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DOCUMENT TYPE:
Policy
PURPOSE:
To establish the University-level workload for teaching for tenured and tenure-track faculty (hereafter, "faculty") for the Lawrence and Edwards campuses and all reporting units. This workload reflects the University’s status as a research-intensive University holding American Association of Universities (AAU) membership. This workload reflects the diverse and complex ways that faculty across campus and within individual units engage students in accomplishing the educational mission of the University.
APPLIES TO:
Tenured and tenure-track faculty
CAMPUS:
Edwards, Lawrence, Juniper Gardens, Parsons, Topeka, Yoder
POLICY STATEMENT:
Teaching Expectations
Teaching expectations are typical of those found at universities with very high research activity (R-1) and American Association of Universities (AAU) member universities:
- The University of Kansas’s Carnegie Classification is R-1, meaning it is among the highly active graduate degree granting institutions in higher education. Faculty must be leaders in research, discovery, and dissemination of knowledge in their respective disciplines.
- Since 1909, the University of Kansas has held membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities, recognized to be among leading research universities.
- Consistent with the Differential Allocation of Effort (DAE) policy, tenured and tenure-track faculty are normally expected to devote 40 percent of their effort to teaching, 40 percent to research, and 20 percent to service to the University, community, and profession.
Consistent with Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) policy, the University’s Faculty Code of Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, the Faculty Evaluation Policy for Tenure-Track and Tenured Faculty Members , and Faculty Senate Rules and Regulations collectively direct academic departments and schools to outline unit-specific teaching expectations for faculty for annual review, progress toward tenure review, promotion and tenure review, and post-tenure review.
As expressed in the Faculty Code of Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, classroom instruction is but one element of teaching and engagement with students. Other teaching duties include, but are not limited to, course preparation, curriculum development, office hours, undergraduate and graduate student mentoring, advising, supervision of research, and supervision of graduate teaching assistants.
Therefore, individual faculty expectations are complex and diverse, across and even within departments and schools.
University Course Workload for Teaching
Based on the unit-specific faculty expectations for teaching contained in the unit faculty evaluation plans, the University median teaching workload for the KU Lawrence and Edwards campus is the equivalent of 4, 3 credit-hour courses per academic year (mean is 3.5).
The Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor or designee will recalculate the teaching workload metric at minimum every three years; such calculation shall occur in a manner consistent with the teaching expectations outlined in unit-level faculty evaluation plans, and in consultation with the deans of the schools and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
CONTACT:
Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
facultyaffairs@ku.edu
785-864-6489
APPROVED BY:
Chancellor
APPROVED ON:
2022-04-11
EFFECTIVE ON:
2022-04-11
REVIEW CYCLE:
Annual (As Needed)
RELATED STATUTES, REGULATIONS, AND/OR POLICIES:
Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) Policy
CHANGE HISTORY:
05/08/2025: Migration to TeamDynamix from Drupal. Updated links.
10/07/2024: Updated policy owning unit.
01/22/2024: Updated contact section.
04/11/2022: Policy published in Policy Library.