What is Modified Instructional Duties (MID)?

See:

Full-time faculty members may request modified instructional duties (MID) for one long session semester (i.e. fall or spring) when certain personal circumstances prevent them from being able to perform their classroom teaching duties, and when such modifications are found to be in the interest of the University's instructional programs. MID allows the faculty member to substitute other pre-approved workload (research, service) for their classroom teaching duties. MID may be requested by any member of the faculty appointed full-time on the instructional budget in a long session semester.

MID is not a leave, and does not automatically stop the probationary clock. Instead, MID is a temporary restructuring of the faculty member's workload so that the faculty member's normal classroom teaching duties are replaced with non-instructional work as outlined in HOP 2-2240 Modified Instructional Duties.

Faculty who are approved for MID are not removed from the instructional budget, and are expected to continue to fulfill all of their other duties as members of the faculty during the period of modification. MID does not require an adjustment of FTE or costing in Workday.

Where justified, a tenure-track faculty member may make a separate request for an extension of the probationary period.

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When can Modified Instructional Duties be requested?

Note: As detailed in the HOP 2-2240, eligible faculty are those who are a principal caregiver of a healthy pre-school child (or children), or who are required to care for or assist a member or members of their immediate family, who although not ill or disabled, needs the help and attention of the faculty member.

Modified Instructional Duties should not be used where use of sick leave and/or Family Medical Leave is applicable. For example, a faculty member out for the birth of a child should use sick leave and/or FML while under a doctor's care, but approved Modified Instructional Duties would cover the remainder of the semester. (See COE: Sick Leave and FML - Faculty for guidance on the use of sick leave and FML.)

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What work is performed during Modified Instructional Duties?

In place of regular classroom responsibility, a faculty member on MID may do work involving significant scholarly research, new course development, curriculum development, or other work done in the best interest of the University's and department's instructional program. An MID request should describe the work in detail, define a work product, and include a method for evaluation of the work by the department chair or dean during the semester.

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Modified Instructional Duties request process

Responsible party	Step	Action

Responsible party	Step	Action
Faculty member	1	Complete COE Modified Instructional Duties Request following instructions on the form, and sends completed form to Department AM.
Department	2	Review COE MID Request form and routes for signatures.
Department	3	Complete form "Modified Instructional Duties" at Faculty Affairs/APS ServiceNow: Complete Forms. For guidance, see COE: ServiceNow Forms a) Upload the completed and signed COE Modified Instructional Duties Request to the ServiceNow form as an attachment b) Complete all fields using information submitted by faculty member on COE MID Request: Semester and year for which MID is being requested Reason for request: Copy or summarize faculty member's explanation; do not include overly specific or confidential information (medical condition, for example) Work to be done: Copy or summarize faculty member's explanation c) In section Required Approval Routing," add the following: Department Chair Dean's Staff: Karla A Steffen (steffek) Dean or Dean Designate: Beth Maloch (malochb)
APS	4	If APS approves MID request, department will receive an automated email notification
Department	5	Upon receipt of approval notification, department should: a) Notify faculty member of the following in writing: Use of available sick leave should be entered as an Absence in Workday. View the eLearning guide for Faculty to Request Sick Leave in Workday. Family Medical Leave may be used in conjunction with sick leave and should be recorded when applicable. NOTE: In accordance with HOP 5-4210, Sick leave may not be used in conjunction with Parental Leave or Family and Medical Leave once an employee has recovered from the temporary incapacity related to pregnancy. More information can be found at Handbook of Operating Procedures 5-4210. Additional resources: See the Workday Instructional Guide (W.I.G.) “Request Sick Leave – Faculty”. A video demonstration is available at Vimeo: Request Absence. Learn how to locate leave balances on a payslip in the Understanding Your Payslip: Workday Process Overview. b) Notify department chair and course scheduler as needed c) Print approval notification to PDF and add to faculty member's personnel file. d) Requests for tenured/tenure-track faculty only: Forward a copy of approval notification PDF to COE-FacultyAffairs@austin.utexas.edu for Dean's Office records.

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