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Workload Allocation for Academic Staff Procedure

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Section 1 - Purpose and Scope

(1) This Procedure supports the Workload Allocation for Academic Staff Policy and provides a framework for the planning and allocation of workloads for academic staff. It does not apply to the allocation of workload to casual academic staff.

(2) The Academic Workload Allocation Model for an organisational unit is required to be developed in accordance with the University of Queensland Enterprise Agreement 2021-2026 (clause 15) for the purposes of overseeing workloads of academic staff generally within an organisational unit. It must be developed in consultation with the academic staff of the organisational unit and agreed to by the majority of staff to be covered by the model. It must utilise the Calculating Workloads template (Appendix) and be recorded in the enterprise tool.

(3) The Model is required to include an estimate of the time for each type of work or bundle of work to be accounted for, having regard for a staff member’s academic category, level of appointment, experience and other relevant factors. The estimate is required to be considered a fair estimate of the average time that a staff member should take to perform this work to a professional standard and at a satisfactory level of performance.

(4) The Academic Workload Allocation Model and workload allocations made under the model are required to be accessible (in a way that allows the individual to compare their allocation with the allocations of their peers) by academic staff within the School/Centre/Institute in which the model applies.

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Section 2 - Principles

(5) A set of core principles have been established to guide decision makers in the process of allocating individual workloads.

  1. Workloads will be allocated fairly and distributed equitably among staff, having regard for a staff member’s classification and experience, and in alignment with the University’s commitment to equity and diversity.
  2. Individual allocation preferences will be given reasonable consideration and accommodated where aligned with the operational requirements for the academic unit. This includes in relation to family/caring responsibilities and personal responsibilities, professional development needs, and objectives for confirmation, promotion and career progression more generally.
  3. Allocations will make the best use of staff capability and give consideration to academic categories, optimising for fit between an individual’s strengths and expertise, and operational requirements. Consequently, the workload mix is likely to vary across staff in any particular area.
  4. Allocations will seek to take advantage of opportunities for efficiency, such as course repeats and stability in allocations over time.
  5. Methods used to calculate and allocate comparative workloads will be transparent and readily understood.
  6. Allocations will be sensitive and flexible to the dynamic nature of teaching and service, where needs cannot always be determined a year in advance and may change unexpectedly.
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Section 3 - Academic Categories and Weightings

(6) Academic activities are categorised according to the four domains of teaching, research, supervision and researcher development, and citizenship and service. The Academic Categories Procedure outlines the indicative weighting range across the four domains of work for each academic category.

(7) The allocation of work and the weightings attributed to each domain is recorded in the Academic Workload Tool and considered when assessing individual performance.

(8) The Academic Workload Allocation Model is a points-based system, with 1000 points representing the annual workload of a full-time academic staff member. For example, 100 points is equal to 0.1FTE (10%) or approximately 172.5 hours for a full-time staff member.

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Section 4 - Individual Workload Allocations

Allowable Workloads

(9) The workload allocated to or required of a full-time academic in a calendar year should not exceed that which can be reasonably performed in 1725 hours, or approximately 37.5 hours per week over 46 weeks (52 weeks less annual leave and public holidays). This applies pro-rata for part-time or part-year employees.

Teaching Across Semesters

(10) Academic staff may only be required to teach in two out of the three of semester one, semester two and summer semester. Academic staff may, by agreement, teach or convene courses in each of three consecutive semesters where that includes a summer semester. Where academic staff agree to work during summer semester in this context, this will be recognised in the staff member’s workload allocation by provision of an equivalent teaching-free or convening-free time during the rest of the year, or other agreed offset (University of Queensland Enterprise Agreement 2021-2026).

Allocation of Workload Across Domains

(11) To allocate workloads to individual staff, the Head must first understand the total (directed) academic work (teaching, service and other required duties) to be undertaken in the organisational unit.

(12) In determining individual workloads, the expectation is that a Head will consider operational requirements for workload (including teaching and service) and other agreed commitments are prioritised before time provisioned for self-directed workload (research, supervision and researcher development, and external service) is determined.

(13) For each individual academic staff member, the Head will consider:

  1. Any existing individual commitments agreed with the Head;
  2. Appropriate workload allocation among staff, having regard for each staff member’s academic category, level, capability and experience,
  3. The intensity of an individual staff member’s research program as evidenced in the IAP, including agreed obligations relating to externally funded research.
  4. Individual circumstances, noting that these will be given reasonable consideration and accommodated where aligned with operational requirements. This includes in relation to family/caring and personal responsibilities, professional development needs, and objectives for confirmation, promotion and career progression more generally.

(14) It is important to note that this process gives organisational units flexibility in the utilization of the full indicative ranges within each domain set out in the Academic Categories Procedure. This is one of the aspects that will be monitored through the faculty level oversight process (Workload Allocation for Academic Staff Policy).

(15) Flexibility in individual weightings across each domain are expected such that the overall work carried out by the combined staff meets the organisational requirements, while giving reasonable consideration to staff circumstances and career development needs.

(16) The allocation of work and the weightings attributed to each domain are recorded in the Academic Workload Tool and considered when assessing individual performance.

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Cultural Duties

(17) The University acknowledges that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff have commitments and obligations to maintaining their relationship to Country, their communities and to the broader community. Where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander academic staff engage (by mutual agreement) in cultural activities on behalf of the University, these activities will be recognised in the workload allocation under the relevant domain (University of Queensland Enterprise Agreement 2021-2026, clause 19.3).

Adjustments for Leave

(18) Workload allocations will be adjusted for any periods of extended leave (> 4 weeks) such as parental leave or long service leave.

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Section 5 - Appendix

Academic Workload Allocation Model

(19) This document (linked: Academic Workload Allocation Model) is a template for Schools/Centres/Institutes to use and adapt to their requirements.