Article 32: Workload

32.1

It is recognized that employees are professional employees who will continue to devote a sufficient amount of time to their duties to ensure that there is excellence in instruction.  It is further recognized by the parties that employees devote hours of service to the College and students beyond the minimum set forth herein.  Employees who are assigned to a full-time position as defined herein shall render service to the College for a minimum of 30 hours per week or prorated amount for reduced workload. The total minimum of 30 hours per week shall consist of class contact hours, office hours and other duties as defined below. The total minimum of 30 hours will occur on the campuses of the College or other approved sites.  Work hours for short courses, summer term and non-traditional instruction shall be scheduled on this basis. 

32.2

Contact hours are defined to mean those teaching hours scheduled with students in a classroom, lab or clinical setting. The required contact hours by discipline/program are specified in the Workload Appendix.

32.3

Office hours are defined as scheduled time spent on campus or other approved sites in increments of at least one-half (1/2) hour during which an employee is available to meet with or communicate with students. An employee whose regular contact hours exceed 20 hours shall be allowed to reduce the employee’s office hours by one (1) hour for each additional hour over 20 hours.

32.4

Other duty hours are defined as time for additional student consultation as needed, preparation, evaluation of student performance, curriculum development, sponsorship of student groups, College and/or department committee work and service, faculty or departmental meetings, in-service training, professional development, college service, and any other professional duties other than contact hours. If approved by the Dean or the Dean’s designee, independent study (provided enrollment is less than the minimum number required for compensation) will count toward college service. The employee and employee’s dean will collaborate on the appropriate balance, identification and combination of duties.  Class contact hours and other duty hours may include assignment off-campus, which must be in writing and approved in accordance with the provisions herein.  Release time, assignments and other duty hours are subject to approval by the appropriate dean.        

32.4.1

The College recognizes that during the coronavirus pandemic, faculty may collaborate with their dean to temporarily shift the focus of other duty hours to address issues related to the delivery of instruction that arise as the institution transitions courses to online, or transitions online courses back to campus. This provision shall not be interpreted to mean that work normally performed during other duty hours shall not be conducted, if the dean determines that work to be mission essential. Final approval of the total workload, as stated in sub-articles 32.1 thru 32.4, continues to be subject to the approval of the deans.

32.4.2

The College has sole discretion to determine how long the policies which were developed in response to the coronavirus pandemic remain in effect.

32.4.3

The Parties recognize the minimum 30 hours of class contact hours, office hours, and other duty hours requirement for Full-time Faculty has been in effect for many years and consistently contained in many College/CNMEU collective bargaining agreements. The Parties further recognize the COVID Pandemic effects experienced by the College and faculty followed by changes in the instructional delivery systems at the College may have, in some instances, resulted in work load responsibilities for faculty that were different than the “minimum 30 hour” workloads previously assumed by faculty. Therefore, the parties agree that workload assessment to evaluate whether the changes in instructional delivery systems impacted by COVID justify additional compensation, is a legitimate basis for conducting a Faculty Management Committee meeting in accordance with the provisions contained in Article 25. This agreement to conduct Faculty Management Committee meetings does not imply that additional compensation will be granted. The parties also agree to evaluate the feasibility of creating a Workload Assessment Committee to address the changes in workload identified above.

32.5

A full-time faculty member (employee) shall be defined as an employee who is selected into an approved full-time faculty position. When it is in the best interest of an instructional program, the appropriate dean may grant an employee's request to teach less than the regular class contact hour load as listed in the Workload Appendix. Those who fall below the regular class contact hour load during fall and spring terms and have not been given other assigned duties or release time shall be paid on a pro rata basis. The College will make reasonable efforts to honor employee requests that do not interfere with instructional requirements.

32.6

An overload shall be defined as a workload in excess of the Discipline/Program regular workload set forth in the Workload Appendix when the excess is generated by the assignment of an additional course.  The employee shall be paid the overload rate for each hour of the course.  All overloads shall be in addition and must occur outside the base workload minimum of 30 hours per week.  All overloads must be approved by the dean or the dean’s designee. Effective Fall Semester 2018, overload pay will be calculated based on credit hour. The value per credit hour in each category is documented in the appendix. The value per credit hour will vary depending on the method of instruction. Office hours will still be required, if applicable.  The credit hour overload rate shall be the only rate used to compute compensation for overloads. If, for any reason, the College determines that the employee’s subsequent assignments within this academic year are such that the course should not have been considered an overload, the College shall adjust the employee’s pay to the appropriate level.  An employee may request a workload in a given term in excess of the Workload Appendix by a full course in that term in order to reduce the employee’s workload in the summer term by a full course.  There shall be no reduction in pay so long as the employee’s annual workload is equal to the appropriate amount set forth under the Workload Appendix times three (3).  The request must be made by August 1^st of each year.  Such employees shall receive first consideration in offset assignment. It is recognized that the college may limit overload assignments for operational reasons.

32.7

An employee who teaches three (3) physical science theory courses per year will be allowed a weekly contact load of 15.

32.8

Each employee shall submit to the employee’s dean at the beginning of the term a schedule of the employee’s activities totaling 30 hours per week for the term.  The hours must be scheduled between Sunday and Saturday.  The schedule will be developed by the employee and the dean in accordance with section one (1) through four (4) of this article.  The schedule may be altered based on operational need. The parties recognize that adding Sunday to the workweek derives from the increase in online instruction that occurred because of the coronavirus pandemic, and student preference for holding office hours on weekends that manifested as a result. This change in the workweek is subject to the provisions outlined in sub-article 32.4.2.

32.9

The parties recognize that employee productivity and public accountability require periodic auditing and appropriate management practices which will be implemented during the term of this Agreement. This article will be implemented in accordance with the parties' recognition that the employee's need for reasonable professional autonomy will be balanced against the College's need for reasonable accountability and employee productivity. Violations of this section shall be considered a rules infraction and addressed in accordance with established procedure.

32.10

Sick leave and personal leave accruals shall be prorated for those employees whose workload is reduced.

32.11 Workforce Training Center

A faculty member may have instruction at the Workforce Training Center be considered part of their regular workload under the following conditions:

1. the course work is part of the employee's assigned discipline and department;
2. the assignment is approved by the dean and the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

32.12

During the 2013-2014 negotiations the College provided a market adjustment increase of 1.64% to the base pay of the employees in recognition of ongoing faculty contributions and an additional three (3) days of work per year. The three days shall  normally be scheduled as Convocation Day and two (2) Professional Development Days. Convocation Day and the Professional Development days will normally be scheduled immediately prior to the beginning of a term with Convocation and one (1) Professional Development Day normally preceding fall semester and the other Professional Development Day normally preceding spring semester.