twenty (15–20) contact hours per week, per semester, in classes in the day or evening, or if the individual has fewer than twelve (12) credit hours and maintains twenty-four (24) contact hours.

Laboratory hours: the number of hours per week in a laboratory setting as defined in the course description in the catalog.

Lecture hours: the number of hours per week in a lecture setting as defined in the course description in the catalog.

Non-credit contact hours: actual hours of contact required to conduct the non-credit instructional activity.

Overload: a faculty workload consisting of more than thirty (30) credit hours per academic year, more than forty (40) contact hours per academic year, or more than forty-eight (48) contact hours per academic year, if the corresponding credit-hour load is less than twenty-four (24) credits.

Reassigned time: non-teaching duties translated into teaching credits for the purpose of computing a full-time teaching faculty member’s full semester teaching load; also referred to as “released” time in VCCS policy.

Regular academic session: the fall and spring semesters for one given year.

Substantial additional duties assignment: a substantial, additional non-teaching assignment/project in an alternative department or alternative work schedule (e.g., additional instructional minutes for dual enrollment vs. on-campus classes) assigned to a faculty member when under full-time contract and which is of a temporary nature with a specific beginning and ending date, and which does not require a vacant position.

Policy:

1. Full-time teaching faculty may be offered an overload for teaching courses/classes. However, this type of overload shall not exceed ten (10) credit hours for pay per regular academic session.

2. Non-teaching professional-level work assignments may exceed the ten (10) credit hours as set for above (III.A) and in VCCS policy. This type of work assignment shall be compensated via JSRCC Form No. 35-0700, Substantial Additional Assignments and Reynolds Policy No. 3-28, Personnel Actions for Full-time Faculty Rank Positions. Supporting documentation for this pay action must include a description of the additional duties assignment, the amount of the supplement, the duration of the additional duties assignment, interim goals, and the expected outcomes. An individual may be given a supplement of zero to ten percent (0-10%) or a flat rate not to exceed zero to ten percent (0-10%).

3. As established by VCCS Policy 3.5, Faculty Responsibilities, a faculty teaching load may be adjusted “to take into consideration such factors as the use of instructional assistance, team teaching, the use of non-traditional instructional delivery systems, special assignments, and curriculum development.” Therefore, regular teaching responsibilities as well as all non-teaching professional-level work assignments shall be factored together to determine the faculty member’s full workload, overload, and identification of the assignments to be paid via substantial additional duties.

4. A faculty member who is requested to assume an additional assignment as overload may decline the assignment. If the additional assignment is necessary to place the faculty member in a full minimum load for the session or academic year, the faculty member shall be expected to accept the assignment.

5. In accordance with VCCS Policy 3.8.4, extra pay for an overload shall be compensated at the rate of the faculty member’s nine-month salary multiplied by .015 for each overload credit hour.

6. Overload is not finalized until the completion of faculty teaching load assignments and review of actual hours taught from the entire academic session. Compensation for fall overload shall be paid at the end of the fall semester (February 16 pay date). Compensation for spring overload shall be paid at the end of the regular academic session.

7. Academic deans shall establish and approve all overload assignments. Overload assignments are made to teaching faculty based on college need and shall not be routinely assigned. Additional approval for overload assignments and final approval for payment must be provided by the vice president of academic affairs.

8. Generally, there shall be no pro-ration of faculty teaching loads due to low enrollment. As a guideline, course sections with enrollment equal to or exceeding 75% of the respective funding ratio shall not be cancelled, and the instructor shall be compensated for the full equivalent teaching load associated with that course, as prescribed above. Academic deans may run classes whose enrollment is less than 75% of the funding ratio, compensating the instructor for the full equivalent teaching load, with the written consent of the vice president of academic affairs. Otherwise, course sections with enrollment less than 75% of the funding ratio shall be cancelled. For the purposes of achieving required instructional efficiencies, academic deans may cancel classes whose enrollment is more than 75% of the funding ratio with the written consent of the vice president of academic affairs. Decisions regarding cancellation of Student Development (SDV) courses are the responsibility of the vice president of student affairs.

9. The teaching load for cooperative education/internships, supervised or independent study, and clinical courses may be pro-rated based on enrollment, at the discretion of the academic dean and with the concurrence of the faculty member. Such decisions must be reached by no later than the last day to drop with a refund. The academic dean shall be responsible for determining final teaching load adjustments. Teaching load adjustments associated with proration of Student Development (SDV) courses offered as cooperative education/internships, supervised or independent study, or clinical courses are the responsibility of the vice president of student affairs.

10. Based upon budgetary considerations, the president shall issue an addendum to this policy to be distributed to all full-time teaching, professional, and administrative faculty. This addendum shall specify any limitation on the number of overload credits to be compensated for the upcoming academic year, if that number is fewer than the VCCS maximum of ten (10).

Procedures:

1. Guidance for academic deans and Student Affairs

   1. In making the overload assignment, academic deans and academic hiring managers in Student Affairs, must be assured and confident that the faculty member can indeed handle the additional teaching load responsibilities given all and without effect upon other teaching commitments and college obligations; such as, advising, office hours, professional development and renewal, and college and community-service activities and contributions, etc.

   2. Overload calculation instructions – full academic session

      1. 1. The number of equivalent overload credits will be determined by first calculating the faculty member’s total equivalent workload credits for the academic year. For the purpose of calculating total equivalent workload credits, every lecture hour will equate to one (1) credit hour and one (1) contact hour, and every laboratory/clinical hour will equate to one-half (1/2) credit hour and one (1) contact hour.

         2. Then, the number of equivalent overload credits is determined by calculating (Scenario A) equivalent overload credits based upon total contact hours and (Scenario B) equivalent overload credits based upon total equivalent workload credits, as indicated below, and selecting the larger of the two.

      Scenario A

      If total annual credit hours are greater than or equal to 24 then: (Actual total contact hours – 40) multiplied by 30 ÷ 40	= Equivalent Overload Credits
      If total annual credit hours are less than 24 then: (Actual total contact hours – 48) multiplied by 30 ÷ 48	= Equivalent Overload Credits

      Scenario B

      Annual equivalent workload credits – 30

      = Equivalent Overload Credits

      1. A faculty member may not be assigned a workload in excess of forty (40) annual equivalent workload credits based upon lecture and lab hours as described in 2.a above. If a faculty member’s equivalent overload credits based upon total contact hours (as calculated by Scenario A) exceeds ten (10), the faculty member will not be compensated for any equivalent overload credits in excess of ten (10). Exceptions to this provision must be approved in writing, in advance, by the college president.

   3. Overload calculation instructions – fall semester only

      1. The number of equivalent overload credits will be determined by first calculating the faculty member’s total equivalent workload credits for the fall semester. For the purpose of calculating total equivalent workload credits, every lecture hour will equate to one (1) credit hour and one (1) contact hour, and every laboratory/clinical hour will equate to one-half (1/2) credit hour and one (1) contact hour.

      2. Then, the number of equivalent overload credits is determined by calculating (Scenario A) equivalent overload credits based upon total contact hours and (Scenario B) equivalent overload credits based upon total equivalent workload credits, as indicated below, and selecting the larger of the two.

         Scenario A

         If total semester credit hours are greater than or equal to 12 then: (Actual total contact hours – 20) multiplied by 15 ÷ 20	= Equivalent Overload Credits
         If total semester credit hours are less than 12 then: (Actual total contact hours – 24) multiplied by 15 ÷ 24	= Equivalent Overload Credits

         Scenario B

         Semester equivalent workload credits – 15

         = Equivalent Overload Credits

   4. In the event that any portion of a faculty member’s workload has been pro-rated based upon enrollment, as prescribed in college Reynolds Policy No. 3-2, Faculty Teaching Load and Responsibilities, then the credit hours, contact hours, and equivalent workload credits associated with the pro-rated course(s) are all pro-rated commensurately for the purpose of all of the above calculations.

2. Processing activities

   The college will review workload and overload data a minimum of two (2) times during the academic year. The review and reconciliation of the data will involve the coordination of several organizational units within the college to include:

   • Budget Office
   • Office of Human Resources
   • Office of Academic Affairs, academic deans, and academic hiring managers in Student Affairs
   • Office of Strategic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness

   1. Fall semester review

      1. Initial reports

         1. By the first Friday of November the Office of Human Resources will generate the Faculty Summer and Overload Rate Report and direct the Department of Technology to place the final reports in the secure automated folder for each academic school and for Student Affairs on the college’s “R” drive. The vice president of academic affairs and the assistant vice president of academic affairs will have access to each school’s reports.

         2. By the first Friday of November the Office of Human Resources will also provide an electronic copy of the Faculty Summer and Overload Rate Report to the Office of Strategic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness.

         3. The Office of Strategic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness will provide a working copy of the faculty workload and overload reports to the following units by the second Friday of November, with a notification to the Office of Human Resources and the Budget Office:

            • academic deans, for their respective schools
            • vice president of student affairs for assigned faculty in Student Affairs
            • assistant vice president of academic affairs

      2. Initial review

         Academic deans and the vice president of student affairs are required to verify the total credits and contacts for each of their respective faculty. This verification must also include adjustments for extended faculty work absences or separations from the college.

         By the fourth Friday in November the above managers are required to:

         1. complete their review and report adjustments to the Office of Strategic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness and the assistant vice president of academic affairs,

         2. make reported adjustments to faculty workload in the PeopleSoft Student Information System (SIS), and

         3. review workload credits for the spring semester to ensure a full workload (fifteen [15] credit hours) is planned for faculty who may be in receipt of fall overload compensation.

      3. Final review and approval

         1. By the first Friday in December the Office of Strategic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness will prepare and submit a final draft of the faculty workload and overload reports, incorporating reported adjustments, to the following units:

            • academic deans
            • vice president of student affairs for assigned faculty in Student Affairs
            • assistant vice president of academic affairs

         2. Academic deans and the vice president of student affairs will review their respective reports for accuracy and, upon approval, acquire the faculty member’s signature, and sign and submit their reports, including justification(s) for exceeding college and/or VCCS overload policies (see section d. below), to the Office of Strategic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness by the second Friday in December. Academic deans and the vice president of student affairs will also review their respective reports to adjust fall semester overload credits for faculty who will not be assigned a full teaching load of fifteen (15) credit hours for the spring semester.

         3. The data analyst in the Office of Strategic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness and the assistant vice president of academic affairs will review and finalize the reports and accompanying justifications to submit to the vice president of academic affairs for final approval.

         4. By January 23, the Office of Strategic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness will provide a final copy of the approved, signed overload reports and justifications to the following units:

            • Budget Office
            • Office of Human Resources
            • academic deans
            • vice president of student affairs for assigned faculty in Student Affairs

      4. Justifications for exceptions to college policy or VCCS policy

         Justification to pay overload credits in excess of the college maximum and/or VCCS maximum must be submitted to the vice president of academic affairs for approval in advance of the courses being assigned. For faculty teaching SDV courses, the justification to pay overload credits must be submitted to the executive vice president. Justification to pay overload credits in excess of the VCCS maximum is delegated to the college president. The Office of Human Resources will be provided with a copy of the approved justification.

      5. Human Resources review and first overload payment

         The Office of Human Resources will review the reports for appropriate application of VCCS policy and college policy regarding overload limits. The Office of Human Resources will also review the approved justification to ensure compliance with federal and state equal employment guidelines. Additionally, if payment for fall overloads during the spring semester has been authorized by the college president, the Office of Human Resources will use the final copy of the approved, signed overload report from the fall semester review to submit to the college’s Payroll unit in order to generate fall overload paychecks for the February 16 pay date.

   2. Spring semester review

      The above process is repeated beginning in March of each year. Due dates are acknowledged as the first Friday in March, the second Friday in March, the fourth Friday in March, the first Friday in April, the second Friday in April, and the fourth Monday in April.

   3. Human Resources review and second/final overload payment for academic year

      1. Based on the spring semester review process, the Office of Human Resources will use the approved, signed overload report for the academic year to submit to the Payroll unit in order to generate faculty paychecks for the May 16 pay date, adjusting for any overload payment that may have been issued for fall semester.

      2. In the event that a faculty member's total overload for the academic session is less than the fall overload for which he/she was paid during the spring, the faculty member will be notified by the Office of Human Resources of the overpayment by May 1. The faculty member must make restitution of this overpayment by May 16.

Other Information:

VCCS Policy Manual, Section 3.8.4, Teaching Overloads

Addendum to Reynolds Policy No. 3-3, Teaching Overload

Reynolds Policy No. 3-2, Faculty Teaching Load and Responsibilities

Reynolds Policy No. 3-4, Instructional Reassigned Time

Reynolds Policy No. 3-28, Personnel Actions for Full-time Faculty Rank Positions

JSRCC Form No. 35-0700, Substantial Additional Assignments