Workload Policy

Issue No. 02 

Effective Date: June 1, 2025 

Next Review: June 1, 2030 (E5Y) 

Senior Reviewer: Dean 

POLICY STATEMENT 

This PPS guides the development of workload policies within the academic departments of the College of Liberal Arts. 

01. RELATED UNIVERSITY POLICIES  

01.01 The College of Liberal Arts complies with all Texas State University policies. The most relevant university policies that inform workload are the following. 

a. AA/PPS No. 04.01.40 Faculty Workload 

b. AA/PPS No. 04.01.41 Summer Faculty Workload 

01.02 Workload assignments inform expectations of faculty as noted in the following university policies. 

a. AA/PPS No. 04.01.50 Faculty Merit and Retention Salary Adjustments 

b. AA/PPS No. 04.02.10 Performance Evaluation of Continuing Faculty and Post-Tenure Review 

02. RESPONSIBILITIES 

02.01 The College of Liberal Arts houses diverse academic departments and acknowledges that each unit has a range of faculty workload assignments.

02.02 Each academic department in the College of Liberal Arts is responsible for developing and implementing a workload policy that is informed by and consistent with this policy and all university-level policies and approved by the dean.  

02.02 As described in policies listed in Sections 01.01 and 01.02 above, department chairs will determine the faculty member's professional responsibilities for each semester, subject to the approval of the dean.  

02.03 Department chairs are responsible for ensuring fair and equitable workloads. In meeting this responsibility, workloads should prioritize the goals and needs of the university, the college, the department, and the faculty member. Chairs should review §04-08 AA/PPS No. 04.01.40 (Faculty Workload) when making workload adjustments (e.g., assigning workload credit in teaching, research/scholarly/creative activities, and service and administrative duties; allocating compensation for teaching overloads in the form of per-course pay or reimbursable workload credits; assigning workload credit for university-approved leaves). 

02.04 The dean asks all department chairs to be mindful of budgetary and resource stewardship. Dividing the workload credit over a 40-hour workweek equates to 3.33 hours per workload unit assigned. When 12 workload units are assigned, it is assumed the productivity consumes a 40-hour workweek.  

03. PROCEDURES 

03.01 Full-Time Faculty Workload: The workload for full-time faculty equates to a minimum of 12 workload units per fall and spring semester (§02 AA/PPS No. 04.01.40 Faculty Workload). 

03.02 Tenure-Line Faculty: For most tenured and tenure-track faculty, the 12-workload unit standard is typically fulfilled by teaching six to nine workload credits and conducting research, scholarly, and creative activities, or service or administrative duties at a level that warrants the awarding of three to six workload credits (§02.08 AA/PPS No. 04.01.40 Faculty Workload).  

Faculty in terminal degree programs (PhD and MFA) in the College of Liberal Arts have a 2/2 teaching load. To maintain that teaching load, they are expected to direct a requisite number of MFA theses/PhD dissertations on a yearly basis, mentor students so they finish in their degree timelines, and serve on MFA and PhD committees. The requisite number of MFA theses/PhD dissertations will be specified in the departments workload policies. 

03.03 Workload for Faculty of Instruction: The required responsibility in the career of faculty of instruction is focused on teaching, with limited service-related activities. Full-time employment equates to a minimum of 12 workload units per fall and spring semester. For faculty of instruction, this 12-workload unit standard is typically fulfilled by teaching 12 workload credits (§02.06 AA/PPS No. 04.01.40 Faculty Workload, AA/PPS No. 04.01.26 Faculty of Instruction Appointments). 

03.04 For other fulltime, nontenure line faculty (e.g., Clinical Faculty, Faculty of Practice, Research Faculty), workload expectations are laid out in university policies (AA/PPS No. 04.01.20 Faculty Qualifications, Responsibilities, and Titles, AA/PPS No. 04.01.22 Clinical Faculty Appointments, AA/PPS No. 04.01.23 Faculty of Practice Appointments, AA/PPS No. 04.01.21 Research Faculty Appointments, AA/PPS No. 04.01.40 Faculty Workload) and department policies. 

03.05 Graduate or Doctoral Instructional Assistants and Graduate or Doctoral Teaching Assistants: GIAs, DIAs, GTAs and DTAs are treated as faculty for workload purposes and are reported to the THECB on the Faculty Report (CBM 008). The roles and responsibilities of instructional and teaching assistants can be found in UPPS No. 07.07.06, Graduate Student Employment. 

03.06 Each semester the department chair submits the faculty workload, which is reviewed by the Dean. Individual faculty workload reports are available in the Faculty Qualifications system.  

04. LIST OF REVIEWERS OF PPS 

04.01 This PPS has the following reviewers and cycle. 

05. CERTIFICATION STATEMENT 

This LA/PPS has been approved by the following in their official capacities and represents College of Liberal Arts policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded. 

Liberal Arts Council 

Dean, College of Liberal Arts