Workload Policy

LAPPS: Workload (Approved LAC 9/22/2010)

Departments’ Personnel Committees should approve the departments’ workload policies. Official workload reports should be distributed to individual faculty members and be available for the department as a whole in the departmental offices.

1. From AA/PPS 04.01.40 (7.05) § 02.04: One workload credit is defined as one semester credit hour of organized undergraduate instruction or the equivalent. The minimum workload requirement established by Section 51.402 of the Education code is nine semester credit hours per semester (nine workload units). At Texas State University the normal workload for full-time faculty is twelve semester credit hours per semester (twelve workload units). For most tenure-track faculty at Texas State, this twelve hour workload unit standard is fulfilled by teaching three classes (9 workload credits) and conducting research at a level that warrants the awarding of three workload credits. Faculty teaching PhD classes fulfill the twelve hour workload unit standard by teaching two classes (6 hours workload credit), conducting research (3 workload credits) and mentoring doctoral student research (3 credit hours). Faculty with less than full-time appointments have proportionally reduced minimum and normal workloads. Workload credit for a single class composed of two or more courses or class sections (stacked classes) will be granted only for one class.

2. Faculty in terminal degree programs (PhD and MFA) have a 2/2 load, and to maintain that load, they are ordinarily expected to direct a requisite number of MFA theses/PhD dissertations to completion in a year and to serve on MFA and PhD committees.

3. Organized class reductions/assigned time may be given for the following (formula for assigning credit is determined by the department):
- very large classes in special circumstances (special circumstances might include lack of instructional assistance support, a writing-intensive course, or other issues);

  • new course preparations that require extensive work;
  • individual instruction including
    • student teacher supervision
    • supervising lab sections
    • undergraduate individual instruction
    • undergraduate internship
    • graduate internship
    • graduate thesis/dissertation supervision

4. Other duties may earn a workload adjustment (if the department can sustain this and meet its teaching obligations, and with chair and dean approval):

  • administrative duties, which may include: APR chair, learning outcomes chair, Faculty Senate duties, and other special duties as approved by chair and dean;
  • writing a large and/or prestigious grant or released by funding for grant work or, in special cases, assigned time for other grant administrative work;
  • academic advising;
  • chairing a departmental program, where duties are extensive and documented;
  • accrued workload adjustment based on credits enumerated in section 2 or 3, above;
  • other special situations approved by the chair and dean.

5. If enrollments allow and no new funding is required, departments may give tenured and tenure-track faculty an additional research release on occasion and with justification.

6. Because of enrollment pressure, departments may not be able to provide assigned time for these activities; however, this policy establishes a goal for all departments in Liberal Arts.