School of Earth and Environment

School Workload Model, updated as from September 2009.

1. Preamble
2. School of Earth and Environment Workload Model
3. Workload Values for Service
4. Workload Values Research
5. Research Student Supervision
6. Workload Values for Teaching

Preamble

The workloads framework adopted some years ago was reviewed in 2006 by Professor Colin McLeod. The conclusion of the review was that, while most Schools had introduced a workload model, there was little consistency among such models across the University. To redress this weakness the Senior Deputy Vice Chancellor (SDVC), through a memo to all Head of Schools dated 17th January 2007, requested that each School's workload model be compliant with the main principles highlighted in Prof Colin McLeod's review of the University's workload allocation models. A working paper prepared by the SDVC, Prof Margaret Seares, suggested target workloads in the three core areas of academic life as follows:

Teaching

45% – 55% (36 – 44%)

Research

35% – 45% (28 – 36%) and

Service

5% – 15% (4 – 12%)

Professor Seares has indicated that the percentages above relate to 80% of a working week, as 20% can be allocated to approved consulting, in line with the Enterprise Bargaining Agreement 2006 (EBA). The bracketed figures above denote the relative percentages converted to proportions of a 100% workload.

It is important to highlight that Section B- 33.1.11.1 of the EBA stipulates clearly that consulting is a privilege, not a right for staff, and should be approved only in those cases where performance is satisfactory.

A recent memo indicating that Schools will be required to ensure their workload models capture standard criteria was sent by the SDVC, circulated to all Heads (distributed at the School April 2008 meeting and available on the School intranet). In it the SDVC stipulated "some standard criteria that should be captured in every School's workload model:"

1. Undergraduate teaching – both student and teaching administration hours
2. International teaching load (where staff don't receive additional loadings)
3. Postgraduate supervision
4. Research outputs
5. Service within, and external to UWA

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School of Earth and Environment Workload Model

The overriding reason for implementing workload models across the University is one of transparency i.e., Faculty should be able to explicitly see that their workload, given their specific circumstances, is consistent with their peers within their School. The models also make statements in relation to where Schools see their strategic priorities in relation to expectations in the teaching, research and service areas. The model has been developed through an investigative process of the School's own observable implementation of work allocations and models of the School of Plant Biology and the UWA Business School.

Deriving load

All activities are guided by a School Strategic Plan which will articulate how faculty within the School are credited for the activities they undertake. To do this Service, Research and Teaching will have recognised sets of activities, each counted according to the amount of notional time associated to the activity.

The workload model expresses teaching, research and service loads as a percentage distribution of total measured activity. The underlying principle considers consistency with the academic award which ultimately equates time as an underpinning factor of employee remuneration. The metric used is an average 229 work day year taking into account 12 public holidays and 20 recreational leave days, equating to 1718 workable hours (229 days x 7.5 hours). As part of the academic award, faculty may utilise up to one day a week for consulting, provided these activities are consistent with the relevant policies of the University and approved by the Head of School. The remaining hours is available to be allocated in a discretionary manner across the three areas of Service, Research and Teaching constituting 100% of the measured activities within the workload model.

The relationship between workload hours and percentage load ie one hour being approximately equivalent to 0.0582% work load (100%/1718 hours) and one percent being equivalent to 17.18 hours workload (1718 hours/100%) provides a commonality by which faculty can be compared. For example a faculty member who has a 100% load derived by 10% service, 45% teaching and 45% research (Table 1), would compare to a faculty member who may have a 1718 hour load distributed around say, 200 hours consultancy, 148 hours service, 650 hours teaching and 720 hours research (Table 2).

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Workload Values for Service

This area of activity is difficult to quantify given the diverse nature of the elements that can fall within School or University duties such as participation in committees, or major reviews either within or external to the University. Although an expectation exists that faculty engage in service no direct monetary credit is actually defined within the University FFM budget model for such activities and costs are therefore absorbed as operating overheads. Workload values for service activities are subjectively quantified as follows:

Fixed Credit

Head of School

18 hours per week (46weeks) – 60%

Head of Cluster

6 hours per week (46weeks) – 20%

Postgraduate Coordinator

1.5 hours per week (46weeks) – 5%

Honours coordinator

1 hour per week (40 weeks) – 3%

Variable Credit (based on approved hours up to maximum)

Director of a Centre

up to 60%

Editorship of a scholarly journal

up to 5%

Editorial Board of a major scholarly journal

up to 2%

Chair of committee (External, UWA or School)

up to 5%

participating committee member (external or UWA)

up to 3%

Discretionary credit (negotiated with HOS)

0.0582% per hour

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Workload Values Research

The total hours available to research-related activity does not include honours research student supervision, which will be included in the teaching load allocation. PUBLICATIONS and RESEARCH GRANT data pertain to events of the previous year ie for 2009 workload 2008 publications and 2008 research grant data is to be used.

Values for publications are cognisant of UWA Weightings.

The School model allocates workload as follows:

Publications base load

Published research book

300pp (A1.1) 40%

Published research book

150 – 300pp (A1.2) 30%

Published research book

50 – 149pp (A1.3) 15%

Published research book

< 50 pp (A1.4) 5%

Text Book

(A2.1) 8%

Edited/translation book

(A.2.2, A3) 5%

Published journal article or book chapter

(B1, C1) 5%

Text Book Revision/new Edition

(A4) 2.5%

Refereed Conference Publication

(E1) 2.5%

The percentage load allocated for each publication would be dependent on whether authorship was single, joint or multiple and whether authorship was as principal or contributor. Where there is more than one author the load will be shared between contributors on an agreed percentage basis. Joint and multiple authorships will attract a weighting of 20% above the allocated publications load for each contribution as a principal author.

Example

Published journal article, single author credit = 5%

Published journal article:

• Joint (60% contribution, weighted 1.2) credit = 60%x1.2x*5% = 3.6%
• Joint (40% contribution, weighted 1.2) credit = 40 = 2.4%

Research grants base load

• NC Research grant application (large – >$1M) 8%
• NC Research grant application (Other) 4%
• Research grant application (Other) 2%
• NC Research grant income <$50k pa 4%
• Research grant income (Other) <$50k pa 4%
• NC Research grant income $50k – $300k pa 8%
• Research grant income (Other) $50k – $300k pa 8%
• NC Research grant income (>$300k pa) 16%
• Research grant income (Other) >$300k pa – wt 4 16%

In the event of shared contributions the percentage load allocated for each grant would be shared between the contributors on an agreed percentage basis. First named Chief investigators, or recognised grant leaders, will have loads weighted 20% above the allocated research grant load.

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Research Student Supervision

A load of 7% (90 – 100 hours per year) will be allocated for supervision of postgraduate research students for sole supervisors. Where joint supervision is undertaken supervisors will share the load by agreed proportion. These loads are summarised in the following table:

A School mean of 40% (~550 hours), with bounds of 30 – 50% per faculty member is proposed, extending the range suggested by the SDVC a further 10% for research activity. Research will be accounted for through the PDR process at the end of each year.

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Workload Values for Teaching

Academic staff holding Teaching and Research positions will be expected to contribute to the School's teaching, and teaching administration commensurate with their position. There are minimum standards in this regard.

The following details relate only to the teaching function:

• The loads given in the teaching formula are intended to give recognition to the relative work content of each activity. An overall twenty percent loading will be added to the total teaching load to recognise student/teaching administration.
• Where possible, faculty should lecture in both undergraduate and post-graduate/honours units, and lecture to both large and small classes.
• Faculty should not be expected to have more than 12 hours of classes in any given week.
• No unit coordinator should be required to undertake more than two tutorials/Laboratories per week for the unit that they are controlling.
• Faculty assigned to assist the Unit Coordinator will be allocated a fair share of the credit given for being "Unit Coordinator". Unless advised to the contrary, faculty assisting with unit coordination will be allocated credit for "Unit coordinator" duties in proportion to their relative contribution to the coordination of the unit.
• All staff should be available for student consultation for a minimum number of hours as prescribed by School policy.
• All teaching staff should undertake an equitable share of marking of major assignments and examinations, both mid-semester and final.
• Each unit with an enrolment of 200 or more should have a full or part-time academic assisting.
• Presentation of units in both semesters should only be on the basis of accommodating mid-year entry or avoiding the need for a repeat lecture if presented in only one semester.
• Repeat lectures in an undergraduate unit will be considered when the enrolment is greater than approximately 350 students. Repeat lectures for graduate units will be considered when enrolment is greater than 40 students. Other cases for the use of repeat lectures will need justification for the case, support from the Head of Cluster and approval of the Head of School.
• Teaching credit where units are combined (two units taught in common sessions) will be determined in consultation with the Head of Cluster. The credit will usually be that for one unit, with additional consideration for any extra work associated with the combined classes in the form of a percentage loading.
• The Head of Cluster should be informed where staff do not present lectures they are assigned (e.g., where guest lecturers or PhD students are used). The allocation for a lecture/tutorial will be reduced on a proportional basis where paid guest lecturers present more than the occasional lecture/tutorial.
• The target Laboratory/tutorial size per staff member is 18. Trade-offs on class sizes between units within a well specified sequence (e.g. a major) will be considered and most likely accommodated if resource neutral.
• Undergraduate units with enrolments of less than 15 may be cancelled unless otherwise approved by the Head of School.
• Where tutorials or laboratories are cancelled because of low numbers, or classes are combined, credit will be given for classes actually conducted rather than the notional classes timetabled.
• Where faculty continue to supervise during periods of approved leave (study leave, leave without pay), credit for the supervision will accumulate at the standard rates. This credit will generally be used to reduce the teaching load over a period following a return to service.
• Preparation time is intended as an allowance for developing materials for a unit for a member of faculty who has not taught that unit at UWA previously.
• A system of carry-over of overloads and making good of underloads will be included through a consultative process with the Head of School.
• Any teaching buy-out will need to be justified on a full cost recovery and replacement availability basis. Buy-out involving lectures will need to be negotiated with the Head of Cluster and approved by the Head of School (e.g. University awards; honouring the conditions of external grants).
• Target loads and caps, for staff holding appointments of less that 1.0 FTE, will be proportioned according to the level of fractional employment..

The following chart lists percentage loads associated with teaching activities.

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SEE Workload Model [XLS, 170.0 kb]
Updated 23 Sep 2009

Academic Workload Model 2009 [PDF, 294.7 kb]
Updated 23 Sep 2009