Forum Post
In faculty contracts, a specific % of service is not required. My understanding is that CT and TT faculty have a 20% service load. However, in absence of this guidance, folks now have varied amounts of service (not secondary areas) required to fulfill their contracts, which can lead to negative reviews or perceptions of folks worth. Furthermore, if the service percentage is eroded, even piecemeal, it erodes the obligation and opportunity for a faculty member to participate in shared governance /have time to put forth toward department meetings, taking on club mentorship, participating in searches, mentoring new faculty, joining task forces, etc. If, structurally, we are not giving faculty the time to participate in service activities of the university, we are doing a dis-service to the university.
Specifically, this impacts CT faculty who, in leiu of a course release, have service reduced to take on additional administrative tasks without compensation.
Response
The Faculty Senate Executive Officers have been notified of this forum post and will respond back once more information becomes available.
Comments
This is on our agenda for discussion with the Provost. I anticipate that this issue may be part of the Academic Optimization Process as it relates to workload but it may also be an issue for discussion with the Senate’s Faculty Affairs Committee.
The Senate’s representative to the Academic Optimization Process is Ken Roberts and you may address comments directly to him. We will also discuss and follow-up here as indicated.