Our Academic Freedom & Tenure Committee often receives questions from current and prospective faculty wondering if the course load they are teaching or being offered is fair compared to other members of their department. Unfortunately, standard course loads are not universally published by departments at Waterloo, so we surveyed our Council of Representatives to gather that information.
Please note that this is not intended for comparisons between departments or Faculties. We recognize that course loads vary between disciplines for several reasons and we are not advocating for standardization across campus. (One notable exception to this is the matter of tracking and compensating overload teaching—this should be consistent for all our members; no one should be teaching for free.)
Rather, we hope this data is useful within departments or similar disciplines. We believe that this information should be readily available to our members (and to prospective faculty) and documented in every department’s addendum to their Faculty’s performance review guidelines or another appropriate and accessible location.
What is the standard annual course-based teaching workload?
We asked what the standard teaching load is for both professorial-rank and lecturer members, and whether this norm is defined somewhere in departmental documents. We are concerned that many members didn't know where this information could be found. In departments where it is known to be documented, it's generally in the departmental addenda to the Faculty performance review guidelines.
| Unit | Standard courseload for 40/40/20 professorial rank faculty | Standard courseload for 80/20 lecturers | Defined in departmental documents (or elsewhere)? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting and Finance, School of | |||
| Anthropology | 4 | n/a | Yes |
| Applied Mathematics | 3 | 6 | No |
| Architecture | 4 | ||
| Biology | 2.5 | 5 to 6 (for those with a 60/20/20 weighting) | No |
| Chemical Engineering | |||
| Chemistry | 3 | 6 | |
| Civil and Environmental Engineering | |||
| Classical Studies | 4 | 6 | unknown |
| Combinatorics and Optimization | |||
| Communication Arts | 4 | 7 | unknown |
| Computer Science, School of | |||
| Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business | 4 | 6 | unknown |
| Earth and Environmental Sciences | |||
| Economics | 4 | 7 | Yes |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering | No | ||
| English Language and Literature | 4 | average 7 per year | Yes |
| Environment, Enterprise and Development, School of | |||
| Environment, Resources and Sustainability, School of | 4 | 5 | No |
| Fine Arts | No | ||
| French Studies | 4 | 7 sections | No |
| Geography and Environmental Management | 4 (possibly moving to 4 one year and 3 the next) | 6 one year, 4 the next year | Yes, except lecturer course load |
| Germanic and Slavic Studies | 4 | n/a | No |
| History | |||
| Interaction, Design and Business, Stratford School of | 7 | unknown | |
| Kinesiology | |||
| Knowledge Integration | 4 | n/a | No |
| Management Sciences | |||
| Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering | 3 courses w/supervision of 3 grad students (adjusted based on supervision load) | 5 |
Yes, except lecturer course load |
| Optometry, School of | Most non-clinical professors have a weighting of 33/33/33. Optometrists: 4.25 courses per year (including clinical teaching) across all three terms. Non-optometrists: approx. 2 across two terms. Clinical professors have a weighting of 40/40/20. Optometrists: 2.5 days/week (approx. 7.5 courses/year.* Non-optometrists: 3 courses. |
Clinical lecturers: 4 days/week in clinic (approx. 12 courses) C22:C34 |
Only clinic days. |
| Pharmacy, School of | [data entry error] | 4 or 5 | No |
| Philosophy | 4 | 7 | unknown |
| Physics and Astronomy | |||
| Planning, School of | alternates between 4 one year, 3 the next | 6 one year; 7 the next | Yes |
| Political Science | 4 | don't know 6-7? | Yes |
| Psychology | 3 | 6 | unknown |
| Public Health and Health Systems, School of | |||
| Pure Mathematics | |||
| Recreation and Leisure Studies | 3 | 80-20 (6 courses/year) | Yes |
| Religious Studies | |||
| Sociology | 80/20 | No | |
| Spanish and Latin American Studies | 4 | 7 | Yes |
| Statistics and Actuarial Science | 3 | 6 | Yes |
| Systems Design Engineering | |||
| Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing | 6 (4 for 50/50) | unknown | |
| Math Undergraduate Office | No standard. Most common is 6 but ranges from 1–7 depending on service load. | No | |
| Math Business and Accounting Programs | 3 | 6 | No |
*Note that when Clinical lecturers in Optometry were able to transfer from Clinical lecturers to the professorial ranks, the agreement was that their teaching loads would not change.
How is teaching workload tracked and compensated?
We asked whether and how teaching load is formally tracked and what happens when a member teaches more than the normal load in a given year. On this point, we believe that consistency across campus is important and that no one should be teaching for free.
| Unit | Is there a formal tracking system for teaching tasks? | What happens when you teach more than the normal load? |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting and Finance, School of | ||
| Anthropology | Yes; The Dean's office conducts an annual audit of the teaching load for each faculty member. That data is collected and verified during part of the annual review process. | One-course reduction in a future year (unless it's making up for a course cancelled in a previous year.) |
| Applied Mathematics | Yes | |
| Architecture | ||
| Biology | Mostly done voluntarily used to get paid extra | |
| Chemical Engineering | ||
| Chemistry | Yes | It varies depending on the case. Generally, compensation by mutual agreement. |
| Civil and Environmental Engineering | ||
| Classical Studies | Not that I know of | So far it has not happened in 11 years. |
| Combinatorics and Optimization | ||
| Communication Arts | n/a | Overload pay or counts towards future teaching. |
| Computer Science, School of | ||
| Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business | Yes | n/a |
| Earth and Environmental Sciences | ||
| Economics | Yes | Compensation is provided in either pay or teaching credits. |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering | Yes | Course reduction in a future year. |
| English Language and Literature | Yes | Not allowed. |
| Environment, Enterprise and Development, School of | ||
| Environment, Resources and Sustainability, School of | No | n/a |
| Fine Arts | No | Course reduction in a future year. |
| French Studies | No, except in our annual report. | It is considered as overload, but we avoid it as much as possible. |
| Geography and Environmental Management | Unknown other than being tracked by the chair. | Chair keeps track and it is written on APR. Not sure how overload factors into APR. |
| Germanic and Slavic Studies | No | |
| History | ||
| Interaction, Design and Business, Stratford School of | unknown | unknown |
| Kinesiology | ||
| Knowledge Integration | No | Per Faculty guidelines, it is the faculty member’s responsibility to point out overload teaching during their annual performance review. |
| Management Sciences | ||
| Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering | No | Anecdotally, people are offered buyout at sessional rate or banking of teaching credit. |
| Optometry, School of | No | Nothing. When I taught an extra grad course, I was told I was “owed a course”, but my subsequent teaching load was not reduced. |
| Pharmacy, School of | No | Nothing. |
| Philosophy | Unknown | Unknown |
| Physics and Astronomy | ||
| Planning, School of | Director keeps track in a spreadsheet | Uncommon. |
| Political Science | Unknown | Course reduction in a future year. |
| Psychology | Yes | compensation provided in either pay (at the sessional rate) or teaching relief in a future year. |
| Public Health and Health Systems, School of | ||
| Pure Mathematics | ||
| Recreation and Leisure Studies | Yes: The department tracks course assignments. | Course reduction in a future year. |
| Religious Studies | ||
| Sociology | Yes (APR and Annual Teaching Preferences form) | A faculty member would receive credit to be counted in a future year. When that credit is used is negotiated with the Chair. |
| Spanish and Latin American Studies | No | Doesn't happen except occasional directed studies courses. There is no officially remuneration for this extra work, but it is reflected in the faculty Member’s APR score. |
| Statistics and Actuarial Science | Yes | $10,000 overload stipend or teach reduction the next year. |
| Systems Design Engineering | ||
| Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing | unknown | Teaching reduction in a future year |
| Math Undergraduate Office | No | Usually paid a sessional rate. Sesisonal wage differs by department. |
| Math Business and Accounting Programs | on APR | Teaching reduction in a future year |
How are teaching credits counted?
We asked specifically about whether teaching credits are counted by section or by course; whether (lecture-based) graduate-level courses are counted the same as undergraduate courses; whether you get the same or more credit for developing a new course; and if there is a minimum number of students required for you to get teaching credit for a course (both grad and undergrad).
We’re pretty sure that many of the responses about minimum enrolment for teaching credit are actually about minimum enrolment for the course to not be cancelled, which may or may not be the same thing, so take those with a grain of salt.
We did not ask about how online courses are counted, but that came up a lot in the responses and we know there’s a lot of interest in that (we also know it’s a complicated answer in many cases). If you know how online courses are counted in your department (and it’s not noted here), let us know.
| Unit | Teaching credits counted by section? | Grad-level lectures same as undergrad? | New course prep: same or more credit? | Online course: same/more/less credit? | Minimum course enrolment for undergrad (UG) and/or grad courses? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting and Finance, School of | |||||
| Anthropology | Yes | Yes | Same as existing course | UG only, around 15, but not yet formalized. | |
| Applied Mathematics | Yes | Yes | Same as existing course | No | |
| Architecture | |||||
| Biology | 1 unit of a repeated course in the same semester = 0.5; in different semesters = 1.0 units | n/a | Same, but new faculty teach less in first year or two | UG only, around 10 | |
| Chemical Engineering | |||||
| Chemistry | Yes | Yes | Same as existing course | Loosley, 10 for UG courses. Credit given for core and maybe historically high-enrolent (>10) elective grad courses. | |
| Civil and Environmental Engineering | |||||
| Classical Studies | Yes | Yes | Arbitrary | No, but under discussion for both UG and G. | |
| Combinatorics and Optimization | |||||
| Communication Arts | Yes | n/a | Same as existing course | Yes, | |
| Computer Science, School of | |||||
| Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business | Yes | Yes | At the discretion of the director | No | |
| Earth and Environmental Sciences | |||||
| Economics | Yes | Yes | Same except online courses (online courses get more). | There is a formula that defines level of credit. | Not defined but in progress for undergrad |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering | Yes | Yes | Same, but noted in performance review | Yes, 5 for both grad and UG. | |
| English Language and Literature | Yes | Yes | Same except online courses | More | Yes, 15 for UG, 10 for grad. |
| Environment, Enterprise and Development, School of | |||||
| Environment, Resources and Sustainability, School of | No (though chair might make adjustments on a case-by-case basis) | Yes | Same (unless agreed upon in advance), but accounted for in performance review | Yes, normally 10. Decided before the term starts. Not for grad courses. | |
| Fine Arts | Yes | Yes | Same except online courses | More | Nominally 15 for UG but not practiced. |
| French Studies | Yes | Yes | Same, but accounted for in performance review | 15 for UG, 6 for grad. Courses are often mixed-level to meet minimums. | |
| Geography and Environmental Management | Yes | Yes | Same, but noted in performance review | Rare. | |
| Germanic and Slavic Studies | Yes | Yes | Same except online courses | More | No |
| History | |||||
| Interaction, Design and Business, Stratford School of | Yes | Yes | Same as existing course | ||
| Kinesiology | |||||
| Knowledge Integration | No | n/a | Accounted for on a case-by-case basis in performance review. | First online course prep gets a course release. | |
| Management Sciences | |||||
| Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering | Yes | Yes | Same as existing course | Yes, 10 for UG, 5 for grad, by add/drop date. Lower if first offering of the course. | |
| Optometry, School of | No | Only ones with higher enrollment | Same, but new faculty teach less until tenure | unknown | |
| Pharmacy, School of | Yes | Yes | Same as existing course | Not officially | |
| Philosophy | Yes | Yes | Nope (although asked about on APR) | unknown | |
| Physics and Astronomy | |||||
| Planning, School of | Yes | Yes | Acknowledge new course/design on APR forms but not sure how it is quantified. | Online course prep = one course buyout | Canceled if under 5–6 students. Small grad classes often combined with UG. |
| Political Science | Yes | Yes | Same, but noted in performance review | Yes for both grad and UG, by week 1 | |
| Psychology | Yes | Yes | Same as existing course | Less | 15 for UG, 6 for grad, otherwise cancelled and assigned other teaching. |
| Public Health and Health Systems, School of | |||||
| Pure Mathematics | |||||
| Recreation and Leisure Studies | No | Yes | Same, but accounted for in performance review | Yes, 10 for UG, 5 for grad. | |
| Religious Studies | |||||
| Sociology | Yes | Yes | New course prep is counted in APR as part of teaching and training activities. It is not measured quantitatively, but is instead recognized as part of a faculty member’s overall contribution to teaching. | Yes, 15 for UG, 6 for grad, right before the course starts | |
| Spanish and Latin American Studies | Yes | n/a | Same except online courses. Accounted for in performance review. | More | |
| Statistics and Actuarial Science | Yes | Yes | Same except online courses | Online course development gets 2 course credit. | n/a |
| Systems Design Engineering | |||||
| Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing | Yes | Yes | Same as existing course | unknown | |
| Math Undergraduate Office | Yes | n/a | Inconsistent (some have gotten zero credit, some get up to two course releasess, some get monetary compensation). | No | |
| Math Business and Accounting Programs | Yes | Yes | Same as existing course | Yes, around 10 |
Notes about the responses
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Many responses have been edited for length and consistency of presentation.
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This data was collected in fall 2019 and as such represents a snapshot of norms at that time.
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Council members (or, in some cases, other members at our 2019 Fall General Meeting) filled out the survey based on their own knowledge of their departments. Understandably, not all representatives have the same level of knowledge about these practices and not all the information we asked for is readily available in every department, so there are gaps. We welcome new information to help us fill in these gaps!