Only full-time professors are issued SWFs.

Full-time counsellors and librarians who are assigned teaching hours receive letters detailing how their teaching hours are calculated.

All workloads should adhere to the provisions of Article 11 [11.01 A]. Sessional, partial-load and part time faculty are paid for each teaching hour worked.

Article 11.2 A 1
(a) Prior to the establishment of a total workload for any teacher the supervisor shall discuss the proposed workload with the teacher and complete the SWF, attached as Appendix I, to be provided by the The supervisor shall give a copy to the teacher not later than six weeks prior to the beginning of the period covered by the timetable excluding holidays and vacations. It is recognized that if the SWF is subsequently revised by the College, it will not be done without prior consultation with the teacher.

(b) The College may, where a change in circumstances requires it, amend assignments provided to a teacher after the original assignment, subject to the teacher’s right to refer any matter to the College Workload Monitoring Group (WMG) referred to in 11.02 B 1 and if necessary, the Workload Resolution Arbitrator (WRA) referred to in 11.02 E 1 and appointed under 11.02 F 1.

11.02 A 2
The SWF shall include all details of the total workload including teaching contact hours, accumulated contact days, accumulated teaching contact hours, number of sections, type and number of preparations, type of evaluation/feedback required by the curriculum, class size, attributed hours, contact days, language of instruction and complementary functions.

11.02 A 3
Following receipt of the SWF, the teacher shall indicate in writing on the SWF whether in agreement with the total workload. If not in agreement the teacher and the supervisor may add such other comments as is considered appropriate and may indicate in writing that the workload should be reviewed by the College WMG.

11.02 A 4
In the event that the teacher is not in agreement with the total workload and wishes it to be reviewed by the WMG, the teacher must so indicate in writing to the supervisor within five working days following the date of receipt of the SWF. The completed SWF will be forwarded by the supervisor to the WMG within three working days from date of receipt from the teacher with a copy to be given to the teacher.

Absent such indication, the teacher shall be considered to be in agreement with the total workload.

11.02 A 5
The timetable shall set out the schedule and location of assigned workload hours reported on the SWF, on a Timetable Form to be provided by the College, and a copy shall be given to the teacher no less than two weeks prior to the beginning of the period covered by the timetable, which shall be the same period as that covered by the SWF.

11.2 A 6
(a) In the event of any difference arising from the interpretation, application, administration or alleged contravention of 01, 11.02, or 11.09, a teacher shall discuss such difference as a complaint with the teacher’s immediate supervisor.

The discussion shall take place within 14 days after the circumstances giving rise to the complaint have occurred or have come or ought reasonably to have come to the attention of the teacher in order to give the immediate supervisor an opportunity of adjusting the complaint. The discussion shall be between the teacher and the immediate supervisor unless mutually agreed to have other persons in attendance. The immediate supervisor’s response to the complaint shall be given within seven days after discussion with the teacher.

Failing settlement of such a complaint, a teacher may refer the complaint, in writing, to the WMG within seven days of receipt of the immediate supervisor’s reply. The complaint shall then follow the procedures outlined in 11.02 B through 11.02 F.

(b) Grievances arising with respect to Article 11, Workload, other than 11.01, 11.02 and 11.09 shall be handled in accordance with the grievance procedure set out in Article 32, Grievance and Arbitration Procedures.

Your workload is calculated according to the factors in Article 11:

11.01 A
Each teacher shall have a workload that adheres to the provisions of this Article.

11.01 B1
Total workload assigned and attributed by the College to a teacher shall not exceed 44 hours in any week for up to 36 weeks in which there are teaching contact hours for teachers in post-secondary programs and for up to 38 weeks in which there are teaching contact hours in the case of teachers not in post-secondary programs.

The balance of the academic year shall be reserved for complementary functions and professional development.

Workload factors to be considered are:
(i) teaching contact hours
(ii) attributed hours for preparation
(iii) attributed hours for evaluation and feedback
(iv) attributed hours for complementary functions

11.01 B 2
A “teaching contact hour” is a College scheduled teaching hour assigned to the teacher by the College.

11.01 C
Each teaching contact hour shall be assigned as a 50 minute block plus a break of up to ten minutes.

The voluntary extension of the teaching contact hour beyond 50 minutes by the teacher and any student(s) by not taking breaks or by re-arranging breaks or by the teacher staying after the period to consult with any student(s) shall not constitute an additional teaching contact hour.

11.02 A 1 (a)
Prior to the establishment of a total workload for any teacher the supervisor shall discuss the proposed workload with the teacher and complete the SWF, attached as Appendix I, to be provided by the The supervisor shall give a copy to the teacher not later than six weeks prior to the beginning of the period covered by the timetable excluding holidays and vacations. It is recognized that if the SWF is subsequently revised by the College, it will not be done without prior consultation with the teacher.

11.02 A 1 (b)
The College may, where a change in circumstances requires it, amend assignments provided to a teacher after the original assignment, subject to the teacher’s right to refer any matter to the College Workload Monitoring Group (WMG) referred to in 11.02 B 1 and if necessary, the Workload Resolution Arbitrator (WRA) referred to in 11.02 E 1 and appointed under 11.02 F 1.

To determine if your current workload is truly reflected on your SWF, take a careful look at your latest SWF and consider the following questions.

a) Examine the section dealing with assigned teaching hours.

• Does it reflect the number of courses and sections you are actually teaching?
• Does the number of students listed under class size reflect the number of students actually registered in your class?
• Is there anything unusual about your workload that might merit/require special consideration under Article 11.01 G 2 which deals with “atypical circumstances”?

b) Examine the section dealing with complementary functions.
c) Does it reflect all your additional work, including regularly scheduled meetings and committees?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions and want some help in recalculating your SWF, contact us.

The clauses in the pages of your Collective Agreement entitled ‘Article 11: Workload’, cover all aspects of your workload.

Your workload is itemized on the Standard Workload Form (SWF). This complex article should be studied carefully. If you have difficulty interpreting this article, please contact us.

Refer to the Collective Agreement (PDF) for full details.

You have three (3) working days from the date of receipt of your SWF to examine, sign, and submit it to your supervisor.

You may discuss your SWF with anyone you choose, including your colleagues, stewards, or members of the Workload Monitoring Group.

This type of discussion can be particularly useful in determining if you are being treated equitably in comparison to others in your work area.

If you do not sign your SWF within the three (3) day period, it is assumed you are in agreement with your assigned workload. It will only go the Workload Monitoring Group if you check the box labelled: “Proposed Workload Referred to the Workload Monitoring Group” [11.02 A 4] or if a member of the CWMG requests it.

It’s a good idea to send all your SWFs to the CWMG “for review.” Your Union reps may spot anomalies that you may have overlooked.

Discuss the SWF with your supervisor. If you present your arguments clearly, you may be able to convince your supervisor to make changes
[11.02A 6 (a)].

The discussion should take place within 14 days of your becoming aware of the unacceptable circumstances.
(The “circumstances” could be the SWF you have received or a change in your workload such that your SWF no longer reflects your actual workload.) Your supervisor must provide a response to your complaint within 7 days of your discussion.

If your supervisor does not settle the matter to your satisfaction and issue a new SWF containing the appropriate changes, refer the unsatisfactory SWF to the Workload Monitoring Group, in writing, within 7 days of your supervisor’s response.

Discuss any disagreement with your Chairperson and if there is no resolution at that stage, then sign your SWF, making appropriate comments in the space provided: “Faculty Member’s Comments”, and placing a check mark in the box labelled “Proposed Workload Referred to the Workload Monitoring Group” [11.02 A 3 & 4]. (If you need more space for comments, attach a separate sheet.)

Your steward can assist you with the wording. Be brief. Submit this document to your supervisor within 3 working days of receipt of the SWF and immediately fax a copy to the local Union office at 416-694-2176.

You may want to download the Flow Chart for Workload Resolution for easy reference. This flow chart will explain the steps required to resolve your workload problem quickly and efficiently.

No. As long as you conduct your classes and meet appropriate deadlines, you decide where you will work [11.01 G 1].

These periods are reserved for complementary functions and professional development [11.01 B 1].

You and your supervisor will agree on the activities.

The agreement is not recorded in writing or scheduled, “subject to the requirement to meet appropriate deadlines established by the College.” [11.01G1].

Anything you do during this time is by mutual consent [11.08].

Office hours are not obligatory unless they appear on your SWF as an additional complementary function on an hour-for-hour basis.

They are not part of the minimum six complementary hours.

Each full-time teacher is given a minimum of six (6) hours for routine out-of-class assistance to individual students and normal administrative tasks. You decide how and where you will use this time [11.01 F].

The college may assign any other functions appropriate to the professional role of the teacher. These can include attending regular meetings, working on committees, doing curriculum development, or performing coordinating duties, or even specialized tasks like setting up a lab or working with special-needs students.

If your supervisor asks you to do something, it shall be recorded on your SWF.

Your SWF will be sent to the College Workload Monitoring Group. The CWMG will meet “where feasible” within one (1) week of the receipt of your complaint to discuss your SWF [11.02 D 1].

You may back up your complaint with a written argument of your position and/or the CWMG may call upon you to present your position in person.

When the CWMG reaches an agreement, its decision is binding [11.02D 5].

If the CWMG can’t settle the matter, you will be contacted.

You may then refer your SWF to the Workload Resolution Arbitrator [11.02 E 1]. A meeting will be set up within two (2) weeks of the referral [11.01 F 5], and the WRA has ten (10) working days to issue a written award [11.01 F 6].

In reality, a backlog of referrals and a lack of available arbitrators may result in a delay in the hearing of your case. The WRA’s decision is final [11.01 F 8].

Overtime may exceed no more than one TCH / week; or three (3) total workload hours / week. In other words, you may not be assigned more than 47 hours total workload / week (i.e. 44 hours maximum + 3 hours maximum overtime = 47 hours).

• Overtime is voluntary, not obligatory. [11.01J 1
• The college cannot assign overtime to probationary professors under any circumstances.
  The minimum limits to your workload are:
• 4 hours for routine out-of-class assistance to individual students and 2 hours for normal administrative tasks. These two limits are minimums; if your workload requires more than this minimum amount, ask for more. [11.01 F]
• 12 hours between end of one work day and start of next [11.01L 3], wherever possible
• 10 days of professional development, including at least five uninterrupted days. These PD days must fit in the 10-month academic year, along with your teaching workload.

Article 11.01J1 indicates that all overtime work “shall be voluntary.”

Therefore, if you do not wish to work any overtime, you must provide the chair with a viable reason, as article 11.01 J3 makes reference to the fact that agreement for overtime shall not be unreasonably withheld.

The maximum limits to your workload are:

• 10-month academic year [11.03]
• 12 consecutive months of teaching in a continuous-intake program, followed by at least one month’s vacation [15]
• 36 teaching weeks / academic year for post-secondary faculty [11.01 B 1]
• 38 teaching weeks / academic year for non-post-secondary faculty [11.01 B 1]
• 18 TCH (Teaching Contact Hours) / week for post-secondary faculty (648 TCH / academic year) [11.01 I]
• 20 TCH / week for non-post-secondary faculty (760 TCH / Academic year) [11.01 I]
• 180 contact days / academic year (10 months) for post-secondary faculty [11.01 K 1]
• 190 contact days / academic year (10 months) for non-post-secondary faculty [11.01 K 1]
• 44 hours / week for total workload [11.01 B1]
• 8 hour teaching day [11.01 L 1]

• Talk to your colleagues – they may have a similar problem.
• Talk to your supervisor about the extra work and request additional time on your SWF or a reduction of your workload. If your supervisor does not agree, log your workload (such as marking and meetings) for the semester.
• Write down how much time you actually spend marking, performing committee work, and so on.
• Later in the same semester or the following semester, you will have actual figures with which to argue your case before your supervisor and possibly before the Workload Monitoring Group.

• The Collective Agreement allows for mixed evaluation types.
• When you discuss this with your supervisor, make sure that the mixed factor gives you enough time to do all the marking.
• For example, if you do essay marking and decide to add on some Scantron tests without reducing the amount of essay marking, do not accept a mixed evaluation type [11.01 E 2 (iv)].

• Hours for evaluation and feedback are based on the method of evaluation being used. Three types are identified in the workload formula, but it is also possible to have a blended evaluation factor if more than one type is used.

  “Essay or project” (Ratio: 1:0.030 per student)
  Involves marking essays, essay-type assignments or tests, projects, or student performance based on behavioral assessments [11.01 E 2 (i)]. Students’ performance based on behavioral assessment includes such techniques as presentations in class which the professor then further assesses after the class.

  “Routine or assisted” (Ratio: 1:0.015 per student)
  Involves the grading of short answer tests or the use of mechanical marking assistance or marking assistants [11.01 E 2 (ii)].

  “In-process” (Ratio: 1:0.0092 per student)
  Means that the evaluation is performed entirely within the teaching contact hour [11.01 E 2 (iii)].

• Multiply the assigned teaching contact hours by the class size and the evaluation factor [11.01 E 1].

• Each course you teach is classified according to your experience in teaching it, whether it is an additional section of the course you are teaching concurrently, or whether it is a continuous-intake program.

  • “New” – 1:1.1
    A “New” course is the first section of a course you have never taught before, or are teaching for the first time since a major revision.
  • “Established A” – 1:0.85
    An “Established A” course is the first section of a course you have taught before, but not in the previous three years.
  • “Established B” – 1:0.60
    An “Established B” course is the first section of a course you have taught within the last three years.
  • “Repeat A” – 1:0.45
    A “Repeat A” course is any of the subsequent sections of a course you are teaching in the same semester, taught to students in a different year or in a different program. If the students in your section are not all from the same year and same program, Repeat A is to be used.
  • “Repeat B” – 1:0.35
    A “Repeat B” course is any of the subsequent sections of a course you are teaching in the same semester, taught to students in the same year and program.
  • “Special A” and “Special B”
    “Special A” and “Special B” courses are continuous-intake courses or courses in which the objectives describe the students’ application of knowledge in actual work settings. See the Collective Agreement for the ratios [11.01 D 3 (vii) and (viii)].

• Multiply your assigned teaching contact hours by the preparation factor [11.01 D 1 and 11.01 D 3 (i) to (ix)].

• Your SWF should accurately reflect your teaching load.

  • Each course and section should be listed separately, and you should have no more than four (4) different course preparations or six (6) different sections in a given week.
  • Your supervisor must ask for your consent before assigning you to do any work in excess of these limits [11.01 D 2].
  • The maximum contact hours per week for a teacher in a post-secondary program is eighteen (18).
  • For a teacher not in a post-secondary program, twenty (20) is the limit [11.01 I].