University teacher not only taking classes buy also supervising research Students of various categories. Such as Master level, MPhil/MS level and PhD level. Besides this teacher is also part of university administration and usually part of various committees, such as:
Purchase committee,
Students discipline committee,
Semester committee,
Advance study research board and somany other.
In such situations a teacher can't manage to give time to his/her family. Heavy work load has got impacts on his/her health also.
For promotion and financial benefits, university counting publications and impact factor. In this race family life of a teacher is destroyed.
What do you think, how the duty hours should be split out to manage all such activities within duty hours or at least to maximize time for family and personal activities?
Here is one suggestion
Schedule for 4 days in a week
Classes 30℅ (2 classes/day)
Research 40℅ (3 hrs for meetings with research students)
Administration 15℅ (1 meetings per day)
Other 15℅
Schedule for 2 days in a week
Field/Laboratory work but no class.
Schedule for weekend
Totally family time
What ever the teacher/ researcher want to do, but no teaching, no research or other official work.
Ah, yes. And here are all the problems....
As I said, these are difficult things to quantify. But, of course, for the sake of a collegiate spirit you do need to aim at some sort of equality in the distribution of the department's demands. Notional values can help achieve this. Some might choose to take on more than the average, seeking an administrative career, other may prefer more research time (although, of course, research for many is far more than hours of work). They need to have some agreed notional understanding of how much of this is "worth" how much of that.
To Sanjib, yes there tends to be all sorts of other things that need doing as well. But these also need distributing "fairly" in some notional sense.
NOCK
Dr. K N Gandhi, a leading world specialist on plant nomenclature always says that whatever help he provides to the research community is because of his wife who smilingly helps him by carrying out all the day to day works.
Well, I can agree with the first answer, and smile with understanding at the second!
It's difficult to give universal answers on this. A lot of it depends on where and how you're employed. I've been employed in far too many places in far too many ways! First, if you're part-time or contractually limited, there's plenty of others doing better than you who should take care of committees, broad departmental matters, in fact everything but your teaching and whatever research you can manage to undertake. Research should be undertaken by those on limited length full-time contracts, part-timers can choose for themselves.
Full-time permanent academics really should teach and research. Some are better at one rather than the other. Good teacher, poor researcher?Teach more, and vice-versa. Good at both? No more than two courses per semester, say six hours a week, plus academic pastoral responsibilities for your own students. All expected to play a role in committee work as needed.
Hope this adds a little.
Christopher NOCK
Two courses of three credit hours is perfect. Three credit hours mean three classes per week for three months. In this a Professor will attend two classes per day for three days a week. In simple words 6 classes per week.
Now come to supervision.
How many PhD/ MPhil/MS/ MSc a Professor should supervise?
We have a maximum limit for different categories as:
MSc = 5 students or groups
MS/MPhil= 7 students
PhD = 5 students
Do you think this is reasonable?
Again Farid provides a most sensible answer--he always does! Thank you Farid!
I would add a few thoughts. In practice, it depends to some extent on the quality of any supervisors own research. High quality will attract more students at higher levels. So, generally, more Ph.D go to these members of staff, and so on, down the line. Rank the various degrees by their supervisory requirements--the higher, the higher ranking. You aim for roughly equal totals for all staff, combined with varying allowances and penalties.
Never overload staff on this or you might ruin their reputation as a supervisor, and this will damage your department's reputation as both a place to study and as a place to work!
NOCK
In some Universities here there is a limit. Supervisors are not allowed to have more that five registered Ph D students at a time.
Yes, Subir's is quite correct as usual! Thanks Subir. I suppose such a limit helps ensure the quality of the supervision, and the students. If there is a limit of that type, you still need to work out how long a Ph.D should take to complete! Good luck on that one! But you do need to set a nominal limit for everyone to work with, or I just might find me six 12 year types who I haven't seen for 7!
Nockk
Dear Christopher,
It is very difficult to set a limit but in our field one usually completes the Ph D work in more or less 5 years.
With best wishes,
Subir.
Yes, it's indeed a very difficult to set a routine for university teachers. We have lot of assignment besides classes and research works. As our University is a affiliated University many colleges we need to supervise, inspect, setting up the UG syllabus and many more. Like other University we also offer a piece of dissertation work to the M.Sc. 4th semester students which is good but time consuming.
Ah, yes. And here are all the problems....
As I said, these are difficult things to quantify. But, of course, for the sake of a collegiate spirit you do need to aim at some sort of equality in the distribution of the department's demands. Notional values can help achieve this. Some might choose to take on more than the average, seeking an administrative career, other may prefer more research time (although, of course, research for many is far more than hours of work). They need to have some agreed notional understanding of how much of this is "worth" how much of that.
To Sanjib, yes there tends to be all sorts of other things that need doing as well. But these also need distributing "fairly" in some notional sense.
NOCK
Dear Nafees Mohammad,
Work-load of a University Professor in INDIA as per UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION February, 2018, Please go to the UGC Regulation page number 51 attached here with.
SOURCE :
UGC Regulation:
https://www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/5323630_New_Draft_UGCRegulation-2018-9-2.pdf
I hope I have answered your question.
With Best Regards,
Samir G. Pandya
Dear Samir G. Pandya,
Thank you sharing the link. I tried it to open, but there is some problem, it is not opening.
If possible, kindly attached it here.
Regards
According to Higher Education Commission guidelines follow by the Academic Council of The University of Haripur, (a public sector university) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, the workload for lecturer is 12 Credit Hours, 09 credit hrs for Assistant Prof, 06 credit hrs for Associate prof and 03 credit Hrs for a Full Professor. If you need the decision of academic council i will share with you.
Workload at Peshawar University
Dean's/ Head of the department
Teaching = 6 Crd-Hrs
Mentorship, Guidance =10 Hrs/W
Research work =8 Hrs/W
Administration =12.5 Hrs/W
Total =36.5
For teaching staff(Prof, Associates Prof, Asst Prof & Lecturer)
Teaching = 12 Crd-Hrs
Mentorship, Guidance =10 Hrs/W
Research work =8 Hrs/W
Administration = 6.5 Hrs/W
Total =36.5
Teaching include Lectures, Lab work, Field work.
Nice answers from Farid, Christopher and some other friends.
I would say two courses of three to four credit hours should be the limit, if the faculty is engaged in personal research, student supervision, committees, and administration. At the senior level, where the non-teaching responsibilities increase, one might have to restrict oneself to just one if the circumstances allow. Teaching at high level is itself very demanding; one must regularly update lectures.
I am making the comments with the understanding that the faculty member does not have any other, paid teaching assignment within or outside the university and there is a limit on the number of students for supervision. I am in favour of allotting no more than FIVE PhD students to a faculty member.
Regarding impact on the family life and, for that matter, personal life, one has to manage the time properly. Many successful people have a full life rather than imprisoning themselves in professional cages.
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