a.The workload obligations of an Instructor may consist of classroom teaching, laboratory support, field supervision, other related duties, or some combination of these. The obligations of a particular employee will be specified in her/his letter of employment or job description.
b.A full-time workload shall consist of twelve credit hours per semester, plus or minus one. Twelve credit hours will be the standard for determining percent time appointments below eleven credit hours, as well as for determining overloads above thirteen hours.
c.The University and Union shall work together to develop guidelines for Credit Unit Equivalencies (CUE). These guidelines are used to equate the work involved in non-instructional duties with that involved in classroom teaching (see current CUE Guidelines).
d.All Instructors involved full-time in direct instruction shall maintain a schedule of at least four office hours per week. Part-time Instructors shall maintain a schedule of at least one office hour each week per every 3 CUEs of instruction. Office hours shall be scheduled to allow reasonable access for students and shall be posted. With adequate posting and notification, one office hour per week may be scheduled on-line in lieu of traditional office time.
e.As part of their normal workload and consistent with the CUE document, Instructors are required to attend all departmental and organizational meetings that are relevant to their duties as determined by the Department Chair . As is similarly requested of other faculty in the Department, Instructors may be required to meet administrative deadlines for submitting routine documents.
f.Ordinarily, there shall be no service or scholarship components of the workload obligations of an Instructor. College or Departmental requirements for professional development shall be consistent with the CUE guidelines.
g.If an Instructor is appointed to perform duties which, after completion of the appointment process, are cancelled or otherwise not scheduled, the Chair shall have the right, after consulting with the Instructor, to assign alternative duties consistent with the CUE guidelines and Article 4.
a. The Provost may grant an Instructor release time from workload obligations to perform University service. If release time is granted, the Provost shall determine the value of the University service in terms of credit units. These credit units will count toward the employee's obligations specified above.
b. If an Instructor is assigned to work on an externally funded grant or contract as part of his/her employment, the employee may request the Provost to exclude such work from the employee's assigned obligations specified above. If the work is not excluded, the Provost shall determine the value of such work in terms of credit units. These credit units will count toward the employee's obligations specified above.
a.Voluntary Overloads
Assignments of duties in excess of the full-time workloads specified in Section 4.1 of this Article or in excess of six (6) credit hours if appointment is during the summer session shall first be offered on a voluntary basis. Voluntary overloads shall be compensated at or above the minimum rates specified in Article 19, section 6 (c). Nothing in Article 4 shall preclude an Instructor from voluntarily assuming, without compensation, the professional responsibilities of another faculty member.
b.Involuntary Overloads
Acceptance to teach an additional course beyond a full workload shall be on a voluntary basis. However, if program need exists or emergencies arise which cannot be met through voluntary acceptance, Instructors may be required to perform duties in excess of the full-time workloads specified in Section 4.1 of this Article or in excess of six credit hours if appointment is during the summer session. Involuntary overloads shall only include those duties which can normally be assigned to the specific Instructor’s position. Involuntary overloads that are performed for an entire semester or entire summer session shall be compensated at or above the minimum rates specified in Article 19, Section 19.6(c). Assignment of involuntary overload shall not exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the full-time workloads specified in Section 4.1 of this Article.
c. Short-Term Assignments
If an Instructor is voluntarily or involuntarily assigned to perform the duties of another faculty member for part of a semester or the summer session, the Instructor shall receive compensation prorated for the period of assignment as specified in Article 19, Section 19.6(c).
a.Instructors must obtain the express written approval of the Provost prior to the acceptance of outside employment involving research or consulting services to non-governmental agencies, in accordance with the University Faculty Research and Consulting Act (110 ILCS 100/0.01 et seq., effective September 16, 1969, and as revised in 1976), including the submission of an annual report stating the actual amount of time spent in such activity (see current Request/Reporting form in an Appendix).
b.Employment or services provided outside of those activities supported by University funds shall not encroach upon the employee's primary responsibilities and obligations to the employer. If the Department Chair determines that outside employment activities interfere with an employee’s responsibilities and obligations, the Department Chair may ask for a clarification of all outside activities and consult with the employee regarding such conflict.
c.The University shall consider professional development requirements when administering or enforcing this section.
a. Summer school contracts shall be separate and distinct from academic year appointments. In other words, employment during the academic year carries no presumption that an Instructor will be offered a contract to teach during the summer session.
b. Summer school contracts will carry contingencies based on minimum enrollment requirements that are set by the University.
c. Tenured and tenure-track faculty members will be given the highest priority in granting summer session appointments. Subject to program need, Instructors who taught during the immediate preceding academic year will be considered for summer session appointments along with Visiting Professors and graduate assistants.
d. Instructors who are interested in teaching summer school shall notify their Departments Chairs in writing of their interest on or before December 1 of the respective fiscal year in which the summer school appointment would begin.
Subject to the priorities in the preceding section, as well as program need, funding availability, and professional qualifications, Department Chairs shall use the roster system to determine the priority order in which interested Instructors may be offered summer school contracts.
The Board of Trustees, in order to facilitate the useful application of knowledge, research, and other creative activity, encourages and supports efforts of employees and students to develop products, inventions, and other forms of intellectual property. It is also recognized that the Board, through the University, has certain rights and interests under Federal and State law with regard to intellectual property developed by employees and students. Such intellectual property includes inventions, products, computer software, literary and artistic works. The rights and responsibilities of Instructors regarding intellectual property shall be governed by appropriate policies adopted by the Board and the University as applied to other University employees.
This section refers specifically to the instruction/presentation of courses at one location and technically delivered to other remote locations. This includes classes using print-based materials with multi-media, teleclasses developed by NIU Faculty/Instructors, telecourses developed by external agencies, and computer based multi-media courses.
The rights and responsibilities of Instructors regarding distance learning shall be governed by appropriate policies adopted by the Board and the University as applied to other University employees.
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