It is that time of year! Yes, everyone should have now received workload expectations for 2018-2019!
Teaching Faculty members have new language that caps course load assignment at the maximum of an equivalent of 7 standard courses, which would be a 70% teaching load. It is important to remember that an assignment of 7 standard courses is the maximum – there are a number of factors listed in Article 16.05 d) that can and should be used to establish variations below this maximum assignment.
Did you receive the equivalent of a full course reduction from your previous year’s workload?
The bargaining team has worked hard to negotiate stronger language in our collective agreements. At the table, we often heard that workload at UOIT was not a problem because nobody had grieved. Sometimes the only way to enforce good practice is to grieve.
This year is particularly important, as we have new language in the agreement on course load assignment. If we do not challenge your course load assignment this year, it will be more difficult to challenge the same assignment in future years.
A finalized version of the Standard Course Equivalencies Working Group report and recommendations is progressing to Joint Committee for approval. We will share that as soon as it is approved. Unfortunately, we were not able to find agreement on key issues, such as defining a standard course and lab based teaching. It is frustrating and reinforces why grieving workload assignment is so very important. It has become our only mechanism for challenging unsustainable assignments.
Do you have any concerns or questions about your assignment? If you do, I invite you to contact us below to review your assignment. All inquiries will be kept in confidence, so please get in touch to discuss your workload.