Faculty Load

Increasing student fees is controversial. Increasing faculty load is also controversial but feasible. Some colleges have worked with their faculty to develop means for sustaining quality education with greater efficiency in the use of faculty time. In addition, during hard economic times when corporations and government agencies are curtailing hiring, reducing pay, or shortening work hours, college faculty members may need to consider some modifications to their load to help their colleges weather these hard economic times.

Create better incentives for teaching larger classes

Evaluate load disparity taking into consideration of out-of-class responsibilities or lack thereof

Increase teaching workload of all faculty

Institute “load banking” (where faculty teach overload for future paid leave) on a “one-for-one” basis

Have only part-time faculty or consultants teach continuing education courses

When classes are cancelled, have faculty “owe” that class in the future

Limit funds available for substitutes

Do not allow substitute instructors for the first day of absence

Eliminate substitutes and have faculty cover for each other

Limit release time

Introduce a self-funded faculty sabbatical program

Substantially curtail sabbatical replacements

Defer sabbaticals for one semester or more


“Reeling and writhing of course, to begin with,” the Mock Turtle replied, “and the different branches of arithmetic—ambition, distraction, uglification, and derision.” - Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

It is a lesson which all history teaches wise men, to put trust in ideas, and not in circumstances. - Ralph Waldo Emerson


KH Consulting Group (KH) started this Know-How site in 2009 to create a forum for sharing ideas on effectively enhancing revenues and containing costs in higher education in the near and longer term.

KH has posted more than 500 ideas. You can join the forum at:
http://knowhow-education.blogspot.com/

Note: The ideas shared are not prescriptive and will not work in all situations or at all institutions. Some of the ideas are tactical – quick victories to save money in easy ways. Others are strategic, requiring careful analysis before implementing.