YUFA
Stewards' Information
Equitable Teaching Loads
28 Mar 04 - Are your normal
teaching loads equitable? If
you dont know, Article 18.08.1 of the YUFA Collective Agreement might
help you find out.
This is a very important Article in the
YUFA Collective Agreement. It
specifies the factors that ought to be considered in determining what a
normal teaching load is in your unit (department, school,
division or Faculty). Also, both
Article 18.08.1 and Article 18.10 require that teaching loads be
distributed equitably (i.e., fairly) among members of your unit.
Under Article 18.08.1, every unit should
have a Normal Teaching Load
document. Such documents should
indicate how your unit determines the normal teaching load within your
unit. It should indicate how such factors as course level, mode of
delivery, supervision of tutors, marker/graders and TAs, class size,
graduate supervision, directed readings and other factors are used in
calculating the normal teaching load in your unit.
The full list of factors can be found on page 90 of your Collective
Agreement.
Article 18.08.1 also specifies that the teaching load of each member of the unit and the unit as a whole
shall be made available to each member of that unit by March 15 of each
year. This is a requirement
under the Collective Agreement. Every
member of your unit should be informed every year of what each member of
the unit taught that year. Such
reports should include information on course reductions and their reasons
(specified course release for administrative positions within the unit,
such as Chair or programme director; course release for other service to
the University or YUFA; internally or externally funded course release for
research; course release based on graduate supervision; etc.).
It should also indicate teaching that is done for graduate and
undergraduate programs in other units as well as any teaching that is done
on an overload or exchange basis.
It is important that every member of your
unit receive such annual reports in order for you to assess whether or not
teaching loads are being distributed equitably and fairly over time. While the Collective Agreement recognizes that minor year-to-year
fluctuations in teaching load may sometimes be necessary (Art. 18.10),
having an on-going reporting system for all members of the unit allows all
of us to track possible inequities and work to make the necessary
adjustments. Such adjustments,
ideally, will bring unduly heavy teaching loads in line with what is
normal in a unit, and will take place within units themselves, following
normal collegial processes. Through
the reporting process unintended inequities may become apparent which are
best dealt with by revising and refining your unit's Normal Teaching Load
document, to take into account factors which had previously been
overlooked or have significantly changed and have resulted in unfair
distributions of teaching within your unit.
Should resolution of on-going unfairness in the distribution of
work not be resolvable within your unit, you may appeal to your Dean,
Principal or designate in order to correct the inequity.
In solidarity,
YUFA Caucus of the Joint Committee on the Administration of the Agreement
Susan Dimock, Ruthann Dyer, Arthur Hilliker, Jay Rahn, Marilyn Silverman.