“Faculty load” refers to the standard instructional assignment for a full-time faculty member. Minimum requirements for instructional and office hours are established in Florida statute, 1012.82. College Procedure 606(a) specifically apportions the forty hour workweek of instructional employee among instruction, office hours, and preparation, research, or college activities and provides authority to the Vice President of Academic Affairs/College Provost to approve of reassignment time and faculty load formulas.
The balance of instructional hours, office hours, and preparation time varies depending upon the primary instructional assignments of the faculty member. The following proportions apply to each type of assignment.
Weekly workload
Weekly Workload
Total work week of 40 hours.
Twenty (20) load credits of teaching.
Five (5) scheduled office hours must be included for student conferences and/or academic advising in the faculty member's assigned office, the Academic Support Center, or a location approved by the appropriate Associate Vice President.
Fifteen (15) hours for preparation or research in support of the college on or off campus.
When instructional hours exceed twenty (20) contact hours per week, office hours may be reduced by an equivalent amount.
Weekly Workload
Weekly Workload
Weekly Workload
Full-time faculty are required to work on campus at least 25 hours per week. As a result, when faculty are teaching more than six credits online, some of their preparation hours must be scheduled on campus. The following table provides an example for an instructor with a full-time load of 15 credit hours. This does not apply to hybrid courses.
Full-time Load | Face-to-Face | Online |
Additional |
Office Hours |
Preparation time |
Total Weekly Hours |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
15 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 15 | 40 |
15 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 15 | 40 |
15 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 15 | 40 |
15 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 12 | 40 |
15 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 10 | 11 | 40 |
15 | 0 | 15 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 40 |
If a faculty member’s release is approved, they will incorporate those hours normally taught, along with the corresponding proportion of course preparation and student conference hours into an on-campus schedule.
All department chairs will have a 40 hours on-campus schedule. No time will be allotted for preparation, research, or other activities off campus.
The faculty workweek is 40 hours per week over five (5) days per week (Monday – Friday) during fall and spring semesters. Variations to this standard may be approved by the appropriate AVP and VP, but will include no fewer than four (4) days per week on campus or other approved workplace facility, or three (3) days on campus/approved workplace facility and one day of Virtual Office Hours (VOH) as described below. Each on-campus workday must include at least one scheduled office hour or face to face class meeting. Each Virtual Office Hour workday must include two (2) continuous office hours at a set time (same time each week). No more than two hours of office hours can be scheduled as virtual. Virtual Office Hours must meet the following criteria:
For summer contracts: The standard workweek for summer contracts requires classes and/or office hours to be scheduled on at least two days per week (Monday-Friday). Faculty whose classes meet only on one day, and/ or who teach fully online, may be on campus one day per week if they hold six office hours per week (two must be on an alternate day), per the guidelines above.
Maximum class enrollment is determined by each department and approved by the appropriate Associate Vice President and the Vice President of Academic Affairs/College Provost.
Full-time and adjunct faculty members are required to meet all scheduled classes. Full‑time faculty are required to meet all scheduled office hours. All absences must be reported in advance, if possible, to the appropriate department chairperson. In cases where little advance notice can be given, faculty should contact the department chair, as well as the campus director if on a regional campus. All efforts should be made to avoid canceling a class. Whenever possible, faculty should work with the department chairperson to arrange for a substitute. Adjunct faculty are subject to pay reduction for missed classes. Full-time faculty should submit leave requests for all absences (see Faculty Leave).
All full-time faculty shall post their office hours and schedule of classes on or near their office door and will include them in the syllabus. Any absence during office hours needs to be noted near the posted schedule. Missed office hours may be rescheduled within the same week if notice of new hours is posted.
Full-time faculty members are required to be present the first and last faculty duty day of the term as noted on the academic calendar. If not, leave forms should be submitted. All full-time faculty are required to attend at least one of the student graduations.
Additional guidance is provided in the next section, “Faculty Absences and Substitutes: A Guideline.”
*This section is solely for Adjunct Faculty and Faculty teaching overloads (all other faculty do not need to submit a Load Agreement).
Note: Notify your department chair if you believe there is incorrect information on the Load Agreement.