AAUP Miami recently conducted a survey of faculty on their workload in 2020. During the pandemic, many faculty are experiencing increases in teaching and service, and some are doing uncompensated work.
Overall, the survey reveals that faculty are willing to make sacrifices to educate students in the context of a temporary crisis, but fearful that these expedients will become permanent and will undermine our core academic mission. It seems likely that educational quality and Miami’s respected position will be eroded if these circumstances continue beyond the pandemic.
Cutting faculty positions in the Spring increased the teaching load of most of those who remained:
- About 75% report increased course hours taught this fall compared to previous years;
- Faculty report increased hours of work, increased grading, increased contact time, increased number of students;
- Many are teaching additional courses as overload because there are not enough faculty after VAPs were not renewed.
At the same time that teaching-load has increased, many faculty report increased service and uncompensated labor:
- Half report that service has increased
- About a third taught independent study courses in the summer without pay;
- About two-thirds performed additional unpaid service in the summer.
- The loss of some course releases for administrative work means necessary work will be delayed.
AAUP will continue to monitor the situation closely and to advocate for appropriate compensation and workload assignments. Please be in touch if you have workload concerns to share.
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