Allocated teaching and supervision load distribution formula

Purpose and scope

The purpose of the formula is twofold:

To provide a consistent method of calculating the teaching related loads of academic staff members in order to allow for a more equitable distribution of work in the Faculty.
To provide a fair basis for planning of future academic staff needs.

The formula applies to the coordination and teaching of units; practicum visits; the supervision of research students; and some more substantial administrative tasks. With the exception of supervision of research students, it does not cover the area of staff research which on average should account for approximately an additional 30 per cent of an academic staff member's time. For research-related workload information refer to the Research and Workloads Policy.

A summary of teaching loads for individual staff will be available through the staff office at the end of each year.

General principles

Academic work typically comprises a combination of Teaching, Research and Other Service.

The allocation of teaching related loads within the Faculty should:

recognise the different forms of contributions that academic staff make
recognise that the form that academic work takes may vary over time by agreement of the individual and Faculty
encourage academic staff activity in directions consistent with Faculty and University priorities across each of the spheres of academic activity
be equitable.

The formula used to allocate load should

be transparent, public and just
apply across all three campuses
encourage an appropriate blend of good pedagogy and efficiency
enable equity of access to learning support by students regardless of mode or location of enrolment
be possible to administer electronically without large investments in personal staff time

The Faculty should annually review the distribution of work across the Faculty with the express intention of addressing anomalies and ensuring as equitable a distribution as possible.
The Faculty should work towards ensuring a consistent and connected approach to the distribution of work, the Performance Review process, and opportunities for advancement.

Allocated load distribution principles

1. The distribution of teaching related loads to individuals within the Faculty and across the campuses should recognise that:

most academic staff expect, and are encouraged, to participate (directly or indirectly) in Teaching, Research and Other Service
a standard academic contract involves about 40% Teaching, 40% Research, 20% Other Service averaged over 46 weeks of the year
supervision of higher degree students is included in allocated loads bring the proportion of workload allocated to 50%
an academic who becomes exceptionally active in one of Teaching, Research or Other Service might offset that by some reduction in one of the other two
most academics have standard ‘Teaching and Research’ expectations but some individual staff are employed largely in order that their professional expertise adds to the teaching strength of the Faculty
teaching load allocations should be applied consistently across levels A to E

Variations in the distribution of work may be ongoing or be for a fixed period. They may be specified in a particular academic’s contract or negotiated with the Associate Dean (Staffing) and Dean through the Supervisor and documented in the Engagement Profile.

2. The distribution of teaching loads to individuals within the Faculty and across the campuses should ensure that:

staff who are productive in each of Teaching and Research and contribute to Other Service are as far as possible allocated equal teaching loads pro rata to their fraction of their appointment
staff who have long service leave or OSP are allocated teaching loads pro rata to the part of the year for which they are not on leave, e.g. 3 months LSL means a nine month or three quarters teaching load for the year, 8 months OSP means a one third teaching load for the year
staff who have mainly Teaching and Other Service responsibilities are allocated teaching loads of between 1.3 and 1.4 times the normal allocation, depending upon their Other Service contributions, pro rata to the fraction of their contract. This will generally apply to secondments who are employed largely in order that their professional expertise adds to the teaching strength of the Faculty. It may also apply to other staff on continuing and fixed term contracts as negotiated through their Engagement Profile.