Calculation of Hours Worked for Adjunct Faculty

Procedure

Calculation of Hours Worked for Adjunct Faculty

Typical teaching loads vary for full-time faculty at Durham Tech based upon academic discipline. To determine a reasonable method of calculation, we propose using “Alternative Two – Percentage of Course Load.” Considering a part-time teaching load at 75% of what a typical full-time load is in each instructional unit (outside additional duties such as student advising, curriculum development, and committee assignments), we recommend that the teaching load for an adjunct faculty member be limited as outlined below.

Mathematics, Foreign Language, Health Technologies (Lecture-Based), Developmental Education, and Career Technical Education

FT = 16 credit, 20 contact hour (typical load).

PT = 12 credit, 15 contact hour (limit)

Humanities, Fine Arts, Social Sciences, and Career Technical Education (Business/Paralegal)

FT = 15 credit, 15 contact hour (typical load)

PT = 12 credit, 12 contact hour (limit)

Industrial Technologies, Health Technologies (Clinical/Preceptor)

FT = 16 credit, 23 contact hour (typical load)

PT = 12 credit, 17 contact hour (limit)

Sciences (Lab-Based)

FT = 10 credit, 18 contact hour (typical load)

PT = 8 credit, 13 contact hour (limit)

Adult, Basic Skills, Corporate, and Continuing Education (Non-Curriculum)

FT = 21 contact hour (typical load)

PT = 16 contact hour (limit)

For non-curriculum instruction, each contact hour of instruction will equal 1.5 hours of work. For example, the college will calculate the work hours for a non-curriculum instructor teaching a 12 contact hour class as 18 work hours. If (s)he taught the class over two weeks, the work hours will be calculated as 9 work hours each week.

The college’s existing “Contract Limitations for Hourly Part-Time Employees” policy states that adjunct faculty members may work “a maximum of 25 hours per week and a total of no more than 1200 hours worked in any given 12-month period.” As such, an adjunct faculty member may not teach above the credit-hour nor contact-hour limit and need not be offered health coverage.

Hours Worked for Adjunct Faculty on Additional Hourly Contracts

It is a common occurrence that adjunct faculty teaching below these limits will be contracted to work additional hours in another area of the college (e.g., as tutors, advisors, or lab monitors). In these instances, we recommend the following calculation be used in determining the combined work hours. Any additional non-instructional hours will be calculated on a 1:1 basis:

• 1 curriculum credit = 2 work hours (3 work hours for science faculty)

• 1 continuing education (non-curriculum) contact hour = 1.5 work hours

• Additional clock hour = 1 work hour

Examples:

If an adjunct curriculum math faculty member is teaching 7 credit hours, the college would calculate the assignment as 14 hours worked per week. As such, (s)he may be hired on an additional part-time contract for 11 work hours per week (for a total of 25 work hours per week), without benefits.

If an adjunct math faculty member is teaching a 4 credit-hour curriculum course, and is asked to teach a 10 contact hour adult education or basic skills math course, the college would calculate the assignments as 23 work hours per week (4 credit hours x 2 + 10 contact hours x 1.5 = 23). As such, (s)he may be hired on an additional part-time contract for 2 work hours per week (for a total of 25 work hours) without benefits.

Measurement Periods

New Employees: We recommend that the Initial Measurement Period be for 12 months, the Administrative Period be for 2 months after the Initial Measurement Period, and the Stability Period be for 12 months.

Ongoing Employees: We recommend that the Standard Measurement Period be for 12 months, using the calendar year (January – December).

Purpose

As a result of the Affordable Care Act, beginning in 2015, colleges must offer health coverage to “at least 95 percent” of all full-time employees. Colleges may develop “reasonable methods” to calculate the hours of service for different categories of employees. In an effort to clearly define full-time and adjunct faculty hours for the purpose of determining employment status and eligibility for health benefit coverage, we offer the following recommendations regarding part-time faculty working on instructional contracts. These recommendations were designed by a committee of the college’s instructional managers, then reviewed an endorsed with minor changes by Executive Council.