Staff Teaching Policy and Appointments

Qualified staff are permitted to teach undergraduate and graduate courses either as part of their staff duties or in addition to those duties with appropriate approvals. Except in exceptional, time-limited circumstances, approval will generally not be granted for more than 1 course taught per semester for an individual in a staff role.

• If there is a need for a staff member to regularly teach more than one class per semester, they generally should be appointed in a professional track faculty role with some administrative duties rather than a staff role.
• Staff appointments may not be reduced to accommodate teaching duties. Exceptions may be considered only when part of the staff responsibilities have permanently been eliminated. Such exceptions must be approved by the COLA HR Director and Dean.
• This policy applies to any university staff being asked to teach Liberal Arts courses.

All staff teaching an organized course on the course schedule must go through the PAR process to be the instructor of record.

• Departments may not assign a faculty member as the instructor of record and then have a staff member teach in their stead.

How to appoint staff to teach:

• For staff appointed 40 hours/week in a staff role:
  • Prior written approval from the supervisor, Department Chair, and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs is required in advance of assigning a staff member to teach a course.
  • All staff must have an approved PAR prior to teaching any course and minimum of a 0% time appointment in a lecturer (or related) academic title.
  • If the teaching is in addition to their 40 hours of work in their staff role, instructional compensation is required and the hours dedicated to teaching must be done outside of the 40 hours of assigned staff duties.
    • In this scenario: 
      • The standard compensation rate for a staff member teaching a course should align with departmental norms for professional track faculty compensation.
      • This scenario requires an Add Job process, which takes place automatically through PAR/Workday integration.
      • Staff should NOT record any teaching/instructional-related time (class time, office hours, grading, etc.) on their staff timesheets.
      • Overtime and/or comp time should not be accrued for staff work that is forced beyond 40 hours per week due to teaching duties.
      • As per UT policy, employees must have prior approval before earning compensatory time.
  • If the teaching is incorporated as part of the 40 hours of work, it must be detailed in the job description and part of the staff member’s regular duties.
    • In this scenario:
      • no additional instructional compensation or hours worked will be approved.
      • All teaching duties, including course preparation and grading, should be accomplished within the 40 hours of work per week.
      • Comp time may be earned occasionally for teaching related duties when approved in advance by the staff member’s supervisor.
        • Teaching should not supplant other regular staff duties, and such duties shall not be shifted to other staff members for temporary additional duties/payment due to teaching.

• For staff appointed in a part-time role:
  • Prior approval from the supervisor, Department Chair, and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs is required in advance of assigning a staff member to teaching a course.
  • All must have an approved PAR prior to teaching any course.
  • All teaching should be done outside of their part-time staff role, thus requiring an Add Job appointment in Workday as a lecturer (or related) academic title, which takes place automatically through PAR/Workday integration.
  • Staff should NOT record any teaching/instructional-related time (class time, office hours, grading, etc.) on their staff timesheets.
  • Overtime and/or comp time should not be accrued for staff work that is forced beyond the assigned staff hours per week due to teaching duties.
  • As per UT policy, employees must have prior approval before earning compensatory time.

Performance evaluations of staff who are teaching:

• • • The staff member’s direct supervisor will evaluate the performance of the employee’s staff duties.
    • The staff member’s teaching will be evaluated according to the departmental evaluation procedures in place for professional track faculty.
    • Employees must have a minimum of 50% of their service in a professional track faculty role to be considered for promotion in that role.