Part I - Performance/Employment Management

57. Academic Workloads

57.1 The University is committed wherever possible to:

managing the workload of academic staff members to ensure teaching and administrative responsibilities are contained and adequate time is allowed for research and scholarship;
a fair level and equitable distribution of workload for academic staff;
a transparent process of workload allocation which has the broad support of academic staff members;
providing an opportunity beyond the performance management process for academic members to be consulted about workload allocation;
ensuring the workload of an academic staff member is reasonably manageable and consistent with the continued health and safety of the staff member.

57.2 The management and regulation of academic workloads will be based on the processes set out below.

Academic Work

57.3 Academic work at the University embraces research, teaching, leadership, and professional and community service. All academic staff members at the University should have adequate and appropriate opportunities to perform in all these areas.

57.4 Academic workload is a combination of self-directed and assigned tasks. The assigned proportion of an academic staff member's work will include, for example, teaching and preparation for teaching, assessment, supervision and the necessary administrative work associated with teaching and research in a collegial environment.

57.5 The remainder of an academic staff member's working time is self-directed, consistent with the University's strategic plans and announced priorities. It is time in which staff members conduct research or other scholarly activity as appropriate to their appointment to the University.

57.6 The starting point for discussions about the allocation of work for teaching and research academic staff is:

Teaching 40%
Research and Scholarship 40%
Other activities 20%

These percentages may be varied in an individual staff member's engagement profile.

Workload Models

57.7 The University recognises 1645 hours per annum as the target for maximum annual allocated hours. Allocation of workloads will continue to be dealt with through Faculty Workload Models, including the consultative processes by which these Models have been developed and under which they operate, and consistent with clause 57.6 (above).

57.8 Teaching may include

preparation of teaching materials for face to face, online and other models of delivery;
unit and course development, including online, off-campus and off shore learning materials;
delivery of lectures, tutorials, laboratory classes and clinical education;
delivery of online learning;
delivery of off-campus, off-shore and distance education;
co-ordination of units and courses;
supervision of teaching staff, including casual and sessional staff;
supervision of honours year and post-graduate students;
supervision of undergraduate students undertaking research projects or fieldwork;
preparing and marking of student assessment; and
student consultation.

Other activities may include:

committee participation;
organising and/or attending meetings, forums, seminars etc;
consultancy;
leadership;
management and administration;
internal and external professional work

Academic Workload Models

57.9 Each academic unit will develop and maintain (or review, as appropriate) a Workload Model, through a collegial process, and will provide for the equitable and transparent allocation of workload with respect to teaching and other activities with the academic unit.

57.10 The Workload Model will take into account those activities specified in clause 57.8 as well as, including, where relevant, the factors set out in clause 1 of Schedule 6.

57.11 When further amendments and variations to teaching allocations through the workload model are necessary, the University will consult staff affected by any amendments or variations. From the beginning of 2006, wherever possible, allocations of responsibility for course units will be determined and the affected staff advised at least 3 weeks in advance of the commencement of the teaching period.

Fractional Academic Staff

57.12 A fractional (part-time) academic staff member will normally undertake as full a range of duties as a full-time academic on a pro-rata basis, unless there is an agreement to the contrary reflected in the staff member's engagement profile from year to year.

Unreasonable Workloads

57.13 In determining what are unreasonable hours of work the University will have regard to the factors set out in clause 2 of Schedule 6.

57.14 Concerns arising from the allocation of workloads or unreasonable hours of work will be dealt with, in the first instance, by consultation and discussion with the academic staff member's supervisor. Where it is not possible to reach agreement by this means the academic staff member may have recourse to a Faculty Board of Review in the manner set out in the existing University Policy. Guidelines governing the operation of the Faculty Boards of Review will be developed with regard to the following matters:

Timelines for establishment of Boards and hearing and resolution of complaints;
Protocols for the involvement of Deans, Heads of Departments and the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor as members of Boards;
Remedies that may be recommended by Boards where a finding is made that a workload allocation was unreasonable.

57.15 Where a staff member is dissatisfied with the recommendation(s) of a Board of Review, he or she may have recourse to the Employment Related Grievance Resolution Procedure.