The policies on this page state the minimum workload expectations for full-time professional track faculty in the College of Education (COE) and refers to workload during the long (fall and spring) semesters. Note that teaching in the summer session does not count as part of the teaching workload minima discussed in the "Teaching-focused lines" section on this page. Workload expectations differ as a function of professional track faculty title and role.

Each COE department is allowed a department-specific policy although these must be approved by the Dean and meet the core principles laid out in this College policy. The purpose of this policy is to ensure equity in workload across the College. This policy was adopted in fall semester, 2019.

Jump to section:

Teaching-focused lines

This section describes workload policy for full-time professional track faculty in the following professional track lines: professors of instruction, professors of practice, clinical professors, and lecturers engaged in organized course instruction termed “teaching-focused” lines, here.

Full-time professional track faculty in teaching-focused lines in the COE are required to teach a maximum of four organized courses [for a total of 12 semester credit hours (SCHs)], or the equivalent, each long semester. To maintain robust enrollment in College of Education courses, the minimum enrollment for an organized undergraduate course is 20 students, and the minimum enrollment for an organized graduate course is 10 students. However, the Dean’s Office allows Department Chairs discretion to offer organized courses that fall below these College minima but that still satisfy the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board enrollment requirements.

Note that the number of organized courses required of a full-time professional track faculty in a teaching-focused line will be a function of departmental policy related to enrollment, students’ degree level (undergrad, Masters, PhD), instructional level (introductory, advanced), within-semester multiplicity (e.g., teaching multiple sections of same course within a semester). For example, at the discretion of the department chair and the Dean, a faculty member’s teaching workload may be adjusted in order to meet other needs in the department, such as coordinating field placements or internships or taking on administrative or programmatic responsibilities. The Dean will approve each program and department’s policy that determines the maximum number of organized courses per teaching-focused professional track faculty.

The percent time for a teaching-focused professional track faculty member is proportional to the number of organized courses taught. Thus, if a teaching load of four courses per semester is the typical maximum load for the kind of courses that the professional track faculty member is teaching, then a 50%-time teaching-focused professional track faculty member would be expected to teach two such courses per long semester. Note that, as mentioned, a teaching-focused professional track faculty member serving in a substantial administrative role might teach a smaller number of organized courses with some of the organized class teaching workload being replaced by these other responsibilities.  Service will be considered part of the faculty member’s work. Specifically, a four-four teaching load is equivalent to 80% of a professional track faculty member’s appointment, leaving 20% time to be allocated for service.

There is an expectation that teaching-focused professional track faculty are also significantly involved in either service or research and considerations for promotion will include review of teaching and contributions in one of these additional areas. For successful promotion, expectations for performance in research should be comparable to those for tenure-track faculty in the department. Performance in service should involve leadership and participation across multiple levels including the Department and other levels (e.g., College, University and the larger field). In addition, promotion review can also consider community service related to the professional track faculty member’s teaching content.

Return to top of page

Research-focused lines

As noted in UT’s General Guidelines for Promotion and Tenure of all Faculty Ranks, for professional track faculty in the research line, their contribution is “principally in the area of research” and “a well-documented record of research excellence is required. In addition, a record of active contribution to the academic enterprise in other ways is required and must be adequately documented.” Contributions to the academic enterprise can result from teaching, service and/or student advising activities with involvement levels that reflect the professional track faculty member’s percentage of time appointed.

See additional information at COE: Research-Related Policies > Research Expectations.

Return to top of page

Other professional-track faculty lines

Other professional track titles include Adjunct and Specialist lines. These lines are predominantly part-time positions with duties that are unique to specific programmatic needs. As a result, the workload reflects the percentage of time appointed in consultation with the Department Chair and the Dean.

See additional information at COE: Titles and Ranks - Professional Track Faculty.

Return to top of page

Please send suggested additions to this page and notifications about broken links to COE-FacultyAffairs@austin.utexas.edu.