[Englecturers] workload committee meetings

[englecturers at lists.ucr.edu]

Stephanie,
During fall quarter, in response to reports that such data would be useful,  
I kept a log of the hours I worked each week. I regularly teach only one class 
 per quarter at UCR and my hours of work per week averaged 20 (ranging 
between  18-24). Those hours included class prep, classroom teaching, grading, email 
 writing and reading, regular office hours, and extra office hours during  
particular weeks. 
 
 
Regarding class preparation, while it is true that teaching a class with  
materials you've used in the past does reduce the amount of time necessary for  
developing discussion questions, it does not eliminate the need (for me at  
least) to reread the material so as to have if fresh in mind for each lecture  
period. Furthermore, I think rereading helps me to stay in touch with the work  
load I am expecting of the students. Therefore, in a quarter where I am 
reusing  a book from a previous course, I may spend 3-4 hours in prep time. During  
Fall 2004, while I was keeping a log of my work hours, I was  teaching texts 
that I had used before.  However, if the quarter  involves using a new 
single-author text or a new handbook (or new edition of an  old one as so often 
happens) the prep time may easily swell to 6-7 hours per  week.
 
 
Similarly grading time can be accounted for mathematically. I habitually  
spent 20 -30 minutes per paper (more often the latter). While I realize that  
after 10 years of experience I ought to be able to do it more quickly, I really  
feel that some of the best opportunities for teaching I have are to be found 
in  those comments written in response to the student's own writing. So do the 
math:  20 mins x 22 students = at least 7 hours and 20 mins per stack of  
essays and maybe closer to 10 hours. This equation does not take into  
consideration time spent reading drafts in either hard copy form or via email.  Nor do 
our office hours reflect the time we spend in the hallway or on the  stairs 
outside after class looking over an outline a student has or discussing  her paper 
topic. Given the ten week quarter cycle and the 4-5 essay  requirement, each 
week is usually devoted either to helping students polish  their papers or to 
grading them.
 


Usually 3-4 times per quarter I schedule about 4 extra office hours during  
weeks when papers are been polished--this is strictly necessary in order to 
give  everyone in the class an opportunity for a on-one-on tutorial of about 20  
minutes each (20 mins. x 22 students = 7 hours and 20 mins hence 3 regular  
office hours + 4 extra office hours). It is worth noting that these  "extra" 
office hours have been described by my students in their  evaluations as critical 
to their learning process in the course. 
 
Although I am technically a .33% employee, I feel like a half-timer  due to 
the hours I devote each week to work. Given these facts, frankly, I've  always 
wondered how anyone teaching 3 or more classes managed to have any life  at 
all. I hope this information is helpful to you as you prepare your  report. If 
you need a more specific breakdown I will try to dig up the graph I  made and 
provide it to you. Thanks again for all your efforts on our  behalf.
Lora Geriguis
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