10. HOURS OF WORK/WORKLOAD
10.1 ACADEMIC YEAR FOR REGULAR FACULTY MEMBERS
10.1.1 Regular faculty members are normally appointed on the basis of a twelve-month academic year which runs from August 1 to July 31.
10.1.1.1 Limited term contract faculty members are normally appointed on the basis of a twelve-month academic year which runs from August 1 to July 31, within the constraints of the contract’s start and end date, or for one semester contracts.
10.1.2 Professors and Limited Term Contract Instructors
10.1.2.1 The instructional assignment for the academic year normally consists of approximately eight months. In addition to this instructional assignment, Professors and limited term contract Instructors shall normally (except under Article 12.2.3) spend two months on campus engaged in the preparation and review of courses, the interviewing of prospective students, professional development, the ordering of supplies and equipment, and other non‑instructional activities of the University. In the event an instructional faculty member is unable to access a six week continuous period to conduct non-instructional activities described above in a given academic year, subject to the approval of the Dean, the instructional faculty member may be provided with a six week continuous period to conduct non-instructional activities in the following academic year. Such approval will not be unreasonably denied.
10.1.2.2 Newly appointed regular Professors and limited term contract Instructors shall normally commence duties on the campus on August 1 of their first contract year.
10.1.2.3 For the period between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day when institutional services have been minimized, the normal attendance expectations of instructional faculty members will be relaxed provided that they have completed their duties.
10.2 WORKLOAD
10.2.1 Workload for Regular and Limited Term Contract Instructional Faculty
10.2.1.1 High Quality Instruction
Vancouver Island University is committed to maintaining high quality instruction. It is recognized that faculty involvement in the determination of realistic instructional workloads is important for the maintenance of a high quality of instruction at the University, and that excessive workloads shall result in a deterioration of that quality.
Several factors must be considered in determining faculty instructional workloads, including but not limited to: number of separate course preparations; type of course; number of students; number of contact hours with students; number and type of assignments; pedagogy and delivery (on-line, face-to-face, team teaching, shared teaching, etc,); program requirements; scholarly activity; nature and extent of non-instructional assignment. Faculty and departments are in the best position to recommend optimal workloads, and so faculty and departments, in consultation with their Dean, shall work towards acceptable overall workloads, taking into consideration the factors outlined above for instructional assignments, as well as scholarly activity and service.
10.2.1.2 Limitations on Faculty Workloads
10.2.1.2.1 Workloads shall be established within the following limits.
Maximum number of teaching hours per week = 16 (sixteen) averaged over two semesters.
Teaching hour is one hour of scheduled lecture, studio or lab time per week; one hour of unconventional teaching time (see Letter of Understanding, Unconventional Instruction Designated Under 10.2.1.2.1) is equivalent to 2/3 of a teaching hour.
Maximum number of regular lecture classes (3 or 4 hours) = 8.
No non-regular faculty member shall be required to accept a workload higher than as specified in Article 10.2.1.2.
10.2.1.2.2 Professors and limited term contract Instructors may be assigned portions of their workload in the two month work period during the semester in which holidays are taken (normally such assignments would occur during the May/June period).
10.2.1.2.3 All faculty as part of their professional responsibilities shall:
a) maintain posted office hours and be available to meet with individual students at other mutually agreed upon times;
b) provide additional assistance to students in areas such as study skills, academic advising, special events, as well as recruitment and admission of students;
c) remain current in their field through demonstrated participation in professional development and/or scholarly activity;
d) participate in departmental and institutional activities.
10.2.1.2.4 Supervision of Student Research Projects
With the permission of the Dean and the Department, a faculty member may supervise a student research project. A faculty member who supervises a student research project, including graduate student research projects, shall be credited with 1/64th of an annual workload for a three-credit course, or 1/32nd of an annual workload for a six-credit course, for each student research project.
Faculty receiving stipend instead of workload will receive a payment equivalent to the above workload credit per graduate student research project.
A faculty member who is the primary supervisor of an undergraduate honours thesis project, excluding classroom delivery, shall receive a $500 stipend.
10.2.1.2.5 Team and Shared Teaching
Given the VIU commitment to high quality instruction, effective innovations in course delivery and pedagogy are encouraged. Notwithstanding existing departmental workload agreements, the following definitions are intended to guide departments, Deans, and the VIUFA in calculating acceptable instructional workloads:
“Team teaching” describes courses delivered by teams of two or more faculty, in which faculty members each prepare, attend, deliver, and evaluate all parts of the course. For team teaching, each faculty member is credited with “full” workload credit for the course.
“Shared teaching” describes courses delivered by two or more faculty, in which each takes responsibility for a discrete part of the course. For shared teaching, each faculty member is credited with a portion of the workload credit for the course.
With the approval of the Dean and the Department, a faculty member may at their discretion participate in the shared teaching of a course. The proportion of the course shall be determined by taking into account the factors outlined in Article 10.2.1.1 above, and through consultation between the Dean and the Department. For example, a standard three-credit course in the BA program would use 45 hours (15 weeks x 3 hours/week) as the standard for determining the appropriate workload portion. For example, a faculty member teaching 3 weeks of a shared course shall be credited with 0.2 of a course.
For non-regular faculty, such an arrangement shall be paid at the corresponding proportion of the appropriate rate. In cases where a shared teaching assignment of less than one course cannot be readily calculated into a regular faculty member’s annual workload assignment, the workload credit shall be carried forward.
10.2.2 Workload for Regular Non‑Instructional Faculty
10.2.2.1 The workload of a regular non-instructional faculty member shall be an average of 35 hours per week. The exact hours of work may vary seasonally to allow for peak periods. Particular responsibilities, duties and workload arrangements shall be determined by the Chair or Director or Campus Administrator or Dean, as appropriate, in consultation with the faculty member. This decision may be appealed to the next appropriate level of administration. Non-instructional faculty members shall be informed, when they receive their workload allocation of the name of the administrator to whom such appeal may be made.
10.2.2.2 Chairs of non‑instructional faculty shall be selected in accordance with the procedure in Article 10.11.2.1.
10.3 OVERLOAD
10.3.1 Overloads shall only be carried on a voluntary basis.
a) A regular or limited term contract faculty member who works an overload in a given year shall receive no less than either:
i) the pro-rated salary for the overload based on the Salary Scale or the secondary scale on which the employee is placed, or,
ii) after consultation with their Dean, a reduction of workload in a subsequent year that is commensurate with the amount of the overload.
b) A regular or limited term contract faculty member teaching Summer Session (Article 10.3.2) or Field Schools (Article 10.3.3) shall be paid in accordance with Article 11.1.4.2.
c) A temporary faculty member with a workload in excess of that specified in Article 10.2.1.2 shall be paid for the additional workload in accordance with Article 11.1.4.2.
10.3.2 Summer Session
A Summer Session course is a course taught during the period between the spring and fall semesters but does not include courses taught in the May to August Special Session which constitute a program requirement and does not include courses which are assigned as part of a regular faculty member’s workload under Article 10.2.1.2.2.
Once summer session course offerings have been finalized and should qualified regular faculty members be identified to teach such courses, a regular faculty member may elect to reduce their regular workload in exchange for an equivalent amount of summer session instruction taught at any time in the May to August period immediately preceding the Academic Year in which the exchange was permitted, subject to the approval of the Dean. Such approval shall not be unreasonably refused. All professional development and vacation time that would have been applicable in the summer session shall be deemed to have been taken by the faculty member.
10.3.3 Field Schools
A regular or limited term contract faculty member teaching a field school (including studies abroad) except those field schools which are a program requirement shall be paid in accordance with Article 11.1.4.2.
10.3.4 Directed Studies
A Directed Studies course shall be provided on a voluntary basis as an addition to an individual faculty member’s assigned workload. This course will be provided by agreement of the faculty member, Chair, and Dean, and will have a maximum of five (5) students. The faculty member shall receive three hundred and seventy-nine dollars ($379) per semester for each Directed Studies student for a 3 credit course.
Where a Directed Studies course has fewer or greater than three credit hours, actual payment for each Directed Studies student enrolled in the course will be pro‑rated. For example, faculty will receive $126.33 ($379/3) per semester for each Directed Studies student enrolled in a one credit course; $189.50 ($379/2) for a 1.5 credit course; $252.67 ($379 x 2/3) for a two‑credit course; $505.33 ($379 x 4/3) for a four‑credit course, etc.
The Dean will identify Directed Studies on the workload report.
10.3.5 Senior Project
In departments where a Senior Project course is a required or elective component of a degree program, it will be provided on a voluntary basis by an individual faculty member as an addition to their assigned workload. The approval of the Department Chair is required before a student can register in a Senior Project course with an identified Professor/Instructor. The faculty member shall receive two-hundred and fifty dollars ($250) per semester for each three credit Senior Project student. If two Professors/Instructors jointly supervise a Senior Project, the stipend will be divided equally between them unless there is some other agreement. Deans will identify Senior Projects in Workload Reports.
10.4 ASSIGNMENT OF WORKLOAD
10.4.1. If budgetary developments necessitate a change to the activity level of a department in the upcoming year, the Dean will advise the department accordingly. The initial proposed allocation of each Professor’s/Instructor’s workload shall first be determined by the Chair of each department (or dean if no chair) in consultation with the members of that department. The proposed workload allocations shall be reviewed by the appropriate Dean in order to ensure a fair distribution within the department. Differences in contact hours, course preparations, student numbers, travel times, and other parameters which are seen to be relevant including those factors set out in Article 10.2.1.1, shall be considered. The workloads determined shall be consistent with the guidelines and limits in all relevant sections of the Collective Agreement.
After the review and confirmation by the appropriate Dean, Professors/Instructors shall be advised of their proposed workload allocation as soon as possible, and normally, no later than the end of the preceding academic year.
Concerns regarding individual or departmental workload allocation or timetables, Article 10.4.1.1, should be communicated to the appropriate academic administrator. The Chief Steward or designate may be part of those communications if desired by the faculty member.
10.4.1.1 Timetabling
Professors/Instructors shall be advised of their proposed timetable as soon as possible, and normally, no later than the end of the preceding academic year.
The following limits shall be placed on the times that a Professor/Instructor would be scheduled to teach:
10.4.1.1.1 No Professor/Instructor shall be required to teach more than three consecutive one hour classes, labs or seminars, or more than 2 consecutive classes, labs or seminars of duration more than one hour each. No Professor/Instructor shall be required to conduct more than four consecutive hours of class, lab or seminar.
10.4.1.1.2 Where a Professor/Instructor has family care commitments, and where the Professor/Instructor makes a written request, the University shall make every effort to ensure that Professor/Instructor has no classes scheduled before 9:00 am.
10.4.1.1.3 Upon written request to the Chair and/or Academic Administrator, Professors/Instructors shall be granted a minimum of one continuous hour of unscheduled time in the period between 11:30 and 14:30. Written requests will be submitted at the beginning of the timetabling process.
10.4.1.1.4 Professors/Instructors shall be entitled to a minimum of twelve continuous hours of unscheduled time between workdays.
10.4.1.1.5 Where a Professor/Instructor is required to teach at more than one campus, there shall be reasonable provision for travel time in the Professor’s/Instructor’s teaching schedule.
10.4.1.1.6 The University shall make every effort to ensure that no Professor/Instructor shall be required to conduct a class, a lab or a seminar that ends more than 9 hours after the start of their first class, lab or seminar of that day.
10.4.1.1.7 Where a full-time Professor/Instructor is assigned upper level courses and is taking an upper-level release in that academic year, and where the Professor/Instructor makes a written request, the Professor/Instructor shall have no classes, labs or seminars scheduled on at least one of Monday to Friday.
10.4.1.1.8 All Professors/Instructors shall be entitled to two consecutive days off per week. Where a Professor/Instructor teaches any part of a course (lab, lecture or seminar) outside of the hours of 8:00 to 17:30 Monday through Friday, the University shall make every effort to provide that Professor/Instructor with a third day off during the week.
A Professor/Instructor may request exemption from teaching:
a) more than one lab, lecture, or seminar per week scheduled to start after 17:30, and/or
b) courses scheduled on Saturdays.
Such requests will not be unreasonably denied.
10.4.1.1.9 Where a faculty member is required as part of their teaching duties to be on call outside of their regular scheduled teaching assignment, the University shall make every effort to provide that faculty member with an additional day off for each two weeks of on call duty providing there is no additional expense.
10.4.2 Other Outside Teaching and Non‑Teaching Services Initiated by the University
10.4.2.1 Faculty may be given assignments with agencies outside the University (based on the Standard of Reasonableness.) However, such work may not be assigned to a level which exceeds a full workload, except with the agreement of the faculty member. Faculty may refuse such overload assignments without prejudice to their employment and working conditions at the University.
10.4.2.2 Should faculty accept such overload, they shall be paid a mutually agreed upon contract fee. Details of financial arrangements shall be made known to the Committee of Personnel Stewards of the Association.
10.5 MULTI-CAMPUS TRAVEL
Professors/Instructors may be required to teach a course or courses in one or more of the communities in the University region.
Professors/Instructors required to teach at least one day per week at Powell River, whose home campus is not Powell River, shall receive a stipend of $1,500 for each semester in which they teach at Powell River.
A Professor/Instructor whose home campus is Nanaimo, and is assigned to teach two consecutive semesters and commutes not less than two days per week to the Cowichan Campus, shall receive a stipend of $500 on the commencement of the second semester.
This stipend shall apply in reverse where the home campus is Cowichan.
The Employer shall consider applying such a stipend when a Professor/Instructor is required to teach away from their home campus at a location that is not an above mentioned VIU campus.
10.7 INSTRUCTIONAL FACULTY INVOLVED IN CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATION
10.7.1 The University recognizes that the nature of instruction in Co-operative Education programs differs from the normal delivery of academic programs.
10.7.2 The University supports a high level of consultation and cooperation during development and implementation of Cooperative Education programs between the departments and the Centre for Experiential Learning.
10.7.3 While faculty members in Co-operative Education programs may be required to teach or supervise co-op positions three semesters a year, under no circumstances shall a Professor/Instructor be required to accept an instructional assignment (workload) which otherwise differs from the provisions stipulated elsewhere in this Collective Agreement.
10.7.4 Faculty members shall not be assigned co‑op positions in more than six semesters in any three-year period commencing on September 1 of the first year of this period.
10.7.5 No faculty member shall be denied a two‑month summer vacation period, if requested, after voluntarily working the previous summer.
10.7.7.1 A faculty member who is supporting and supervising students in co‑op positions shall receive one‑half (1/2) section workload credit for supervision, monitoring and evaluating between one (1) and four (4) students, and one (1) section for between five (5) and ten (10) students. (One section workload credit is equivalent to one-eighth of an annual regular instructional faculty workload.) This credit includes the time required for travel to and from the placement sites. The normal duty per student is two visits per evaluation and reporting.
10.7.7.2 If a faculty member carries out these duties for between eleven (11) and nineteen (19) students, the workload credit shall be calculated on the basis of 0.1 credit per student (e.g., fourteen (14) students are equivalent to 1.4 sections of workload credit). For twenty (20) students, a Professor/Instructor shall receive two (2) sections workload credit.
10.7.7.3 For selection and preparation of work terms, the workload associated in placing up to twenty‑seven (27) students in a suitable learning environment is equivalent to one (1) three‑hour semester course.
10.7.8 Co‑op placement monitoring consists of developing, maintaining, and nurturing work‑term placements for students, and assisting students in obtaining these placements (writing resumes, job interview skills, setting up interview schedules, etc.).
10.7.9 The University recognizes that co‑op placement monitoring is carried out by employees who are members of the same bargaining unit that represents faculty teaching in the program for which placements are being sought, unless in unusual circumstances another employee is assigned to monitor a co‑op placement in which event the Association shall be notified.
10.8 FACULTY IN THE CENTRE FOR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
10.8.1 Faculty in the Centre for Experiential Learning (CEL) specialize in work-integrated learning education. Faculty in CEL facilitate planned, practical, educationally purposeful experiences in professional and community-based settings, which align with students’ academic and career goals.
10.8.2 CEL positions are currently classified as ‘hybrid positions’ in that the responsibilities and the workload of the position combine aspects of more than one category of position as outlined in Article 4.2.
10.8.3 Salaries for faculty in CEL will be determined based on Article 11.4.2.3.
10.8.4 The workload allocations in CEL shall be reviewed annually by the appropriate senior administrator in consultation with the department to ensure a fair distribution.
10.8.5 All regular full time faculty in the Centre for Experiential Learning shall receive a vacation allotment consistent with 50/50 split between Articles 12.2.1 and 12.2.6, regardless of their actual workload. Variations in workload from academic year to year will not impact the 50/50 split.
10.8.5.1 Vacation allotment for Regular Part-time faculty and temporary faculty in CEL will be prorated based on their initial workload for the current academic year.
10.8.6 All regular full time faculty in the Center for Experiential Learning shall be entitled to fifteen (15) days of professional development time consistent with 50/50 split, regardless of their actual workload. Variations in workload from academic year to year will not impact the 50/50 split in professional development time.
10.9 ACCESS SERVICES AND COUNSELLING
- The University recognizes that the services provided by Counselling and Access Services have a wide impact on the University community.
- Given the fluidity and complexity of activity in Counselling and Access Services, workload will be the subject of ongoing consultation between faculty and administration.
- The University recognizes the importance of maintaining staffing to ensure consistency and continuity of service levels. Where possible, leaves will be replaced in a timely manner.
10.10 FACULTY ADVISORS
Nothing in this Article 10.10 shall preclude the University from employing individuals as faculty advisors from outside the Association’s bargaining unit. Such individuals shall not be covered by this Agreement; this Agreement shall cover only those faculty advisors who were covered by this Agreement immediately prior to the faculty members’ assignments.
10.10.1 Faculty Advisors are those faculty members who are assigned to the Advising Centre as part of their normal duties.
10.10.2 A faculty member’s assignment to the Advising Centre as a Faculty Advisor is normally for a one‑ or two‑year term. They may be reassigned to that position for further one‑ or two‑year terms.
10.10.3 A Faculty Advisor’s assignment to the Advising Centre is in direct proportion to the reduction of their other assigned duties, and the conditions of this assignment shall be covered in the Articles pertaining to counsellors (non-instructional faculty members) in this Agreement.
10.10.4 Faculty Advisors may apply for professional development as described in Article 12.3.2.
10.10.5 Faculty Advisors’ seniority shall continue to accumulate in their instructional units.
10.11 WORKLOAD RELEASE
10.11.1 Upper Level Release
For the purposes of scholarly activity, the University agrees that full‑time Professors/Instructors who teach upper‑level courses shall receive release time on the basis that for Professors/Instructors teaching eight (8) sections, one (1) section release time for one or more upper‑level sections taught per year.
10.11.1.1 a) A full-time regular faculty member who teaches third or fourth year courses may choose to group their scholarly activity release into a single semester providing the grouping results in a single semester of full release from teaching commitments. The faculty member may choose to take the release time in this way provided that:
i) the Dean agrees that the faculty member may group their scholarly activity release into a single semester, and
ii) the workloads can be arranged to meet program needs.
b) A full-time regular faculty member who chooses to group their scholarly activity release agrees that they will continue grouping their release time and will take the scholarly release semester, and further that they may not opt out of the release time grouping provision except when they neither owe, nor are owed release time. A faculty member may bank a maximum of one semester release.
c) A full-time regular faculty member who is permitted to group their scholarly activity release may take the scholarly activity semester after they have received the agreement of the Dean to group their scholarly activity release provided that:
i) the faculty member has provided the Dean with notice by February of the preceding academic year that the faculty member intends to take the grouped release, and
ii) the Dean agrees with the faculty member taking the specific semester proposed by the faculty member, and
iii) the program needs of the department can be met, and
iv) the faculty member is not scheduled to take, or applying for a P.D. leave that would occur within five months of the semester that the faculty member is proposing to take the grouped scholarly activity release.
d) Where a full-time regular faculty member takes a scholarly release semester before they have completed a teaching load that includes enough overload under the provisions of the limitations on faculty workload to earn the scholarly activity semester, and where the faculty member resigns or retires from their position, the faculty member shall repay the University the portion of their salary that they received for upper division release that they were not entitled to.
e) Where the University cancels third and fourth year offerings in a department, the faculty member grouping their scholarly release will be entitled to take the accumulated scholarly release at any point within the following five years, subject to program needs and Dean’s approval.
f) Where a full-time regular faculty member has chosen to group their scholarly activity release time, and where the faculty member is laid off, the University shall pay the faculty member for all unused scholarly activity release at the pay rate that they were at when the scholarly release time would have been taken had the faculty member not been grouping their scholarly activity. If the faculty member has taken a scholarly activity semester and has not accumulated enough scholarly activity release time to earn the scholarly activity semester, the University will recover the portion of that faculty member’s salary that the faculty member was not entitled to.
10.11.1.2 A limited term contract faculty member whose contract specifies a teaching assignment with more than one section of upper-level scholarly activity release may choose to group their scholarly activity release into a single semester within the term of the contract with the approval of the dean.
If extenuating circumstances arise such that the grouped scholarly activity is not claimed by the final semester of the contract, the equivalent value will be paid out in salary at the end of the contract.
10.11.1.3 If a faculty member whose assignment includes technician work is given a full-time workload which includes the teaching of upper division courses, then that faculty member shall receive one (1) section of upper level release.
10.11.2 Chair Release
10.11.2.1 Chairs shall be selected by a process established by the appropriate Dean of Instruction in consultation with all faculty members in the program group. Chairs shall be granted release time as per the terms of the Agreement.
10.11.2.2 Release sections for Chairs of Departments will be granted on the following basis (based on departmental FTE count as of February 15th prior to the academic year in question):
Instructional Departments with less than 10 FTE faculty: greater than or equal to 1 section
Instructional Departments with 10 to less than 20 FTE faculty: greater than or equal to 2 sections
Instructional Departments with 20+ FTE faculty: greater than or equal to 3 sections
The following conditions will apply to the above:
a) Departments offering a two‑year Career/Technical Program will have a minimum of two sections release.
b) This formula will not apply to Education Programs. These areas are guaranteed the following minimum number of release sections:
Education 5 sections
Sport, Health and Physical Education 2 sections
It is understood that Education is a new and developing areas. The parties agree to review the changing needs for Chair release time with the intent of applying the formula to these areas in the future.
10.11.2.3 List of Instructional Departments
The list of Instructional Departments that the University and the Association acknowledge is maintained on the Human Resources website. Additions, deletions, or changes to this list can only be made with the agreement of the Vice-President Academic (or designate) and the Chief Personnel Steward of the Association.
10.11.3 Senate
In the event the Vice-Chair of the Senate is a member of the Faculty Association, Vancouver Island University shall allocate to the Vice-Chair of the Senate at least one section of release time, or equivalent, for each of the Fall and Spring semesters.
10.11.4 Deans may grant additional release time to faculty, for purposes designated by the Dean. This could include course or program development, special or administrative tasks or other activities.