School of Information and Library Science: Policy on Faculty Workload

Unit Policy

Title

School of Information and Library Science: Policy on Faculty Workload

Introduction

Purpose

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (“UNC-Chapel Hill” or “University”) School of Information and Library Science (“SILS”) Faculty Workload Policy aims to:

• provide clear guidelines and expectations for SILS faculty workloads that align with the University’s mission and objectives;
• support and recognize faculty contributions; and
• ensure consistent, efficient, and effective deployment and monitoring of faculty workloads across SILS.

The policy serves these purposes by articulating expected percentages of effort associated with work within the domains of teaching, research/creative activity, and service.

Scope

This policy applies to all SILS faculty, including tenured, tenure‐track, and fixed-term faculty who are full‐time (1.0 FTE of either 9 months or 12 months) and appointed for one year or longer.

This policy does not apply to fixed‐term faculty with less than 1.0 FTE appointments or temporary adjunct faculty.

Policy

Policy Statement

Consistent with other UNC-Chapel Hill schools and departments, the overall workload of SILS faculty members typically includes the following:

• teaching;
• instruction-related activities such as advising, mentoring, course planning, and course development;
• research, scholarship, and creative activities;
• service to the University, the school, the community, and the profession; or related activities required by the individual faculty member’s work plan to support SILS’ and the University’s missions; and  
• administration.

SILS has established an expected threshold tailored to appointment type for teaching, research/creative activity, and service that together constitute 1.0 FTE. These thresholds align with SILS’ mission, ensuring that faculty members can fulfill their roles in a manner that supports SILS’ objectives. The specific thresholds for each appointment type are detailed below:

These thresholds apply to both 12- and 9-month appointment types.

Individual adjustments to expected threshold percentages that deviate more than +/-10% from these expected totals must be:

• expressed and justified in writing in the employee’s annual work plan document (see below), and
• approved in advance in writing by the SILS dean.

Workload Categories

Descriptions of each work category are provided below.

Teaching

Consistent with North Carolina General Statute § 116-1(b), teaching and instruction are the central responsibilities of the UNC System and form a critical base of workload expectations for faculty. In addition to organized courses, the faculty member’s instructional workload may also include, but is not limited to:

• other instructional efforts (e.g., developing materials for a new course);
• updating materials for an existing course;
• weekly course preparation activities;
• developing courseware or other materials for technology-based instruction;
• supervising undergraduate research, masters’ papers or practicum projects, and/or doctoral dissertations;
• providing regular office hours every week;
• preparing and equipping new laboratories;
• supervision of teaching assistants;
• supervision of internships and/or field experiences; and
• academic advising, mentoring, and other activities that support student success.

At SILS, under normal circumstances, tenured and tenure-track faculty members teach two courses per term (fall and spring). Fixed-term teaching faculty teach three courses per term (fall and spring). The total percentage of work time spent on teaching activities should align with the above threshold values for each appointment type.

SILS Course Reductions

The SILS dean may grant course reductions in either of the following cases:

• there are funds available from an outside source, and/or
• when the faculty member takes on major administrative or other duties in SILS.

The cost of a course release is $16,000. In exceptional circumstances, the dean may consider two course reductions per academic year if departmental teaching needs can still be met. When planning and preparing a grant proposal, the faculty member and dean are encouraged to discuss how SILS can provide matching funds, cost sharing, and/or teaching loan arrangements to support the grant.

Examples of budget components the dean is willing to negotiate include, but are not limited to:

• matching salary,
• reducing rates for a course release,
• reducing teaching loads,
• increasing travel funds, and
• returning an increased percentage of indirect costs to the faculty member.

The faculty member should submit the SILS form requesting a course reduction (located on the SILS website) as soon as possible, but must submit the form at least six months before the requested course reduction. The dean will consult with the associate dean(s) to ensure that teaching and administrative needs can be met before approving a course reduction.

Faculty members with reduced teaching loads must work with the associate dean(s) to:

• ensure that SILS can find an appropriate instructor for their course, and
• to offer course materials and other support to the instructor as needed.

Faculty members with a reduced teaching load for several consecutive semesters will remain eligible for administrative and other special leaves (e.g., Fulbright).   

Research and Creative Activity

SILS recognizes that research and creative activities have significant implications for teaching. Engaging in research enables faculty members to design course materials that reflect their respective fields’ state-of-the-art and cutting-edge knowledge. Faculty members engage in the work of discovering, disseminating, and applying knowledge and professional expertise. These activities may include (but are not limited to):

• working in laboratories, studios, clinical or community settings conducting empirical and/or theoretical research; and
• engaging in development or translational work, and/or producing creative works.

Toward these ends, SILS faculty:

• write articles, books, monographs, and grant proposals;
• write patents;
• develop intellectual property;
• edit scholarly journals;
• direct centers and institutes;
• manage research labs and research funding;
• present research products at conferences or other professional gatherings;
• engage in other activities specific to individual research projects;
• serve as advisors or mentors for doctoral dissertations, master’s theses, undergraduate honors theses, and student’s independent studies and research projects; and
• host visiting scholars.

The total percentage of work time spent on research and creative activities should align with the above threshold values for each appointment type.

Service

As a public university, UNC-Chapel Hill provides substantial benefits to the people and the State of North Carolina. Faculty members engage in service activities that advance the University’s work and the institution’s role in supporting North Carolina. Faculty service work may include activities that enhance the scholarly life of the university or the discipline, improve society’s quality of life, or promote the general welfare of the institution, professional and academic societies, the State, the nation, the local community, or the global community.

At SILS, service work may include, but is not limited to, activities such as:

• serving in professional organizations and societies (e.g., organizing conferences or workgroup membership);
• participating in or chairing a SILS committee;
• attending faculty and all-SILS meetings;
• serving on University-wide committees, administrative boards of other schools, the Faculty Council, or other University service commitments;
• serving on ad hoc committees, including hiring committees;
• participating in faculty and staff searches (e.g., attending job talks or meeting with job candidates);
• undertaking special projects related to SILS’ work;
• advising or mentoring student groups and organizations within SILS or the University;
• leading special interest groups or seminars;
• serving the local and state community through contributions to programs such as the SILS Community Workshop Series,
• reviewing for journals and conferences; and
• partnering with information organizations for ongoing or special projects (for example, leading programs at local libraries).

Faculty members may also be assigned administrative responsibilities by the dean, including but not limited to associate dean, program director, and center director. Administrative service at SILS will be counted as service for the workload plan, and the specific tasks of various administrative roles will be specified in the faculty member’s annual work plan document.

The total percentage of work time spent on service activities should align with the above threshold values for each appointment type.

Annual Work Plans

The annual work plan is a forward-looking document that:

• describes the anticipated work the faculty member will complete that academic year in each relevant work category (teaching, research/creative activity, and service); and
• include estimates of the percentages of work effort devoted to each major task or activity.
  • These percentages should add up to the expected total in each category (research/creative activity, teaching, and/or service) for that appointment type.

Each faculty member must work with the dean to develop a mutually agreed-upon annual work plan.

As an interdisciplinary school, SILS faculty represent subfields with different publishing patterns, research methodologies, teaching approaches, and service opportunities. With that in mind, individual faculty should rely on their work processes to estimate time investments for various tasks.

Each faculty workload plan should:

• be well-organized;
• provide a clear roadmap to support faculty planning, growth, and assessment; and
• align with expectations for the faculty member’s next substantive performance review (for example, reappointment, tenure review, or post-tenure review).

A template will be available in September 2024 on the SILS web site, and announced via Teams, which faculty members can use when building their plans. Annual plans should contain the following elements per the University’s Faculty Workload Policy:

• Position Description: Summary of role, rank, and essential duties of the position, including a description of any administrative duties assigned (for example, program coordinator duties)
• Anticipated Specific Outputs and Efforts (including estimated allocations of time reported in percentages) for: 
  • Teaching,
  • Research/creative activity,
  • Service, and
  • Other (e.g., professional development)
• Assessment: Determine how goal achievement/success/progress will be measured.
• Timeline, with specific deliverables.
• Resources needed to achieve goal(s).

Joint Appointments

For faculty with appointments in more than one department, the department chair (or dean, as appropriate) of the department where the faculty member has their primary appointment is responsible for planning the faculty member’s workload in consultation with the heads of the other appointing units.

Approving Faculty Workload Plans

Each faculty member must submit their annual work plan to the dean no later than the Friday preceding the first day of classes for the Fall semester. The dean must approve each faculty member’s workload plan in writing. For faculty with appointments in more than one department, each faculty member’s workload plan must be approved in writing by the department chair (or dean in schools without separate departments) of the department where the faculty member has their primary appointment, in consultation with the head(s) of the other appointing unit(s).

Annual Faculty Evaluation Process

The annual evaluation process for faculty involves the assessment of the faculty member’s performance, contributions, and accomplishments for the academic year based on that faculty member’s established work plan.  Annual evaluations of faculty must: 

• be in writing;
• be completed at least once per academic year, during the spring semester; 
• apply to every faculty member, regardless of tenure status; 
• cover all areas of a faculty member's duties;
• occur before salary increase recommendations; and
• not replace the post-tenure review process already set by the University for tenured faculty. 

During this review, the dean or designated unit officer will evaluate the faculty member's performance based on their approved work plan. Department chairs or deans must provide any faculty member rated as “Not Meeting” on one or more of their agreed-upon performance goals with a "Faculty Success Plan” to get them back on track.

Faculty Success Plans

Faculty Success Plans are intended to be a supportive and personalized approach to help individual faculty improve their performance and excel in their role.  Each Faculty Success Plan must be in writing, approved by the dean, and include the following components: 

• specific steps designed to lead to improvement;
• targeted resources the faculty member can use to help them improve (e.g., Center for Faculty Excellence, etc.); 
• a specific timeline during which the department chair expects the faculty member’s performance to improve; and 
• a clear statement of consequences should improvement not occur within the designated timeline. 

Related Requirements

External Regulations

• North Carolina General Statute § 116-1 - Higher Education: General Provisions: Purpose
• UNC System Policy 300.2.13 - Supplemental Pay Policy for Employees Exempt from the
• State Human Resources Act (EHRA)
• UNC System Policy 400.3.4 - Faculty Workload Policy
• UNC System Regulation 400.3.4[R] - Faculty Workload Regulation
• UNC System Regulation 700.6.1[R] - Academic Integrity Regulations
• UNC-Chapel Hill Faculty Workload Policy 

Unit Policies, Standards, and Procedures

• School of Information and Library Science: Criteria and Procedures for Faculty Appointments, Reappointments, Promotion, and Tenure

Contact Information

Primary Contact

Name: Jeffrey Bardzell

Telephone: 919-962-8366

Email: jbardzel@unc.edu