University of Maryland Policy on Workload and Responsibilities for Tenured, Tenure-Track, Permanent Status, and Permanent Status-Track Faculty

The University of Maryland’s (“University”) mission is to achieve excellence in teaching, research, scholarship, creative activities, and public service. As the State’s flagship University, and one of the country’s first land-grant institutions, the University seeks to educate students and advance knowledge in areas of importance to the State, the nation, and the world, and to be a preeminent national center for research, innovation, and graduate and undergraduate education. Taken together, basic and applied research, scholarship, creative activities, teaching, Extension programming, librarianship, service, and administrative duties are important elements of faculty workload that enable the University to fulfill its mission. In order to ensure that faculty members meet their workload expectations and that the University complies with the University System of Maryland (USM) Policy on Faculty Workload and Responsibilities (II-1.25), as amended on June 21, 2019, the University establishes the following Policy on Workload and Responsibilities for Full-Time Tenured, Tenure-Track, Permanent Status, and Permanent Status-Track Faculty (“Policy”).

1. “Academic Unit” means a department, College, School, or other University entity in which a faculty member has an appointment with assigned teaching; research, scholarship, or creative activities; service; administrative; librarianship; and/or Extension responsibilities. Faculty members with joint appointments across Academic Units may have responsibilities in more than one Unit.
2. “Research Unit” means a unit such as a University-recognized center or institute in which the faculty member has an appointment with assigned research, administrative, or other responsibilities. Faculty members with joint appointments across Academic and Research Units may have responsibilities in more than one Unit.
3. “Unit” means either an Academic or Research Unit.
4. “Unit Head” means a Department Chair, Dean, Director, or any University administrator who has a supervisory relationship to a faculty member with respect to determining, assigning, and/or reviewing faculty workload expectations.

1. This Policy applies to the following individuals:
   1. All faculty holding tenured and tenure-track positions, as defined in section I.A.2-4 of the University of Maryland Policy and Procedures on Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure (APT) of Faculty (II-1.00[A]), except as noted below in section III.B; and,
   2. All faculty who, while holding tenured or tenure-track faculty rank, are classified as administrators and perform their administrative duties at the level of an academic department or equivalent Academic Unit, such as chairs, assistant chairs, and program directors.
2. Apart from section V.C.3, sections IV and V and the associated guidance do not apply to:
   1. Individuals who hold a tenured or tenure-track faculty rank and are assigned to administrative duties outside of their Academic Unit(s), for example associate deans, associate provosts, deans, presidents, provosts, Research Unit Heads, and vice presidents.
   2. Field faculty as defined in section I.C.4-6 of the University’s APT Policy and Procedures.
      1. The University of Maryland Extension is directed to develop a faculty workload policy, pursuant to the Unit’s governance procedures and focused on its faculty workload areas and expectations, by or before May 23, 2023.
      2. Any Unit with Tenured or Tenure-Track Faculty with partial Extension appointments is directed to develop an Extension-specific faculty workload policy section, pursuant to the Unit’s governance procedures and focused on its faculty workload areas and expectations, by or before May 23, 2023.
   3. Faculty holding permanent status and permanent status-track positions, as defined in section I.E.1-4 of the University’s APT Policy and Procedures.
      1. The Libraries are directed to develop a faculty workload policy, pursuant to the Unit’s governance procedures and focused on their faculty workload areas and expectations, by or before May 23, 2023.
3. Research Units shall establish minimum workload expectations for jointly-appointed tenured and tenure-track faculty that are aligned with the missions of the University, College or School, and Research Unit.
   1. Research Units must establish a review process that evaluates each tenured and tenure-track faculty member at least once every five (5) years.
   2. The standards for Research Unit appointments and reviews should be established at the onset of an appointment and in conjunction with the faculty member’s tenure home Unit.

1. Tenured and tenure-track faculty members may have workload responsibilities in the following broad areas: teaching; research, scholarship, or creative activities; and service. In addition, some faculty members may have administrative and/or Extension responsibilities.
2. Each Unit in which tenured and tenure-track faculty members are appointed shall establish, publish, and monitor a workload policy that sets forth fair and equitable guidelines that enable each Unit and/or program to best utilize its faculty members and align their efforts in accordance with this Policy, in alignment with the missions of the University, College or School, and Unit. Any workload allocation changes should be informed by merit and performance reviews as established by Unit and University policies and procedures and subject to review by the next-level administrator upon the appeal of any faculty member.
3. The established policies shall address expectations of tenured and tenure-track faculty members and give appropriate weight to the teaching; research, scholarship, or creative activities; service; administration; and Extension responsibilities, if appropriate.
4. The USM Policy on Faculty Workload and Responsibilities (II-1.25) sets standard workload expectations for tenured and tenure-track faculty members at research institutions. The University reports faculty workload annually to USM based on the following expectations:
   1. Teaching percentage of total effort is approximately 50%;
   2. Research, scholarship, or creative activities percentage of total effort is approximately 40%; and
   3. Service percentage of total effort is approximately 10%.
5. Tenured and tenure-track faculty are required to engage in assigned workload responsibilities in all three areas defined in section IV.D.1-3. Specific workload assignments may be adjusted according to Unit-level and University policies and procedures (e.g., sabbatical leave, Leave without Pay, Family and Medical Leave, retirement agreements, and administrative or other service assignments).
6. The baseline teaching effort for full-time equivalent (100% FTE) tenured and tenure-track faculty members is five (5) course units per academic year. A course unit is normally defined as equivalent to a three-credit course.
   1. Units may adjust the baseline teaching expectation in their established workload policies by taking into account class size, credit hours produced, co-teaching, modality of instruction, level of instruction, disciplinary expectations, accreditation requirements, research efforts, advising, mentoring, and other factors deemed relevant in determining faculty teaching expectations.
   2. Partial course unit allocation is permissible for:
      1. Dissertation and doctoral level individual studies (800-899), nine (9) credit hours is equivalent to one (1) course unit;
      2. Masters thesis (799), 12 credit hours is equivalent to one (1) course unit;
      3. Other graduate level individual studies (500-798), 18 credit hours is equivalent to one (1) course unit; and
      4. Undergraduate level individual studies (100-499), 21 credit hours is equivalent to one (1) course unit.
   3. Partial course unit allocation may count towards no more than two (2) units of instructional effort per faculty member per academic year.
   4. Faculty instructional loads may be adjusted according to Unit-level and University policies and procedures (e.g., sabbatical leave, Leave without Pay, Family and Medical Leave, retirement agreements, and administrative or other service assignments). However, tenured and tenure-track faculty members must teach at least one instruction-based (i.e., non-thesis, dissertation, or independent study) course unit equivalent per academic year.
      1. Exceptions to the minimum instructional load requirement must be approved by the Dean or designee in departmentalized Colleges or by the Senior Vice President and Provost or designee in non-departmentalized Colleges.
   5. Unit workload policies should address whether course releases due to external fellowships, awards, and/or sponsored research (i.e., course buyouts) are permissible and should establish an appropriate buyout standard per course release.
   6. Unit workload policies should address faculty member research and service expectations and consider the intersection of research, teaching, and service activities.
   7. Faculty members are expected to meet workload expectations on an annual basis, but Unit policies may consider averaging faculty workload over a period of time (e.g., three years) in recognition of annual workload fluctuations (e.g., a higher instructional load in one year followed by a reduced instructional load in the next). Unit policies may consider whether course equivalents may accumulate over a period of time (e.g., two or three years).
7. In the case of joint appointments, assigned faculty workloads in each Unit should be proportional to the assigned FTE in the respective Units. Appointment agreements and/or memoranda of understanding between Units should reflect the assigned faculty member workload in each Unit.
8. Unit policies must expressly address how workload is rebalanced and/or steps taken when a faculty member:
   1. Is assigned and/or engaged in responsibilities or activities that advance the University’s mission and operations (e.g., service to a University Unit, University strategic initiatives, curriculum redesign, externally funded research, leadership, or other service);
   2. Expresses a desire to rebalance workload voluntarily (e.g., a faculty member wishes to engage in additional teaching and/or service in lieu of research activity); or
   3. Is determined under periodic or post-tenure review not to have met Unit expectations in one or more areas of expected performance (e.g., research, teaching, or service).

1. Responsibilities of Unit Heads
   1. Each Unit Head is responsible for ensuring that the faculty workload policy and guidelines are applied equitably, appropriately, and with transparency across the respective Unit.
   2. Each Unit Head is responsible for ensuring that each faculty member within the Unit is in compliance with the stated faculty workload policy and guidelines.
2. Responsibilities of the Dean
   1. Each Dean is responsible for ensuring that the faculty workload policy and guidelines are applied equitably, appropriately, and with transparency across the Units of the College or School.
3. Review and Approval of Workload Policies
   1. Unit workload policies within departmentalized Colleges must receive the approval of the Dean.
   2. Unit workload policies in non-departmentalized Colleges or Schools must be submitted to the Office of Faculty Affairs for review and approval.
   3. The Libraries and Extension workload policies must receive the approval of the Deans of the Units.
   4. Approved workload policies must be submitted to the Office of Faculty Affairs, which shall maintain a record of all approved workload policies.
4. Responsibilities of the Senior Vice President and Provost
   1. The ultimate responsibility for ensuring faculty workload equity and accountability across the University lies with the Senior Vice President and Provost.
   2. The Senior Vice President and Provost’s Office is responsible for reporting faculty workload information to USM.
5. Unit heads (or designees) in departmentalized Colleges shall prepare for the Dean an annual summary report of assigned faculty member workloads in their Units. In non-departmentalized Colleges, the Dean shall prepare the annual report. The report should be made available to all faculty in the Unit, preferably on the Unit’s public website, intranet, or online dashboard.
6. Units must develop their initial faculty workload policies, pursuant to their Unit governance procedures, by or before May 23, 2023. Units should review their policies at a minimum of every five years after initial approval pursuant to the procedures established in section V.C above.
7. The Office of Faculty Affairs shall develop, review periodically (at intervals of no more than five years), and publish faculty workload guidance.