A report issued by the New York State comptroller urged that all state-operated campuses should have the following in place: formal policies specifying the teaching responsibilities of faculty; specific standards on minimum class size; annual performance programs for full-time faculty members addressing instructional, research, service and administrative responsibilities; annual reports from individual faculty members on their activities and accomplishments; and systematic procedures for review of course loads, class size and faculty reports by appropriate officers.

The State University of New York’s (University) response was to adopt more systematic procedures for ensuring an effective and equitable distribution of faculty responsibilities. The policy continues to recognize the full range of faculty responsibilities for instruction, research and creative activities, and campus and community service and incorporates appropriate variations among campuses. The purpose of these guidelines is not to change existing workloads, but to formalize prevailing practices, to attest fairness on campus and within the University, and to enable each state-operated campus to demonstrate the effective utilization of its greatest resource - the faculty.

No uniform policy on faculty utilization can work in a system as diverse as the University. Each campus needs a policy that reflects its institutional type, educational mission and unique character. The following guidelines set out the components required in a formal campus policy on faculty utilization

Each campus policy on faculty utilization should include:

• A statement recognizing that instruction, research or creative activities, and campus and community service are part of the normal responsibilities of full-time faculty members;
• A description of the normal distribution of these responsibilities as part of the total professional obligation of full-time faculty. The description of instructional responsibilities should include, but not be limited to, classroom teaching as expressed by the contact hours, credit hours or course loads normally expected of full-time faculty members;
• The method of modifying expected responsibilities in one or more of the functions normally expected of full-time faculty members because of increased or reduced activities or assignments in other areas;
• Annual reports from all full-time faculty members that cover their activities and accomplishments during the current year and foreshadow plans for the following year, and review of these reports by appropriate academic officers;
• Periodic review of the justification for low-enrollment courses that allows the continuation of essential courses yet assures the effective use of faculty resources; and
• Periodic campus-wide assessment of faculty utilization to ensure an effective, efficient and equitable use-of faculty to assist the campus in achieving its educational mission.

There are no definitions relevant to this policy.

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Memorandum to presidents office of the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, dated February 5, 1991.

There is no history relevant to this policy.

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