Teaching Assistants' Association -- University of Wisconsin, Madison / Workload

From CGEU

Teaching Assistants' Association, UW-Madison

Section 7. Teaching Assistant Course Assignments

Teaching Assistants may request assignment to particular courses, and when in the department's judgment the Teaching Assistant is qualified to teach the course, the course supervisor is agreeable to the assignment, and the department can staff its courses in a manner which it deems satisfactory, the Teaching Assistant's request shall be granted.

Departments shall notify appointed Teaching Assistants of their tentative course assignments, if known, no later than August 1 for fall semester courses and December 1 for spring semester courses. Such notification does not guarantee the assignment.

Section 8. Duties

In assigning duties to Teaching, Program/Project Assistants:

A. The department and supervising staff member shall establish the required duties of the employee and the supervising staff member shall discuss these duties with the employee at the beginning of the appointment period.

B. It is understood that employees in this bargaining unit are engaged in professional activities of such a nature that the output produced or the result accomplished cannot be precisely measured in relation to a given period of time. In determining the amount of time expected for an employee assignment, consideration shall be given to such factors as type of instruction, number of students instructed, and all other factors, including those specific to the course or group of courses to which instructional duty expectations apply. Fluctuations above and below the hours reflected in the appointment level are expected, corresponding to individual distinctions such as experience. Recognizing that graduate assistants are embarked on a program of career and professional development, employees are encouraged to discuss duties with the supervising staff member, at the outset of the appointment and as questions may arise during the appointment. In the case of Teaching Assistants, each department shall provide the employee and his/her supervisor with an appointment worksheet with the appointment letter at least three (3) days before signed workload sheets are to be returned by the employee, prior to each term of appointment (Fall, Spring and Summer). Copies of these estimates shall be provided to course supervisors and, by request, to the TAA. In addition, the employee and his/her supervisor will have an opportunity to review that worksheet at the commencement of the Teaching Assistant's employment and throughout the semester. The worksheet shall indicate the approximate distribution of hours to be spent on the various duties required by the appointment.

The function of the worksheet is advisory. Neither the specific distribution of hours among tasks on this worksheet, nor deviation from the apportionment of hours shall be construed as contractually binding or grievable under Article IV of this Agreement.

Departments are encouraged to establish workload committees consisting of faculty, staff and graduate students who are current or former graduate employees to review new and existing workloads for TAs and PAs annually, identify persistent workload problems and recommend remedies to the department. In departments that do not maintain workload committees, Union-Management meetings shall occur upon written request to discuss workload issues as stated in Article II, Section 8.

C. The appointment level shall be based on the department's determination of the amount of time it should normally take to perform the assigned duties including orientation and training. Satisfactory performance of these duties shall not require an effort exceeding three hundred and sixty (360) hours per semester for a halftime academic year pay basis appointment; one thousand and forty (1040) hours per year for a halftime annual pay basis appointment; eight hundred and sixty seven (867) hours per ten-month period for a halftime ten-month pay basis appointment; or a proportional number of hours for other durations or percentages of appointment.

D. All duties required by the supervising staff member or the department shall be fairly within the scope of employment and shall be included in the calculation of required hours.

E. The number of hours are stated for the full appointment period, but hours needed to carry out required duties may fluctuate over portions of the appointment period. As soon as the Employer becomes aware of substantial fluctuations which will occur the employee will be so notified. Except for full time (100%) appointments, if the Employer knew or should with the exercise of reasonable diligence have known of a substantial increase in the number of hours needed to carry out required duties during a particular period and did not so notify the employee, the employee shall not be required to work more than forty (40) hours in any one week.

The parties recognize that informal discussion between a supervisor and an employee is likely to be the most effective way to resolve problems in assignment of duties. An employee who finds that the assigned duties appear to require more time than is allocated should immediately notify, and consult with, the supervisor or Department Chair (or designee), who shall reconsider the factors used to determine the amount of time expected. The supervisor and the department may direct either an adjustment in the duties or, pending approval of funding, an adjustment in the appointment level.

An employee may submit to the supervisor or Department Chair (or designee) a written request that the duties required be revised. A response shall be made within one (1) week of the written request unless the employee and the department mutually agree to a longer period. If the employee is dissatisfied with the response or no response is forthcoming, the employee may file a grievance under Article IV of this Agreement. No such grievance will be considered unless there has been a prior written request to make an adjustment.

An arbitrator's award under this section of the Agreement is limited to pay for work performed. Should an arbitrator determine that the pay level is too low for the assignment, then the Employer may either increase pay or reduce the responsibilities.

F. A department or supervisor may establish reasonable prerequisites which a Teaching Assistant must meet in order to teach a particular course and determine whether those prerequisites have been met before the Teaching Assistant becomes eligible to teach the course. Any special prerequisites shall be posted along with the job opening. If a Teaching Assistant requests to teach such a course and has not met the prerequisites, the Teaching Assistant shall not be paid for time involved in meeting the prerequisites if the request is granted. If a Teaching Assistant is assigned to a course which the Teaching Assistant has not requested and for which she or he does not meet the prerequisites, the Teaching Assistant shall be paid for the time which is necessary to satisfactorily meet those prerequisites.