3. Faculty Course Load
Full-time faculty members are contracted for a load of 24 credit hours per academic year. Course load is generally split as equally as possible between the fall and spring semesters. Approval from the appropriate dean, in consultation with the provost, must be obtained for course load to be carried into the summer semester. All full-time faculty members must attend to administrative duties during the summer semester. This includes, but is not limited to, committee work, consultation by telephone and email regarding academic matters, and assisting advisors in recruiting prospective students.
- Course Load Limitations and Scheduling
(i). Any credit hour(s) taught above the course load required for a given semester will be paid overload during the semester in which it is earned at the current overload rate. The overload rate is $700 per credit hour.
(ii). Any credit hour(s) taught below the course load required for the Fall and Spring semesters will be required to be covered during the Summer semester or be deducted on a pro-rata basis from the faculty member’s pay.
(iii). Any faculty member who carries a course load less than 24 credit hours during the academic year without approval by the Provost will be compensated at a pro-rata amount of their full-load salary.
- Course Load Limitations and Scheduling
(i). Unless an exception is made by the administration, a course needs at least seven students enrolled at the beginning of a semester to count toward a full- or part-time contract. Courses of five students or less shall be paid at the independent study rate.
(ii). A faculty member who has entered into a contract with the university for an academic year as a full-time or part-time instructor shall not be disqualified from receiving the full contract salary if one or more of their classes fails to attract the required number of students:
(1) If the shortfall of students occurred through no fault of the faculty member, and
(2) If such class were in the Office of the Registrar's rotation of classes, and
(3) If such class was scheduled to be offered in the official list of classes offered for a given semester.
(iii). If low course enrollment in any course described in subsections (1), (2) and (3) above decreases the number of credit hours in the faculty member’s load below his/her credit hour requirement for a semester, then, in such event, the faculty member and his/her supervisor shall work in good faith to find alternative course(s) to teach or additional duties to perform in order to fulfill their contract.
- Course load reductions are generally granted for the following:
(i). Deans/Directors – decided by the provost
(ii). Department Chairs – 6 credit hours (3 per semester) for departments with at least three faculty members
(iii). Doctoral Studies – 6 credit hours (3 per semester up to a maximum of 24; see Graduate Study Subsidies). NOTE: Anyone receiving course load reduction for doctoral studies will not be eligible to receive adjunct or overload pay.