5-Course Load FAQs

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NOTE: The most recent additions/changes to this page are indicated in bold.

Context

This is good news! Tell me again why we are doing this, and what expectations are linked to the change. The quality of the student educational experience, especially in regard to advising, mentoring and student-faculty interactions is paramount. In lightening the teaching assignment of those who advise, we’ll be asking all those who serve as advisors to support the work we will be doing to better connect academic advising with what mentors and advisors in CAAS, Student Life and the Piper Center offer so that we can build on everyone’s expertise and help students navigate the many important resources the college makes available. Over the next couple of years, as the Assistant Dean of Academic Advising leads the faculty in discussion of the role of advising and mentoring, faculty advisors will also be expected to engage fully with that discussion and its outcome. And, in lightening the course load for advisors and removing the expectations for advising for those remaining on the 6-course load, there will be additional time for innovation in teaching, including in courses supporting the first-year experience. We’ll need to assess how successful we are in enhancing the quality of faculty-student interactions, strengthening the role of advisors, helping students find belonging and find connections between their studies and life after college, and in retaining the great students that come to study here. You should expect to see reports on these items going forward.
How was the decision for this initiative made? The decision to increase the size of the faculty as part of the For Every Ole initiative is a significant resource decision that entailed careful review by the Finance Committee of the Board of Regents and the endorsement by the Board at its October meeting. This phase of the deliberations was confidential. Now that the resources for this initiative have been garnered, the Faculty Governance Committee will consider revisions to the Faculty Manual needed to reflect the new load, the Associate Deans will advise on resource allocation and planning, and department and program faculty will determine how to accommodate the reduction in the number of sections. The Curriculum Committee will need to review and bring to a faculty vote any changes in major or program requirements (should there be any). The Student Life Committee will consult with the Assistant Dean of Academic Advising and the Center for Advising and Academic Support regarding the implications of the initiative for advising and mentoring.
How will we know if the purposes of the reduction in teaching (or in advising) load are met? We will be reporting to the Board of Regents on our progress in all areas of For Every Ole, including the reduction in the course-load for tenured, tenure-track, Teaching Specialist, and Special Appointments and the removal of advising expectations for those in other term positions. The 2022 Summer Working Group organized by the Faculty Governance Committee to review and advise on student and alumni feedback in faculty reviews advised that addition of a separate advising assessment instrument wait until the faculty had an opportunity to discuss the advising goals put forth in the For Every Ole Report, so we are likely to see this topic be taken up soon. Other metrics linked to student engagement and belonging and faculty/staff advising and mentoring of students in their academic and vocational activities will likely be part of what the College will report to the Board of Regents as well as to internal constituencies. We already collect some of this information through national instruments like the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) as well as through internal assessments such as those linked to SOAR. The College will need guidance from the Assessment and Student Life committees in finalizing the metrics specific to advising, student-faculty interaction, and a four-year plan/pathway.

Logistics & Planning

As we reduce the number of sections and increase some class sizes, will we have enough classrooms of the appropriate size for our new class and lab? St. Olaf classroom use has been analyzed extensively by an outside consultant during the past year. Recently, we have asked them to use that analysis to examine whether St. Olaf has the appropriate classrooms for the 6 to 5 initiative. The result indicates that, while tight, St. Olaf does have the appropriate spaces. As we move through the planning process, we will continuously track how suggested changes would impact our space needs and respond accordingly. It is likely that faculty may need to teach in buildings further from their office and may need to utilize the full range of class periods more fully.
What is the timeline for adjusting the C&L for the 6 to 5 initiative? Chairs and Program Directors will receive on Monday, Oct. 31, a staffing plan that gives them the details they need for the planning process. Working with their Associate Deans, all departments/programs should submit these plans by Monday, Dec. 5. The Deans Council will then examine these plans and make decisions on the final distribution of courses across the college by Monday, Jan. 16. Departments and programs will then use the finalized plans in their C&L submissions for the 2023-24 academic year. The deadline for submitting the C&L has been moved from Monday, Feb. 13, to Monday, Feb. 20, to allow departments and program adequate time for this final step.

Impact on Courses: Ole core, off-campus study, curriculum

How does this initiative affect the recent effort to bring 60% of sections to enrollments of 19 or fewer? In order to achieve the 5-course load, we will be redeploying the additional faculty FTE originally dedicated to meeting the goal of 60% of sections being capped at 19. We think, though, that we may be able to keep about 50% of section sizes at 19 and under, which will be an improvement over previous years.
Will all courses increase in enrollment size by an equal amount? On average, the increase in section size will be quite modest. However, for a variety of reasons (e.g. maintaining sections at enrollments under 20 students and/or classroom size constraints) not all courses will experience the same increases. Departments will work with their Associate Deans to identify where increased enrollments are the most appropriate.
How will the reduction in course sections be determined? Departments and programs will work with their Associate Deans to determine the best ways to reduce the number of sections being offered while maintaining the integrity of our academic programs.
I understand that we expect the average course size to increase very modestly, but will reducing the number of courses be seen as a good thing by students? The initiative’s purpose is to reallocate faculty time and energies to further enhance the quality of education and academic advising and mentoring and to provide time for teaching innovation. Reducing the course load for those serving as academic advisors and removing advising responsibilities for those who will retain the 6-course full time assignment allows extra time for innovation and high impact practices in courses and availability to students across a range of interactions (including advising for those who will continue to serve as academic advisors). Of course, departments and programs will need to be strategic in approaching the task of reducing the number of courses they offer, taking into consideration the time and location of courses, the distribution of courses across the three levels, offerings that meet Core requirements, and the dependencies of other programs or majors on their offerings. Attention devoted to these considerations can ensure that the needed courses are sufficiently available to students.
What happens once departments and programs propose reductions in the number of courses they offer? The Deans Council understands that every department and program faces distinctive constraints, such as enrollment pressure, external requirements for accreditation, inflexibilities linked to having few courses to start with, and issues linked to faculty availability. There also can be constraints in cases where major or concentration requirements include a particular course offered by another department. The Deans Council will work to reconcile the proposed reductions with these constraints as fairly as possible. But, the first job is for department and program faculty to identify a viable way to offer their program with slightly fewer courses while continuing to support department priorities and the overall college curriculum.
Classes carrying the Writing Across the Curriculum CORE requirement are capped at 22 students as part of the structure to ensure the best, writing-intensive experience. Will this cap be raised as part of the general increase in class size? We anticipate keeping current caps and practices regarding Writing Across the Curriculum and Writing and Rhetoric courses. It will take a few more weeks before we are certain whether those caps need any adjustment.
How will interdisciplinary programs and off-campus study be affected by the reduction in the number of courses the college offers? We will need to keep in the forefront of our deliberations the college’s mission and our educational goals. That means that off-campus and interdisciplinary programs remain central to the kind of education we offer. As department chairs and program directors consider where their offerings can be reduced, they should confer with their Associate Dean about the implications of proposed changes for international study and study away, interdisciplinary programs, and other majors that include another department’s course(s) in their own requirements.
I would love to hear more about how we are preserving our off campus studies programs, particularly interims that come from departments. Is there a way to move that FTE to IOS/Smith Center as an incentive for departments to apply for and get a chance to teach abroad either existing courses or as an incentive for new ones? What other thoughts are in place to keep this critical high impact practice strong? These are great questions. We will continue to work toward offering about 27 interim study abroad/away courses. St. Olaf is fortunate in that so many students appreciate the value of such learning experiences and plan for them. In regard to planning, we model the number of on-campus sections that we think we will need in light of the number of students studying abroad/away. Eliminating an off-campus course may well put additional pressure on Interim offerings. The Smith Center for Global Engagement (that’s the new name for IOS!) has dedicated FTE for semester-long programs, and a limited amount of FTE to encourage innovation in study abroad/away.
How will this change the amount I need to teach during Interim? The college will continue to need a similar fraction of its courses to be offered during the interim and faculty should expect to teach during that time.
OK, so the college is expanding the size of the faculty by 10 FTE. Where will that FTE be allocated, and by what process? The Dean’s Council, in consultation with departments, will make recommendations to the provost on the allocation of these additional FTE. Departments will be asked to propose potential class and lab schedules to their associate deans. The process for this work will be rolled out to faculty soon.
Will I have to teach in FYS and WRR and how often? Faculty who qualify for the 5-course load (tenured, tenure track, Teaching Specialists, and Special Appointments) will be expected to teach in either the FYS or WRR on a regular basis, or, in some cases, another course primarily serving first-year students. Engagement with students’ First Year Experience is one of the reasons for moving to a 5-course load. As we work on the curricular adjustments needed to reduce the teaching load, we will be able to clarify the likely frequency for teaching these courses. Teaching assignments will vary by faculty expertise and interest and need to staff these courses, as is the case now.
What is the impact of the 5-course load on staffing for the First Year Seminar? Sufficient FTE is set aside to provide for the First Year Seminars. While departments and programs will not need to contribute their own FTE to the First Year Seminars, they will play a central part in identifying who will teach the First Year Seminars. In particular, we need to ensure that most of the First Year Seminars are being taught by individuals in long-term positions. Also important is ensuring that some of our most experienced teachers are teaching other courses that first-year students tend to take. Investing this way in students’ first-year experience is part of the goals of the OLE Core and also of For Every Ole.
Would the course load allocated for off-campus programs like Global Semester, Environmental Studies in Australia and New Zealand, and Semester in Athens and Jerusalem change? Course loads for off-campus study would remain the same.
How should we be thinking about study abroad/away and ACE courses in light of this initiative? Departments and programs should continue to plan for study abroad/away and ACE courses as part of their offerings. Study abroad/away is a distinguishing feature of a St. Olaf education; the College supports off-campus study at levels that few other institutions match. Many students choose St. Olaf because they seek these learning opportunities. Moreover, students can fulfill the “OLE Experience in Practice” Core requirement with many study abroad/away and ACE courses. We will plan for about 27 faculty-led interim courses, across all 5 Faculties, with some courses serving majors and some accessible to students, broadly.
Should I postpone submitting 2023-24 study abroad/study away course proposals until my department finalizes a plan for our course offerings? Sorting out the number of courses offered in your department or program for next year and approving or submitting proposals for study abroad/away presents a sequencing problem: which should be completed first? Course proposals must go through the Curriculum Committee and the faculty for approval before they can go in the Class and Lab, and for this reason, you should go ahead and get the finalized proposals into CourseLeaf by the committee’s November 4 deadline. As chairs and program directors finalize the 2023-24 plan for course offerings, there may be a few cases where an approved study abroad/away course can’t be offered, but it is better to make that decision once other considerations are clear.
What priorities should departments and programs consider as they plan for offering a somewhat reduced number of courses? In most respects, the same considerations that would have guided your department or program previously still apply. Departments and programs will need to make sure that the distribution of courses offered and size of those courses meet the needs of majors/concentrators and also support St. Olaf education generally, such as by fulfilling OLE Core requirements. They will also need to ensure that the course plan continues to support other majors/programs that depend on courses they offer.

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Impact on Advising and other Expectations

How will advising loads be impacted for faculty? Most faculty members holding term appointments would remain at the 6-course load, but there would be no expectations for advising. Tenured, tenure track and certain categories of long-term term faculty would experience a modestly-increased advising load, normally capped at 23-25, of which no more than 15 would be new pre-major advisees.
I understand that one of the key purposes of the reduction in the course load for tenured, tenure-track, Special Appointment, and Teaching Specialist faculty is to allow more time for advising and mentoring students. Just what will this entail? This year, we are taking the first steps to understanding how the principles outlined in the Vision and in the For Every Ole report can be realized. To that purpose, we are piloting a couple of models for advisors. As these pilots progress, we will be assessing them and sharing results with the faculty for discussion and idea-generation. While the For Every Ole report presents recommendations rather than a blueprint, you may want to review it and the Vision statement to remind yourself of the principles that are informing the 5-course initiative.
Why aren’t we moving to a 5-course load to do some other worthy activity, such as research, course innovation, or service? The purpose of the 5-course load is to provide time and focus for faculty to engage in advising and mentoring, and we must keep our focus on this goal. St. Olaf is not unique in taking a step like this. Other institutions have reduced teaching loads for other reasons, including as part of a strategy to enhance the scholarly profile of their faculties (doing so usually comes with heightened expectations for tenure and for promotion). With the reductions—either in the number of courses assigned or with the removal of expectations for advising for those teaching six courses—there should be additional flexibility for course and pedagogical development and participation in scholarly and artistic work.
Is there a cap on how many advisees I can advise if I am a term appointment? The cap will be 15 students per faculty member unless there are extenuating circumstances and the faculty member has agreed to advise more than 15 students.
For term faculty qualified for and interested in continuing to serve as academic advisers, would there be a “per advisee” stipend or simply a stipend for 15 advisees? The stipend will be based on the number of advisees assigned. Please check back on the FAQ page in a few weeks, when we will know more specifics about stipends.
I have a term contract, and I would like to continue advising students. What is the process for those in term position to continue as advisers? Please check back on the FAQ page in a few weeks. CAAS is developing new policies for assigning advisees in light of the 5-course load. Until these are finalized, it is likely to pause any further assignment of advisees to those in term positions. If you are an experienced adviser and you are interested in continuing to have this role, please wait for further communication from CAAS in a few weeks.
I am a staff member and I have trained to serve as an advisor. Will I be able to continue in this role going forward? Thank you for your care for and engagement with students. It is likely that some staff members with specialized expertise in advising will continue to serve in this capacity. For Every Ole contemplates an advising model with faculty members serving as academic advisors and a variety of other kinds of mentoring and advising roles shared by staff and faculty members. Please be patient with us as we work through the new model and anticipated needs, and as we develop new policies for assigning advisors.
Does this mean that advising now counts as one course out of six in my load? Advising will not carry a specific fraction of a faculty member’s appointment. Advising and service will continue to be expected commensurate with the size of a faculty member’s appointment. (e.g. a half time teaching appointment would suggest half the advising and service expectations). Those in term positions continuing with a 6-course load who agree to serve as an academic advisor will receive a stipend.
What does this change to the teaching and advising workloads mean for service obligations? The expectations and the qualifications for service do not change. (The Faculty Manual discusses these in Sections 3.IV.A.8-113, 4.III.F.1.c, III.F.3.b, III.G.1-2, , III.I.1.c, as well as in the review process and categories for assessment described in the Faculty Manual. Expectations for service will continue to be adjusted in light of other reductions in teaching load.

Impact on Part-Time Positions and Reduced Loads

What does it mean to take a “half-year” sabbatical at full pay? Would I teach 2 courses that year, or 3? For faculty taking a “half-year” sabbatical, the expectation would remain to teach 3 courses during that year.
How would this impact the various types of leaves (medical, family, special, etc.)? Most leaves will be unaffected by this change. The faculty child-rearing leave will change slightly to reflect the change.
How will the child-rearing leave be impacted? Full-time and part-time faculty will qualify for a one-semester leave regardless of whether they qualify for a 5-course or 6-course load. Their compensation for the year will be calculated by using the courses they teach during the remainder of the academic year and adding one course. For example, a faculty member on a 5-course load who then teaches 3 courses during the remainder of the year would receive credit for 4 courses and would receive ⅘ of their full time compensation.
I have an administrative course release, how will that release be restructured? How will I know what my release will be in the future? Two processes are occurring with the restructuring of administrative course release.
- First, administrative course release will be scaled back in an amount similar to the faculty course load. Example 1: A course release of 6 courses over three years (2 each year) would be scaled back to 5 courses over three years (2-2-1 per year). This results in a teaching load that would move from 4 courses each year (in a 6-course load) to 3 courses in the first and second year and 4 courses in the third year (in a 5-course load). Example 2: A course release of 3 courses over 3 years would become 2 courses over 3 years. Thus, the teaching load would move from 5 courses each year to 4 courses in the first and second year and 5 courses in the third year.
- Second, administrative course releases will be reallocated across departments and programs to reflect changes in department/program sizes. To this purpose, the Deans Council is undertaking a review of course release distribution. As a consequence, departments/programs may see additional changes to their administrative course release.
- Changes in administrative course releases will be rolled out in stages. New administrative appointments will use the new model starting in the 2023-24 academic year. Ongoing administrative appointments will receive their currently planned number of course releases during the 2023-24 academic year. Starting in the 2024-25 academic year, all administrative appointments will use the new model.
- The budget allocated to administrative stipends has also been increased. Deans Council will be working on the distribution of these additional stipends in parallel with the process of examining administrative course release.
What if my faculty appointment includes course releases as part of the appointment? This situation will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis and faculty involved should speak with their Associate Dean or Supervisor.
What if I want to request a further reduction in my teaching load (e.g., going from 5 courses to 4)? What would the impact be on my compensation? For those with appointments that qualify for a 5-course load, the fractional appointment will be calculated using 5 courses as a full load. For example (5 courses = 5/5 = 1.0 FTE, 4 courses = 4/5 = 0.80 FTE, 3 courses = 3/5 = 0.60 FTE, 2 courses = 2/5 = 0.40 FTE, 1 courses = 1/5 = 0.20 FTE). These fractional FTEs would be used to determine your prorated compensation.
What does this mean regarding benefits for those teaching part time? A faculty member’s fractional appointment (described above) will continue to be used to determine eligibility for benefits.
What does this mean for the compensation of those in terminal (generally those with less than half-time appointments) positions? Compensation per course for those in terminal positions will be unaffected by this change.

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5-Course Load FAQs

Context

Logistics & Planning

Impact on Courses: Ole core, off-campus study, curriculum

Impact on Advising and other Expectations

Impact on Part-Time Positions and Reduced Loads

Other Questions