Academic Contract and Work Planning

1. Academic Contract and Work Planning by UCU SHU Branch Committee (with minor additions by Rob Hunt)

2. What does the SHU academic contract consist of? • Nationally agreed terms and conditions; • Locally agreed terms and conditions, which are contractual; • This information is contained in three main sources: • the national contract, • the local staff handbook (which is contractual) and • any further local agreements reached between UCU and SHU (e.g. the Problem Resolution Framework).

3. Summary guide to the contract • Teaching hours • Working week • Working year • Self-managed time • Holidays • Work planning

4. Teaching hours • Maximum of 462 contact hours in year, based on a norm of 14 hours per teaching week. • All scheduled teaching counts as class contact time (this includes office hours for seeing students, dissertation supervision etc.). • Distance learning should be included in the 462 hours and in the weekly maximum.

5. Teaching hours • For each hour of teaching time staff should be credited with at least one hour of time for preparation and marking in their overall working week. • Staff with major academic management roles, such as course leader, year tutor etc., should have a reduction in their 462 teaching hours.

6. Working week • Normal 37 hour working week • Weekend working is voluntary • Maximum of 2 evening sessions per week • Staff are entitled to time off in lieu for evening and weekend working • Staff can decline to work a three session day (morning, afternoon and evening) and a split session day (morning and evening) • Staff should have a one-hour lunch break, excluding travelling time between sites

7. Working year The year is divided into 3 parts: • 38 week academic year for teaching and related duties (which is common to the vast majority of staff) with no more than 36 teaching weeks (maximum) • Self-managed time • Holidays/annual leave

8. Defending the academic year The following events should not be organised outside the 38-week academic year: • Examination boards • Away days • Open days • Committee meetings • Subject group or departmental meetings • Teaching • Placement visits

9. Self-managed time • This consists of approximately 4 weeks and 3 days • This is time for research, scholarship and professional development • It is time which is outside the 38 week academic year and holidays • It is principally self-managed and the time should be used for the career development of the individual lecturer • Activities for SMT are for discussion and agreement, not by imposition by managers

10. Holidays • 35 days annual leave • Plus public holidays (8) and extra statutory days (4) • Plus days the institution is closed • Holidays should be booked on the holiday form • Up to 3 days annual leave can be carried over to the next year

11. Work planning Staff are entitled to published and agreed work plans, which should be: • Within the contract • Reasonable, equitable and transparent within the peer group • Agreed before the end of the summer term

12. Faculty level policy - D&S: 2 groups of 24 students, 2hrs per week workshop for 12 weeks, assessment attached to workshops (D) = 2 x 2 x12 =48 (A) = 48 x 25% = 12 Total STD = 48 + 12 = 60 10 groups of 24 students, 1 hour lecture per week for all 240 students, 1 seminar per week for each group, assessment attached to seminars, both elements for 12 weeks (D) = 1 x 12 lectures + 10 x 12 seminars = 12 + 120 = 132 (A) = 120 x 25% = 30 Total STD = 132 + 30 = 162

13. What do I do if I think I am being asked to work outside the contract? • Check against the information in this guide • Discuss the issue with other members of your peer group and in your branch • Take advice from a local UCU rep • Do not accept a work plan which breaks the contract

14. Pressures to work outside the contract • Cover for colleagues absent on long-term sickness • Staffing shortages, e.g. vacant posts • Timetabling problems • Demands from students • Insufficient hours on work plan for tutorial support • Bullying managers • Research deadlines • Quality processes • Routine administration not being done by administrators • Open days always timetabled for weekends

15. Defending the contract • Valuing yourself and your right to a work-life balance • Educating members – know your contract • Educating managers • Saying no as a peer group • Managing student expectations • Demanding adequate staffing levels • Resisting transfer of routine administrative work • Resisting work intensification and setting a bad precedent

16. Using the SHU template for academic work planning UCU can use the template to: • educate members in their conditions of service; • ensure work planning happens in all subject groups; • ensure all work plans are within the agreed contract; • unite members around the defence of the contract; • standardise the method of recording work plans across SHU; • ensure minimum SHU-wide allowances for academic management roles, e.g. year tutor, course leader etc.

17. The SHU template for academic work planning • The SHU workplanning template covers • Name, Grade and Roles • Scheduled Teaching Duties and Teaching Related Duties • Research, Scholarship and Consultancy • Academic Management Roles

18. The SHU template for academic work planning • and also covers • Trade Union Duties • Other Academic and Associated Duties • Personal Scholarly Activity/ Self Managed Time

19. Further information on the SHU AWP template • https://staff.shu.ac.uk/AWP/policies.asp