For Departments

For members of the faculty, the activities are expected to be accomplished over approximately a year. Initially, participating departments are asked to complete an online survey regarding perceptions of workload and workload issues. The sequence of activities includes: 

• A kick-off department meeting to discuss the reason for the project and begin a facilitated discussion of what members of the department see as important workload issues. 
• Over the course of a year to a year-and-a-half, department members work with facilitators to identify data useful in understanding workload and priorities for action, culminating in a department action plan. This is accomplished through a combination of department meetings (two to three total) and other activities, which might include surveys or other data collection by the facilitators.  

Facilitators are members of the faculty who agree to facilitate department discussions, collect data as necessary, and support their colleagues in formulating an action plan. We recommend two facilitators per department (three for large departments.) 

Facilitators will receive training from the college project lead (project goals, facilitation techniques, handling difficult discussions, etc.) 

Get a copy of an example of Facilitator Training (PDF).

The university will make standardized data dashboards available that include teaching assignments and assigned time. 

In addition, departments may wish to create their own dashboards or data repositories that have information that is not available otherwise, such as distribution of committee and other service assignments, teaching related responsibilities that are not captured within the WTU credit system such as service on thesis committees, and less-visible activities that nonetheless support the university mission. 

What goes into a department action plan?  

There is no set formula – a plan can identify one or several steps that the department commits to taking. Here are some examples (any one of these could be the department’s action plan, or it could undertake multiple activities): 

• Coming up with clear guidance around service expectations at all career stages 
• Developing a service matrix that includes the expected amount of time different assignments will take 
• Creating greater transparency around service 
• Identifying important work that may not currently be “credited” and finding a way to credit it 
• Reviewing department assigned time for equity in terms of when it is available and how it is assigned 
• Developing systems of course rotations for better equity 
• Identifying places where work can be streamlined, reduced, eliminated 
• Examining bureaucratic processes with an eye to improvement