Teaching Load and Appointment Criteria and Guidelines

Effective July 1, 2026

Overview

The following guidelines outline expectations of faculty; required teaching load; and appointment criteria, guidelines, duties and responsibilities for instructional directors, department chairpersons, and program or instructional coordinators.

Section I: Teaching Load Guidelines

Expectations of all full-time faculty are set forth in their classification specification.
Instructional directors/department chairpersons are required to maintain workload grids outlining all responsibilities of all faculty under their supervision. The workload grid must include all courses taught across campuses or outside of the department, including workforce development programming. Prior to the start of each semester, instructional directors/department chairs shall submit the grids to their dean of instruction for review and approval prior to implementation. * The dean shares with the vice president and campus director and the vice president for academic affairs. The grid should also be posted near faculty member's office in a place where it is readily visible.

*If a faculty member's workload changes during the semester, the revised grid must also be submitted.

Salary Plan A Teaching Load

At Delaware Technical Community College, full-time instructional faculty are expected to teach their standard courseload and otherwise perform the essential functions of their employment on campus regardless of the format of course or time of day. Full-time instructional teaching load is calculated as follows (contact hours are calculated on a per week, per semester basis):

10-month instructors teach 15 contact hours for the fall and spring semesters.
11-month instructors teach 15 contact hours for the fall and spring semesters
12-month instructors teach 15 contact hours for the fall and spring semesters and six (6) contact hours for the summer* semester.
Instructional directors teach three (3) contact hours, or the equivalent of one course, for the fall and spring semesters. Instructional directors have no required contact hours for the summer semester.
Department chairpersons teach six (6) contact hours for the fall and spring semesters and three (3) contact hours for the summer* semester.
11-month program coordinators teach nine (9) contact hours for the fall and spring semesters
12-month program coordinators teach nine (9) contact hours for the fall and spring semesters and six (6) contact hours for the summer* semester.
11-month instructional coordinators teach 12 contact hours for the fall and spring semesters
12-month instructional coordinators teach 12 contact hours for the fall and spring semesters and six (6) contact hours for the summer* semester.

*Summer semester teaching loads are determined based upon operational needs of the department and applicable to all positions noted above. Any Salary Plan A requests for supplemental contracts for summer must be discussed in advance with and approved by the dean of instruction and the vice president and campus director, and for any collegewide appointments, all Salary Plan A supplemental summer contracts must be approved by the vice president for academic affairs.

Workforce Development and Community Education does not operate on the standard academic calendar and, therefore, does not have the same teaching load expectations. Contact hours are based on the needs of the department and will be determined by the supervisor/administrator.

Contact hours are based upon the needs of the department. Reduced contact hours may be authorized by the dean of instruction with the prior approval of the vice president and campus director and the vice president for academic affairs. To be eligible for a reduction in contact hours, an individual must be assigned significant out-of-class interaction or significantly time-consuming projects. Any reduction in contact hours must be pre-approved prior to the start of each semester.

In extenuating circumstances, a faculty member may be unable to fulfill the required teaching load. In these circumstances, contact hours will be fulfilled by one or a combination of the following:

Teaching SSCl00 during the semester or prior to the start of the semester Providing students with academic support in the tutoring center, writing center, or learning commons (not to exceed two contact hours per week) during regularly scheduled hours.
An additional workload requirement approved by the dean of instruction with the prior approval of the vice president and campus director and the vice president for academic affairs.

With pre-approval, there may be circumstances where faculty teaching loads must be distributed across the academic year in order to meet total teaching load requirement. For example, per departmental needs, a 10-month faculty member may teach 12 contact hours in the fall and 18 contact hours in the spring. In this example, a supplemental contract would not be awarded for the spring semester overage.

Supplemental Contracts

An individual must fulfill their teaching load to obtain a supplemental contract. Except where a teaching load has been approved to span over two semesters, a supplemental contract may only be awarded for contact hours that exceed an individual's maximum teaching load as defined herein. Once the contact hour requirement has been reached in a given semester, the individual will be given a supplemental contract for any additional contact hours over the designated maximum. Teaching loads and supplemental contract guidelines apply to courses taught in the Instructional Division, Student Affairs, and Workforce Development and Community Education. Exceptions to this rule may be approved by the vice president and campus director, or for collegewide appointments, exceptions may be approved by the vice president for academic affairs. The deans will review the exceptions collegewide prior to the start of the next semester and communicate all exceptions to the vice president and campus director and the vice president for academic affairs.

Full-time faculty may be scheduled to teach their standard course load at any time during the College's hours of operation, based on departmental needs. This includes daytime, evening, and weekend hours. When a full-time faculty member is assigned to teach a course that concludes after 4:30 p.m., an adjusted work schedule will be implemented to ensure compliance with workload expectations and to support work-life balance. Adjusted schedules do not constitute additional compensation. A supplemental contract may be issued when a faculty member's assigned contact hours exceed the maximum teaching load.

Supplemental compensation is based solely on contact hour overload, regardless of the time of day the course is offered. Evening or weekend assignments do not automatically qualify for supplemental pay unless they result in a contact hour overload.

Per semester, supplemental contracts are not to exceed*:

Two (2) courses or eight (8) contact hours for instructors, academic counselors, financial aid officers, registrars, or other Salary Plan A employees
One (1) course or four (4) contact hours for instructional directors, department chairpersons, and program or instructional coordinators

The above limitations apply to full-time faculty regardless of whether they are teaching in their own department or campus or at a different department or campus and include online courses.

In the case where a full-time instructor is assigned a supplemental contract to teach a course outside of their department, the department chair assigning the contract must work with the instructor's supervisor to ensure compliance. For supplemental contracts outside of their department, the chair is responsible for obtaining documentation confirming that the employee's supervisor and dean of instruction has provided permission, which may be by email.

Salary Plan B Teaching Load

Salary Plan B employees must obtain permission in advance for any teaching load contracts from their supervisor and dean or director. The chair is responsible for obtaining documentation confirming that the employee's supervisor has provided permission, which may be by email.

Maximum supplemental contracts for salary plan B employees are not to exceed, per semester, eight (8) contact hours*. When the employee is assigned a supplemental contract(s) during their normal workday, an adjusted work schedule is required, and an approved flexible work arrangements agreement must be on file.

Adjunct Instructor Teaching Load

Adjunct faculty members are not to exceed 13 contact hours per week. Exceptions may be recommended by the dean of instruction and approved by the vice president and campus director.

Salary Plan C (Temporary Part Time - TPT/Regular Part Time - RPT) Teaching Load

TPT/RPT employees cannot exceed 29 hours per week for all work performed. TPT/RPT employees must have supervisor and dean of instruction permission for any supplemental teaching load contracts. Requests in excess of 29 may be considered on a temporary basis with VPCD approval.

Salary Plan A non-instructor TPT/RPT employees must have any supplemental teaching load contracts approved by their supervisor in consultation with the vice president and campus director.

Salary Plan D Teaching Load

Salary Plan D employees occupy critical positions of leadership within their divisions and are expected to provide full-time and attention to their primary responsibilities. As a result, Salary Plan D employees must obtain permission for any supplemental contract from their respective vice president and the president.

If approved, supplemental contracts may not exceed:

One (1) course or four (4) contact hours per semester.

Section II: Appointment Criteria and Guidelines

Term of Appointments

The following criteria and guidelines will be used to determine the need for appointment of instructional directors, department chairpersons, and program or instructional coordinators to provide program leadership.

For additional salary supplement information, see Salary Plan A Description, Section G. All individuals appointed to instructional director, department chairperson, or program or instructional coordinator serve at the pleasure of the vice president and campus director and/or vice president for academic affairs (for a collegewide appointment or an Office of the President employee). It is expected that external and internal factors, including but not limited to changing labor market or enrollment, operational needs, budget, personnel changes, department reorganization, and appointee performance could impact appointments. Generally, appointments are effective at the start of the fiscal year and evaluated on an annual basis during the performance appraisal process. In order to meet operational needs, exceptions to this timing may be made by the vice president and campus director or for collegewide appointments by the vice president for academic affairs. Appointments are not permanent.

Communication of Appointments

The vice president is responsible for communicating the appointment to the individual, using a standardized memo provided by Human Resources, which will also include the list of accountabilities for the role (see Appendix A and Personnel Policy Manual Salary Plan A Description). The vice president's office will copy the campus Human Resources office, Office of the President payroll services manager, the vice president for human resources, and the vice president for academic affairs and, if needed, vice president and campus directors on the appointment notification. The dean of instruction or dean of student affairs will meet with the appointee to review the accountabilities.

Instructional Director Appointment:

An instructional director may be appointed when at least two of the following criteria are met.

More than one distinct department supervised
Six or more programs supervised
More than 40 work-based learning sites
At least 15 full-time employees supervised

Department Chairperson Appointment:

A department chairperson may be appointed for a program if there is no existing instructional director or department chairperson with the subject-matter expertise to provide oversight for the program.

Program Coordinator Appointment:

A program coordinator may be appointed to develop and/or lead a program, under the supervision of an instructional director or department chairperson, in any of the following circumstances:

A degree program needs to be developed or led, and no existing instructional director or department chairperson has the subject matter expertise to develop and provide oversight for the program.
Program accreditation standards require appointment of a dedicated supervisor (often referred to in accreditation standards as a "program director").
Operational need as determined by the presentation of a business case

Instructional Coordinator Appointment:

Instructional coordinators will be approved based on operational need as determined by the presentation of a business case and reviewed in coordination with the College's program review process. Factors to be considered include, but are limited to, the following:

Number of full-time employees supervised, including all full-time faculty and staff
Number of degree programs supervised, including embedded diploma and ce1iificate programs
Number of unduplicated students enrolled in the program(s)/major(s)
Number of work-based learning sites per academic year
Number of labs/academic support centers overseen, including specialized and general labs
Number of programs supervised for Workforce Development
Number of accredited programs

Appendix A: Duties and Responsibilities of Assigned Roles

Instructional Director

Summary:

An instructional director in the instructional division is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the vice president and campus director and/or vice president for academic affairs and reports to the dean of instruction or vice president for academic affairs or their designee. The instructional director is responsible for the administration of a group of interrelated departments/programs of such size or complexity as to warrant this supplemental position and for ensuring the academic quality of the departments/programs within the group.

In addition to the principal accountabilities of instructor, an instructional director has a set of duties and responsibilities. This role is a 12-month appointment. The teaching load requirements for an instructional director are outlined in Teaching Load Guidelines.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Ensure excellence in teaching and a quality learning environment for students across all assigned programs and courses.
Explore, plan, develop, and implement expansion and change for growth and development for the departments/programs within the assigned area, including new programs, instructional delivery systems, program options, and bridge programs with the Workforce Development and Community Education Division.
Manage program review process.
Oversee program articulation with K-12 and other colleges/universities.
Manage program accreditation/evaluation processes and prepare appropriate documents.
Recruit, supervise, and evaluate program support staff; full-time and adjunct faculty; and department chairs, instructional coordinators, and program coordinators.
Implement personnel policies of the College.
Develop and manage department budget.
Develop/approve master schedule for submission to the dean of instruction.
Manage advisory committee(s) for all assigned department(s)/program(s).
Establish and maintain relationships with potential employers, community partners, and other members of the professional community.
Coordinate the review and update of the curriculum, course syllabi, performance objectives, and learning activities, and oversee student learning outcomes assessments and development and implementation of improvement actions.
Ensure timely and effective requisition of instructional texts, materials, supplies, and equipment for all courses for assigned department(s)/program(s).
Plan and participate in student recruitment and retention efforts.
Facilitate professional development, including new faculty orientation, for the department.
Collaborate with the head librarian on the purchase of library materials relevant to the program.
Oversee the evaluation of credit for prior learning, including transfer credit.
Oversee identification of potential graduates and certification of graduates.
Resolve faculty, staff, and student problems within the department.
Compose and/or approve course descriptions for catalog and program information.
Participate in the development of and support the work of the Instructional Division's College Plan.
May coordinate a program with multiple sites throughout the state.
May supervise off-site training and /or work-based learning sites.
May provide leadership, management, and supervision for a community center.
Other duties as assigned.

Revised: 11/1/2019

Department Chairperson

Summary:

A department chair in the Instructional Division is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the vice president and campus director or vice president for academic affairs and reports to the dean of instruction or vice president for academic affairs or their designee. The department chair is responsible for the planning, organization, coordination, and supervision of a department and for ensuring the academic quality of the department.

In addition to the principal accountabilities of instructor, a department chair has a set of duties and responsibilities. This role is a 12-month appointment. The teaching load requirements for a department chairperson are outlined in Teaching Load Guidelines.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Ensure excellence in teaching and a quality learning environment for students across all assigned programs and courses.
Explore, plan, develop, and implement expansion and change for growth and development within the department, including new programs, instructional delivery systems, program options, and bridge programs with the Workforce Development and Community Education Division.
Manage program review process.
Facilitate program articulation with K-12 and other colleges/universities.
Manage program accreditation/evaluation processes and prepare appropriate documents.
Recruit, supervise, and evaluate program support staff; full-time and adjunct faculty; and department chairs, instructional coordinators, and program coordinators.
Implement personnel policies of the College.
Develop and manage department budget.
Develop department's master schedule for submission to the instructional director or dean of instruction.
Manage advisory committee(s) for department(s)/program(s).
Establish and maintain relationships with potential employers, community partners, and other members of the professional community.
Review and update the curriculum, course syllabi, performance objectives, and learning activities, and conduct student learning outcomes assessments and develop and implement improvement actions. Develop and review distance education materials and courses.
Ensure timely and effective requisition of instructional texts, materials, supplies, and equipment for department/courses.
Plan and participate in student recruitment and retention efforts.
Facilitate professional development, including new faculty orientation, for the department.
Collaborate with the head librarian on the purchase of library materials relevant to the program(s).
Evaluate credit for prior learning, including transfer credit.
Identify and certify students for graduation.
Facilitate resolution of faculty, staff, and/or student problems concerning the department.
Compose course descriptions for catalog and program information for other publications.
Participate in the development of and support the work of the Instructional Division's College Plan.
May coordinate a program with multiple sites throughout the state.
May supervise off-site training and/or work-based learning sites.
Other duties as assigned.

Revised: 11/1/2019

Program Coordinator

Summary:

A program coordinator in the Instructional Division is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the vice president and campus director or vice president and campus director, and reports to the instructional director or department chairperson. A program coordinator is responsible for assisting the instructional director or department chairperson by providing daily operational oversight of an academic program and for ensuring the academic quality of the program. In addition to the principal accountabilities of instructor, a program coordinator has a set of duties and responsibilities. This role is an 11 or 12-month appointment. The teaching load requirements for a program coordinator are outlined in Teaching Load Guidelines.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Encourage, support, and contribute to excellence in teaching and a quality learning environment for students.
Plan and develop new programs and program options.
Conduct program review process.
Facilitate program articulation with K-12 and other colleges/universities.
Work toward achieving program outcomes including graduate employment in the field of study and graduate transfer success.
Establish and maintain relationships with potential employers and community partners.
Facilitate program accreditation/evaluation processes, and prepare appropriate documents.
Assist in recruiting, supervising, and evaluating full-time and adjunct faculty.
Implement personnel policies of the College.
Provide budget input to supervisor.
Coordinate master schedule for assigned program/courses for submission to supervisor.
Review and update the curriculum, course syllabi, performance objectives, and learning activities for department chairperson approval, and conduct student learning outcomes assessments and recommends improvement actions. Develop and review distance education materials and courses.
Requisition of instructional texts, materials, supplies, and equipment for courses.
Participate in student recruitment and retention efforts.
Locate and coordinate work-based learning sites for students.
Collaborate with the head librarian on the purchase of library materials relevant to the program.
Facilitate resolution of faculty, staff, and/or student problems concerning the program.
Compose and submit course descriptions for catalog and program information for other publications.
Other duties as assigned.

Revised: 11/1/2019

Instructional Coordinator

Summary:

An instructional coordinator in the Instructional Division is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the vice president and campus director or vice president for academic affairs, and reports to the instructional director or department chairperson. An instructional coordinator is responsible for assisting the instructional director or department chairperson in ensuring the integrity of the academic programs and for developing and maintaining flexible and innovative instructional delivery systems.

In addition to the principal accountabilities of instructor, an instructional coordinator has a set of duties and responsibilities. This role is an 11 or 12-month appointment. The teaching load requirements for an instructional coordinator are outlined in Teaching Load Guidelines.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Encourage, support, and contribute to excellence in teaching and a quality learning environment for students.
Monitor and manage the review and updating of course outlines.
Plan and develop instructional delivery systems as directed.
Develop outcomes measures and track student success.
Research and develop innovative instructional methods and train faculty as directed.
Review and recommend texts and other instructional materials.
Assist in recruiting, supervising, and evaluating support staff and adjunct and full-time faculty.
Provide budget input to supervisor.
Assist the instructional directors/department chairperson in the development of the master schedule for the department.
Assist in reviewing and updating the curriculum, course syllabi, performance objectives, and learning activities for department chairperson approval, and conducts student learning outcomes assessments and recommends improvement actions. Develop and review distance education materials and courses.
Requisition of instructional texts, materials, supplies, and equipment for courses as directed.
Participate in student recruitment and retention efforts.
Assist in certifying graduation requirements have been met.
Facilitate resolution of student problems concerning the department.
Other duties as assigned.

Revised: 11/1/2019

Student Affairs Instructional Coordinator

Summary:

A student affairs instructional coordinator is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the vice president and campus director, and reports to the dean of student affairs. The student affairs instructional coordinator is responsible for planning, scheduling, and coordinating all Student Success Courses {SSC} courses and ensures the integrity of SSC courses. The following duties and responsibilities are in addition to the principal accountabilities of Academic Counselor. This role is a 12-month position. The teaching load for a student affairs instructional coordinator is assigned by the dean of student affairs.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Encourage, support, and contribute to excellence in teaching and a quality learning environment for students.
Monitor and manage the review and updating of course outlines.
Facilitate professional development, including developing and delivering semi-annual training for SSC 100 instructors, and planning, coordinating, and delivering SSC course(s) orientations for new instructors.
Develop, review, and maintain instructor materials for SSC courses.
Ensure SSC instructors complete required attendance reporting and grading within designated timeframes.
Ensure SSC courses are available in learning management system at least two weeks prior to the semester start and meet Minimum Usage Guidelines.
Collaborate with collegewide SSC leads to manage and maintain alignment of SSC course offerings and curricula.
Act as liaison to Curriculum Committee for SSC Course development and revisions.
Ensure all required students are registered for the mandatory SSC 100 course and coordinate follow up with students who do not successfully complete the course to have them re-register including referring students to academic counselors and program advisors.
Assist in ensuring students meet the mandatory SSC 100 requirement.
Collaborate with the dean of student affairs to recruit, select, and hire SSC instructors.
Develop the master schedule for SSC courses and collaborate with Instruction and Registration for any special course needs (computer labs, classroom assignments, etc.) and changes.
Serve as the primary SSC contact for learning communities and dual enrollment/other contractual offerings.
Serve as resource for new SSC 100 instructors.
Provide budget input for SSC course needs to the dean.
Other duties as assigned.

Rev. 11/1/2019

Appendix B: Business Case Justification Form

When the principal accountabilities of an instructional director/department chair require the need for an instructional coordinator to ensure sustainable workload distribution, maintain program quality, and support student success, the following form should be used. Departments with responsibilities that require a high volume of complex and compliance-driven tasks, oversight of numerous work-based learning sites, specialized settings, and multiple programs of study will be considered based on the rationale including data supplied for the justification criteria and additional considerations.

Section 1: Overview

Requested Role:	Instructional Coordinator
Department/Program:
Campus:
Submitted By:
Date of Submission:

Section 2: Justification Criteria

Please provide data and narrative for each criterion below. Use the most recent academic year data.

Criteria	Details/ Data
Number of full-time employees supervised	Include all full-time faculty and staff
Number of programs supervised	Include non-embedded diplomas and certificates
Unduplicated student enrollment in program(s)/major(s)	Provide headcount
Number of work-based learning sites (clinical, practicum, etc.)	Count per academic year
Number of labs/academic support centers overseen	Include specialized and general support labs
Number of educational/training programs developed/delivered without compensation	Workforce Development only
Number of accredited programs	List accrediting bodies

Section 3: Additional Considerations

Describe any unique responsibilities, compliance requirements, or strategic initiatives that support the need for this role.
Include any collegewide coordination efforts.

Section 4: Impact Statement

Explain how the addition of this instructional coordinator role will:

Improve student outcomes {include data and current metrics}
Enhance program operations
Align with Delaware Tech's strategic goals and objectives