A Practical Time-Planning Technique for Faculty Workload Management

Visualization of how data is perceived, created by Rose Pilkington.

As the end of the semester approaches, it's a great time to look toward next term. For me, that always involves building a workweek template based on workload.

In today’s post, I’m sharing a micro-innovation for planning my time based on workload assignments. I’ve used this method for years, and it’s simple and highly practical. This approach has transformed my relationship with work as a faculty member, helping me balance my commitments and understand where my time goes.

What is faculty workload?

Every campus likely handles this a little differently based on position type; my university breaks tenure-track faculty workload into fifteen units per semester, which in most cases is divided into three familiar categories: teaching, research, and service. In my department, the default workload for a tenure-track faculty member is divided into:

• Teaching - 60%

• Research - 20%

• Service - 20%

So for fifteen workload units, that means nine teaching, three research, and three teaching each semester, as the table below illustrates.

Workload Breakdown By Percentage & Units for Fall and Spring Semesters

Category	Fall Semester Hours	Spring Semester Hours
Teaching	60% - 9 workload units	60% - 9 workload units
Research	20% - 3 workload units	20% - 3 workload units
Service	20% - 3 workload units	20% - 3 workload units

Practically speaking, nine workload units of teaching in a faculty member's workload usually translates to teaching three 3-credit classes.

Okay. What does that mean?

Honestly, for my first couple of years on the tenure track, it didn’t mean a lot to me. I tried to make the best use of my time, but I felt so busy that I wasn’t even sure where the time went. I wondered whether I was “wasting” my time, not being “productive” enough. I actually used the time-tracking app Toggl and tracked every minute of my day for a week. I found that I wasn’t wasting time, if that means not working. I was, in fact, spending 12-14 hours a day on tasks related to my job during the workweek, with additional work time on weekends. This was neither pleasant nor sustainable.

In order for workload to be meaningful, I began converting each unit into hours. Here’s how:

1. Define Each Unit as 8 Hours: Since there are five 3-credit bundles in each semester, I assume each bundle translates to 8 hours, based on a 40-hour workweek.

2. Calculate Hours per Category:

   1. Fall: Teaching = 24 hours (9 units), Research = 8 hours (3 units), Service = 8 hours (3 units)

   2. Spring: Teaching = 24 hours (9 units), Research = 8 hours (3 units), Service = 8 hours (3 units)

The next table shows the breakdown across workload categories for the example semesters.

Sample Time Allocation (40-hour week)

Semester	Teaching Hours	Research Hours	Service Hours	Total
Fall	24	8	8	40
Spring	24	8	8	40

Now, there are some big assumptions built into this, of course. It may feel unrealistic to spend only twenty-four hours getting the work done of teaching three classes, including leading class sessions, holding office hours, lesson planning, responding to student work, and grading. And that may seem especially challenging for early-career faculty, who are likely navigating new course preparation as a part of that workload. 

Need more time? I see two solutions.

Solution 1: Work more.

First, the forty-hour workweek is a construct. Perhaps you plan to spend more time working. How many hours do you expect to work in a week? 50? 80? Be honest with yourself about how much time you are willing to/want to/are capable of spending, and convert workload units to that number. 

Here’s how you can convert 40 hours to 50.

50 ÷ 40 = 1.25

In other words, 50 is 125% of 40. This table shows the breakdown for a fifty-hour workweek.

Sample Time Allocation (50-hour week)

Semester	Teaching Hours	Research Hours	Service Hours	Total
Fall	30	10	10	50
Spring	30	10	10	50

Solution 2: Manage expectations.

The second solution is that the forty-hour workweek is a construct, but it’s the construct upon which work is built in the US. I believe it's a reasonable goal. It takes planning and discipline and a willingness to say no at least occasionally. I have yet to master all three of these simultaneously, but I’m working on it.

I am a full professor with the privilege of tenure. That doesn’t mean what it used to, but it does mean that I’ve been doing this job for some time now; I’ve been with my current employer for over a decade and in higher education for two. I have experience and institutional knowledge that allow me to get things done more quickly, and I have a bit more control over how my workload is allocated. At the same time, I have a lot more meetings, and I am still a member of a department. I’m not an independent contractor with complete autonomy, but I do want to acknowledge that I am in a different situation than many. 

For pre-tenure faculty, make sure that you clearly understanding your department’s expectations,

• Understand Expectations: Familiarize yourself with departmental expectations for annual performance evaluations and tenure and promotion criteria.

• Communicate Regularly: Keep in touch with your faculty mentor and department chair regarding your workload and any challenges.

• Plan for Extra Effort:

  • Expect a steeper learning curve—new responsibilities (especially teaching) often take longer.

  • Balancing teaching with a research agenda adds to the challenge.

• Seek Support: Don’t hesitate to ask for advice, time, or help from tenured colleagues. Most will gladly support you if you reach out.

For Non-Tenure-Track Faculty, adjust the workload model to fit your responsibilities, focusing on teaching or other relevant categories.

• Beware of ‘Teaching Creep’:

  • Like “scope creep” in projects, teaching can expand to fill all your available time.

  • Teaching is vital, but it can overshadow other tasks, including self-care.

• Balance Dedication and Boundaries: While teaching is a deeply impactful role, setting limits allows time for other important activities, including your well-being.

What's the next step?

Build a weekly template. Once I converted workload units to hours, I created a calendar template to manage my week:

1. Choose Colors for Categories: Assign colors to each category (teaching, research, service) to visually differentiate activities on your calendar.

2. Set Working Hours & Add Essentials: Block off work hours (e.g., 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.), class meeting times, office hours, and other standing commitments. I include a daily lunch break and email check-ins.

3. Track Hours per Category: I continuously tally up hours per category to stay on track with my workload allocation.

In a future post, I'll share my process, but you're already equipped with the tools for scheduling time according to your workload.