Guidelines for teaching loads of tenure-track faculty

About this policy

Date of last update:

August 3, 2022

Procedures

Teaching expectations

Teaching responsibilities are not only a question of course load. Other variables also influence the teaching assignments of a faculty member.

  • For all faculty members, teaching assignments must balance the school’s need for undergraduate and graduate teaching and give preference to coverage of required courses.  Faculty members who reduce their teaching load must still maintain this balance. 

Adjustments to teaching load

Unit chairs, in consultation with their units’ relevant committees as needed, may make adjustments to a faculty member’s balance between teaching, research and service on an annual basis, provided those adjustments can be done without detriment to a unit’s teaching and service missions.  Adjustments may decrease or increase teaching load.

Decreasing Load 

  • Decreased teaching load: A faculty member can request reduced teaching load from three courses per year to two courses per year, based on a contribution of either of the following:
  1. Year-long full support of at least 3 Luddy PhD students from external to IU funding sources can reduce course load from 3 to 2 courses.
    1. Support of a full-time post-doctoral fellow from external to IU funding sources for a single full academic year can substitute for one PhD student but requires dean’s approval.
  2. A contribution of 15% of academic year salary and benefits from external sources can reduce course load from 3 to 2 courses.
  3. Considerably higher than normal curriculum development/service activity, such as, very large contributions to curriculum development or other non-classroom, instruction-related activities, or contributions to special initiatives.

Decisions about student support or course buy-out must normally be done before July 1 st for reductions requested for the academic year starting July 1.  The chair has the discretion to reduce a course for the current academic year based on requests after July 1 if the request can be accommodated.  

The department chair is responsible for approving the reduction and the appropriate course to be reduced.

Two-course Load Minimum

Chairs may not reduce the teaching loads for a faculty member below two courses per year.  Reduction below two courses can only be granted by the dean.  Such requests will require justification and must not interfere with the department mission.  

Increasing load

Load may be increased for two reasons:
  • Increased teaching load to reflect faculty desire to focus on instructional mission:  Load may be increased in accordance with a faculty member’s desire to contribute more than the normal teaching load and have a reduced research expectation (but not down to zero), with the concurrence of the chair/EAD that this is appropriate for the faculty member and the unit.
  • Increased teaching load to maintain level of effort: Load may be increased by the chair for a faculty member who is not deemed active in research, with corresponding adjustment of research expectation. Load cannot be increased beyond the normal load for lecturers in the school .

Other considerations

  • Adjustments that decrease the research expectation below 40% are not permitted for untenured faculty.
  • See “Guidelines on Allocation of Effort for Merit Review” for detailed information on effort allocation in the merit review process.
  • Teaching load guidelines will be re-examined periodically taking into account teaching loads at peer institutions, the ability of the school to meet its teaching obligations, and campus expectations.