SECTION D | PERSONNEL

 

PERSONNEL
EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES
FACULTY TEACHING LOADS

Procedure

DEFINITIONS

“Faculty” is defined as employees of the College whose duties are primarily instructional in nature. Faculty members may also have other responsibilities as assigned. A full-time faculty member is an employee hired by the institution to teach courses under an employment contract who teaches at least 15 load hours, or the approved equivalent, per assigned semester and who accrues institutional and state benefits based on full-time employment. An adjunct faculty member is an employee who is hired on a semester-by-semester basis who teaches a limited number of courses and who is not eligible for institutional benefits.  Adjunct faculty are eligible for state benefits based on semester-by-semester course load. 

Teaching Load for faculty is defined as the number of courses and/or load hours that a faculty member may teach during a semester. Minimum and maximum teaching assignments will differ between fulltime and adjunct faculty.

Lecture courses: One (1) hour lecture equals one credit hour.

Scheduled laboratory courses: Two (2) hours laboratory equals one load hour.

Laboratory courses are:
(1) scheduled at a specific time;(2) taught and set-up by an instructor; (3) structured with specific assignments and projects to be completed each period;(4) a continuation of the lecture.Extensive one-on-one instruction or tutoring is required.Lectures or demonstrations to the class are common. One (1) hour lab equals .5 load hours.

Non-scheduled laboratory courses: In the event one (1) hours lab equals .33 load hours:

  • Laboratory courses may or may not be scheduled at specific times.

  • Instructor’s duties are generally limited to making assignments and answering questions.

  • Lab assignments may be assigned and completed online via software.

  • The laboratory is basically a means to provide the student the necessary information to complete class or homework assignments and to give tutorial assistance where needed.

  • Students may complete lab assignments in a computer lab, in the Learning Commons, or on their personal computers.


Practicum or Co-op.: Faculty will be paid at the rate of $100 per student, not to exceed 30 students.

Faculty contracts in specialized areas (such as nursing) may reflect different loads related to the unique discipline.

Private instruction: $400 per student per semester for a full hour lesson and $200 per student per semester for the 30 minutes lesson. This is based upon the $25/hour rate for 16 weeks. Private instruction may only count as overload for full-time faculty.

Accompanying:

Choir – course hour equivalent;
Musical – course load hour equivalent;
Accompanying student recitals and juries - three (3) load hours

Head Coaching: Season: Nine (9) equated credits; Off-season: Six (6) equated credits.

Major Ensemble Director/co-directors: Four (4) equated credits (may only have one major ensemble); three (3) recruiting hours per fall/spring semester

Drama/Musical Production Director: Three (3) equated credits per semester, three (3) recruiting hours per spring semester only.

Assistant Director Band: Three (3) recruiting hours per fall/spring semester. 

Band Director/Musical: Course load hour equivalent

Education Department Chair: One (1) course reduction fall/spring to compensate for recruiting and coordination of education observations.

Salon Management: One (1) course reduction fall/spring to compensate for time spent managing the Cosmetology salon on each campus.

Department chairs/program directors who are full-time faculty will receive one (1) course release either the fall or spring semester. If a department chair/program director supervises more than one (1) program, one (1) course release with be taken in the fall and one (1) in the spring.

STANDARDS AND CRITERIA

A full-time teaching load for faculty equals fifteen (15) non-prorated credit hours per fall/spring semester. The 15 hours may be composed of 16-week or 8-week classes. Courses vary in instructional composition, creating varying load calculations.

If a full-time faculty member does not meet the 15-hour minimum load, the faculty member should work with his/her dean to find ways to compensate for the load hours. Credit hours may be earned for actual hours worked per week in areas such as:

  • Tutoring in the Tutoring Services

  • Advising in the Academic Advising office

  • Working in another area of the College as needed (i.e.: Recruiting, OneStop Center, Pearce Museum, Institutional Effectiveness)

  • Teaching a Continuing Education Course

  • Researching/developing/leading faculty/staff professional development sessions


All substitutions for load hours must be approved by the Vice President of Academic Affairs. After two (2) consecutive semesters of alternative load, the program and/or position will be evaluated for continued sustainability. Appropriate actions will be taken as deemed necessary by the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

All full-time faculty will be scheduled to teach a minimum of fifteen (15) hours course equivalent unless a departmental need arises and the exception is approved by the Vice President of Academic Affairs or his/her designee.

The fifteen (15) hour course equivalent may be taught face to face, hybrid, or online.  

Full-time faculty may be assigned to teach a limit of eight (8) courses per semester, not to exceed 27 load hours. Situations where full-time faculty are assigned classes above the eight (8) course limit are exceptions and must be approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The minimum full-time assignment is 15 equivalent load hours.

Classes with enrollment below the minimum of six (6) students will be pro-rated. Pro-rated classes below the minimum required enrollment, practicum classes, independent study and private lesson classes will not count toward a full-time faculty member’s load.

Adjunct faculty may be assigned a maximum limit of three (3) courses up to 9 load hours per long semester, except for face-to-face science classes with labs, which equate to 10 clock hours per week. Any exceptions must be approved by the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

The following chart indicates how many face-to-face or internet classes an adjunct faculty member may teach per 16-week semester. Internet/hybrid course clock hours equate to the number of course hours. Any combination of face-to-face and internet/hybrid courses must stay below 19 clock hours per week. Any exceptions must be approved by the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

COURSE LOAD HOURS FACE-TO-FACE
CLOCK HOURS		 FACE-TO-FACE
# ALLOWED		 INTERNET
CLOCK HOURS		 INTERNET/HYBRID
# ALLOWED
5 11.66 1 4 2
4.5 10 1 4 2
4 6.67 2 4 2
3.5 6.67 2 3 3
3.33 5 3 3 3
3 or less 5 or less 3 3 3

 

All full-time faculty on a nine (9) month contract shall be equated as adjunct faculty during the summer and mini-mesters for any classes taught. Load hours shall not exceed one (1) class or three (3) hours per mini-term. Faculty loads will not exceed two (2) courses during a summer six-week term, with no more than four (4) total courses taught during the entire summer session.

Overload and adjunct pay will be at the “per equated credit hour rate,” established in the annual budget.

Full-time faculty who teach summer courses will be paid at the adjunct rate.

 

CLASSES OF FEWER THAN 16

Classes of fewer students than 16 which meet the requirements for any one of the criteria listed below are authorized to be taught as small classes by Navarro College with approval of the Vice President of Academic Affairs:

  1. Required course for graduation (the course is not offered each semester or term, and, if cancelled, may affect the date of graduation of those enrolled);

  2. Required course for majors in this field and should be completed this semester (or term) to keep proper sequence in courses;

  3. A course in a newly established degree program, concentration, or support area;

  4. Interdepartmental (cross-listed) courses taught as a single class by the same faculty at the same location, provided that the combined courses do not constitute a small class;

  5. First-time offering of the course;

  6. Class size limited by accreditation or state licensing standards;

  7. Class size limited by availability of laboratory or clinical facilities;

  8. Voluntarily offered by a faculty member in excess of the institutional teaching load requirement and for which the faculty member receives no additional compensation;

  9. A course offered at the discretion of the Vice President for Academic Affairs due to unique circumstances which justify offering the small class;

  10. Developmental studies course required by the Texas Success Initiative (TSI).


Classes with fewer than six (6) students will be pro-rated regardless of criteria listed above.

 

No additional compensation will be made for more than 16 students in a face-to-face class.

 

Updated: December 14, 2021

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email