Responsibilities of Academic Staff Policy

Each member of the academic staff is expected to enhance the learning environment through instruction, professional or scholarly activity, and service that support the institutional mission. It is a basic principle that every member of the academic staff, of whatever rank, shall always be held responsible for competent and effective performance of their duties/workload expectations and fostering collegial relationships with supervisors, peers, students, and the University community.

Primary duties of faculty include effective instruction, academic advising and counseling of students, participation in departmental committee work, continuous development of the curriculum through assessment, scholarly/professional activity, and service such as assisting in recruitment of students and initiatives designed to help students succeed academically, as well as other assigned duties.

Faculty shall share in University governance by participating in committee work, meetings, and providing input on matters relating to curriculum development and the learning environment. Faculty service on University committees, either through election or appointment with consent, should not interfere with duties related to regularly scheduled classes and other work assignments related to primary work responsibilities.

This policy complies with standards 5.4 (qualified administrative/academic officers), 6.2.b (program faculty), and 6.3 (faculty appointment and evaluation) of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Principles of Accreditation. McNeese State University is a member of the University of Louisiana (UL) System, and this policy complies with Part Two, Chapter III, Section I of UL System Board Rules regarding the rights, duties, and responsibilities of academic staff. The University president serves as the appointing authority for all employees.

Faculty Expectations

As defined by the Louisiana Board of Regents and the UL System, McNeese State University’s primary mission is teaching. Faculty are expected to 1) prioritize effective instruction, 2) maintain active participation in professional or scholarly activity in their discipline, and 3) provide service to the University and community.

Several months prior to the beginning of classes, department heads develop schedules of course offerings and assign teaching responsibilities to accommodate student needs. Those offerings and teaching responsibilities may change as needed according to enrollment and departmental needs.

Faculty Workload Requirements

Faculty teaching responsibilities are assigned according to workload hours. Student credit hours represent the number of credits a student earns for taking a specific course, while instructor workload hours reflect the teaching responsibility assigned to that course. Workload hours are typically equivalent to the course contact hours specified in the academic catalog. For example, a 3-credit hour lecture course consists of three contact hours regardless of mode of delivery; therefore, the faculty member receives three workload hours. A 4-credit combined lecture and lab course may consist of five contact hours, with the faculty member receiving five workload hours. The calculation of workload hours may follow other guidelines appropriate to the discipline and/or accreditation requirements; however, these calculations must be approved by the provost and vice president of academic affairs prior to implementation. Additionally, specific schools, colleges, or departments may set higher teaching load minimums for full-time faculty when the nature of the discipline calls for higher workloads.

1. Full-time faculty teaching assignments consist of the equivalent of 15 workload hours of assigned instructional time per semester (30 workload hours per academic year).
2. Full-time faculty, with assistant professor rank or higher, who have a terminal degree (PhD, EdD, DBA, MFA, etc.) may be assigned teaching loads of 12 workload hours per semester (24 workload hours per academic year).
   • To protect personnel positions and salaries during times of severe budgetary limitations, faculty holding terminal degrees may be required to teach at least 15 workload hours per semester (30 workload hours per academic year) to the exclusion of all reassigned time for research and other duties.
3. Full-time faculty whose highest academic credential is the master’s degree (regardless of faculty rank) teach at least 15 workload hours per semester (30 workload hours per academic year) and should have no more than four course preparations per semester.
4. The regular workload for full-time faculty during the summer session is six workload hours regardless of the highest academic credential.
5. Visiting lecturers, adjunct faculty, or administrative staff may not teach more than nine workload hours per semester.
6. Graduate assistants may not hold more than one and ½ assistantships and therefore may not teach more than nine workload hours during the semester. Note: International students may not hold more than one full graduate assistantship per semester according to immigration guidelines.
7. Internship, directed study, practicum, thesis, or other special instruction is not calculated in the workload but may be considered appropriately in the annual performance review.
   • Certain student teaching, internship, thesis, or other special instructional responsibilities may be justifiable for prorated workload hours; however, prior approval from the provost and vice president for academic affairs must be obtained in writing and forwarded to the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness.
8. Workload hours for courses taught by more than one faculty member will be divided proportionately according to each instructor’s percentage of responsibility for teaching the course. For example, two faculty members who equally share responsibility for a three-hour workload course will each receive 1.5 hours of workload hours.
   • When scheduling a shared responsibility course in Banner, departments must enter each faculty member’s percentage of responsibility for teaching the course to ensure the correct calculation of workload hours. Total percentage of responsibility for teaching a course cannot exceed 100%.
   • Departments are prohibited from inflating the total workload hours of a shared course to compensate for the division of teaching responsibilities among faculty members.
9. The day, time, and/or mode of course delivery does not impact the workload hours of a course.
10. Faculty responsibilities for course preparation and assessment, professional or scholarly activity, committee work, advising students, and other service are part of normal work expectations and are not included in teaching workload hour calculations.

Overload Pay

Full-time faculty teaching a workload above the normal full-time teaching load may be paid overload pay, provided funding is available.

1. Overload pay during a semester or summer session begins at the first workload hour beyond the normal full-time load (see Faculty Workload Requirements section). Overload is available to full-time faculty only.
   • Specific schools, colleges, or departments may set higher teaching load minimums for full- time faculty when the nature of the discipline calls for higher workloads.
2. Full-time faculty shall not teach more than six hours of overload in a regular semester or three hours of overload in a summer session, regardless of part of term.
   • For extenuating circumstances, exceptions to this policy must be requested and justified by the department head via a written memo detailing the rationale for the exception. The memo must be approved by the dean and submitted to the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness (IRE) prior to the first day of classes. IRE will forward the request to the provost and vice president for academic affairs for final approval.
3. For classes with enrollment of less than ten for an undergraduate course and less than five for a graduate course, overload pay will be prorated. Therefore, when requesting overload pay, department heads should review course enrollments and submit the course(s) with lowest enrollments as the overload course(s).
4. When requested, a faculty member may teach a course(s) outside of their assigned department as an overload, provided the appropriate department heads and deans agree to and pre-approve the arrangement and ensure the faculty member does not exceed the University’s 6-hour overload limit. In these cases, the request for extra compensation is submitted by the department in which the course is offered. For example, if a philosophy professor teaches a nursing ethics course as an overload, the nursing department should submit the overload request.

Reassigned Non-Instructional Workload Hours

Reassigned time for duties other than instruction or other exceptions to teaching and/or research time must have prior approval. Reassigned time must be for special documented accreditation requirements, specific administrative duties, professional or scholarly activity, or other extraordinary special assignments as clearly defined by the department and approved by the dean and the provost and vice president for academic affairs.

1. To request reassigned time, department heads must complete the Workload Reassigned Time Request Form.
2. Reassigned time must be requested and approved each semester.
3. The annual performance review should reflect greater weight in the scholarly and professional activity category if the workload includes reassigned time for research or scholarly activity or other non-instructional duties.

Standard Expectations of Faculty

1. Faculty must report to work one week prior to the day classes begin for the fall and spring semesters or as listed in the Academic Calendar. The last workday for faculty during the fall and spring semesters is the date of commencement.
2. Faculty must meet classes and labs as scheduled throughout the term for the allotted class minutes and may not stop holding class or lab sessions before the end of the term. Faculty must inform department heads or the dean when class or lab sessions will not be held or moved online and must ensure course content is covered if class or lab sessions must be cancelled.
3. Faculty must distribute a course syllabus for each class taught. Each syllabus must be posted electronically in the learning management system by the first class day. Faculty should inform the students of their responsibility to access and use the syllabus. The syllabus must be given to the department head by the first day of class and should be reviewed and updated each semester. The department head should verify that syllabi requirements are met and maintain a file of all course syllabi for a five-year period. (See University Syllabus Policy.)
4. Faculty must utilize McNeese-provided email accounts to communicate with department heads, deans, students, and the University community.
5. Faculty must schedule office hours to ensure that students have access to faculty outside of class for student-faculty interactions, including assistance with coursework and advising. Faculty are expected to be available to students during these hours and prioritize student interactions over other tasks. Additionally, faculty are expected to make special appointments with students who are unable to utilize scheduled office hours.
   • Full-time faculty are expected to be present on campus outside of teaching hours to engage with students.
   • Faculty must schedule no less than ten office hours each week during a regular semester and no less than five office hours each week during a summer session. These hours must be scheduled at various times during the day, including afternoons, and distributed throughout the week (Monday-Friday) to provide maximum opportunity for student accessibility. Any virtual office hours used in place of in-office hours must be approved by the department head.
   • Part-time faculty are expected to schedule a proportionate number of office hours, usually two hours per week for every three workload hours assigned.
   • Email and telephone communication must be available during these hours. All communication should be returned in a timely manner.
   • Faculty must post the schedule and methods of communication for office hours on course syllabi, in the learning management system, in appropriate scheduling software as it becomes available on campus, and on the door of the faculty member’s office, if applicable. Faculty should notify students and their department head about any changes or cancellations during the semester.
6. Faculty are required to give a final exam or assessment in each course during the scheduled final exam period. Final exams may not be given outside the official University exam schedule unless a University-approved student excuse applies. (See Exams or Student Learning Assessment Policy.)
7. Full-time faculty members must:
   • Report mid-term and final grades, initial attendance verification, and last date of attendance for withdrawals or students assigned a failing grade by the scheduled deadlines;
   • Attend all required meetings unless otherwise approved by the department head or dean;
   • Attend commencement ceremonies each semester;
   • Comply with all University and University of Louisiana System policies and procedures;
   • Complete mandatory compliance training by the scheduled deadlines;
   • Submit assessment data and/or reports by scheduled deadlines; and
   • Disclose outside employment and income and any conflicts of interest or commitment annually.
8. Faculty should contact their department head and/or dean for departmental or college-level policies and expectations regarding responsibilities of academic staff.

Annual Performance Review (APR)

Faculty are evaluated by the department head each year for teaching, professional or scholarly activity, service, and collegiality through the APR process.

1. All faculty must familiarize themselves with the Faculty Evaluation Policy.
2. All tenure-track faculty must familiarize themselves with the Tenure in Academics Policy.
3. Student Evaluation of Instruction (SEI) scores are included in the APR. All full-time and part-time faculty participate in the SEI process during the regular academic year.
4. Department heads must review SEI scores and classroom performance for part-time faculty and faculty with temporary appointments each semester as they are appointed on a semester-by- semester basis. Department heads affirm that they have reviewed SEI scores with the part-time faculty member via their signature on the Letter of Intent to Employ form for visiting lecturers and staff teaching overload.

Administrative Structure for Academic Colleges

Deans

Deans are appointed as 12-month employees and are considered the chief officers of their colleges. Deans provide academic and administrative leadership to support the University mission and ensure student success. Deans develop and maintain effective communication within their respective college, with personnel across campus, with students, and with external stakeholders. They coordinate the activities of department heads so that clearly defined goals related to program improvement, recruitment and retention, and student learning outcomes may be achieved. The dean is responsible for upholding University policies and procedures, SACSCOC and programmatic accrediting agency requirements, evaluation of programs, and evaluation of faculty performance.

Regarding faculty workload responsibilities, deans verify workload schedules and reassigned non- instructional time each fall and spring semester and submit appropriate forms to the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness. At least one month before classes begin, deans collaborate with department heads to facilitate equitable distribution of non-teaching duties within departments and to balance each faculty member’s teaching and non-teaching duties.

The dean normally assumes a course workload of three hours per regular semester, unless reassigned to administrative or other duties with approval by the provost and vice president for academic affairs. Deans supervise and evaluate department heads and submit personnel decisions to the Office of Academic Affairs for review. Deans are evaluated by the provost and vice president for academic affairs with input from faculty and administrative evaluations.

Department Heads

Department heads report to the college dean and are full-time, ranked faculty members who represent the departmental faculty and have administrative responsibilities for their respective departments. Department heads are generally responsible for the development of teaching and scholarship among departmental faculty. They work directly with academic program coordinators and respective faculty, complete initial evaluations of faculty, determine course scheduling, set strategies for program development and review, promote student recruiting and retention, and ensure assessment of student learning.

Several months prior to the beginning of a semester or summer session, department heads develop schedules of course offerings based on student needs, but these schedules may change as needed according to enrollment and departmental needs. Department heads assign teaching responsibilities to faculty, and after consultation with deans, assign non-instructional release time. Department heads receive three non-instructional workload hours for their administrative responsibilities.

Upon receipt of prior approval from the provost and vice president for academic affairs, they may receive additional administrative reassigned time from teaching duties in their respective academic unit. Department heads are appointed as nine-month employees and must schedule at least 25 hours of office presence outside of teaching responsibilities each week during the academic term.

Provided satisfactory performance is documented, department heads may be reappointed each year by the president upon the recommendation of the academic dean and the provost and vice president for academic affairs. During the academic period, the department head may be reassigned at the discretion of the dean or the provost to teaching or other duties commensurate with the individual’s academic rank. Deans evaluate department head job performance with input from faculty and administrative evaluations.

Academic Program Coordinators

Each academic program is assigned a program coordinator who is academically qualified in the field or curricular area of concentration. Program coordinators 1) work with faculty, department heads, and deans for curriculum development and review, 2) ensure curriculum meets SACSCOC and programmatic accreditation requirements, and 3) must collect data and complete academic program assessment reports as required by the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness. The program coordinator’s annual performance review should include appropriate points according to coordinator responsibilities.

General Education Coordinators

Each course in the General Education curriculum is assigned a qualified faculty member to serve as a general education coordinator to oversee assessment of all sections of the assigned general education course. The general education coordinator is responsible for 1) coordinating assessment of the course’s general education learning competency across all sections of the assigned general education course, 2) collecting assessment data from all sections of the assigned general education course, 3) evaluating and assessing the achievement of the general education competency, and 4) submitting this information to the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness each semester.

Departments with more than one general education course may appoint a separate general education coordinator for each course to ensure proper oversight and compliance. The general education coordinator’s annual performance review should include appropriate points according to coordinator responsibilities.

Communication

Department heads should review academic duties with each faculty member at the start of each academic year and when course schedules are being prepared. Faculty should be promptly informed of any changes to their responsibilities in teaching, scholarly/professional activity, service, or special duties. Additionally, department heads must communicate faculty expectations and institutional policies to part-time faculty and visiting lecturers.

This policy is distributed via the University Policies webpage.