Teaching@Ryerson

Communications and Memos

To:       Chairs/Directors

C.C.:   A. Shepard, Provost and Vice President, Academic
Deans
Administrative Assistants to the Deans
L. Allen, Assistant Vice President, Human Resources
RFA
CUPE 3904, Unit One

In the recently concluded round of collective bargaining with the Ryerson Faculty Association, several changes to voluntary paid teaching overloads were agreed to.  Please ensure that you and your administrative staff responsible for  implementing overload assignment to faculty members in your School/Department are familiar with these changes.

1. The determination and assignment of any voluntary paid overload teaching is entirely within the University's discretion.  The Faculty Association and University agreed that overload teaching is normally not to the advantage of faculty members or the University, since it diverts time and attention from the service and SRC components of members' work.
2. While the University has no obligation to offer overload teaching assignments to faculty members, when it is offered, it must be through a transparent process.  I would ask you to review your current processes for offering overload teaching assignments and if necessary, make modifications to them ensure that the process is fair, reasonable and transparent.
3. Limitations on teaching overloads were agreed to, specifically that probationary faculty members are not permitted to undertake overload teaching and an offer of an overload assignment to a faculty member who is receiving a course relief must be approved by the Vice-Provost, Faculty Affairs.
4. Faculty members who engage in overload teaching shall receive a stipend of not less than $6,300 per half course.  This increase is effective the Winter 2012 semester.  Normally a course consists of three semester hours and involves duties as outlined in the RFA collective agreement.  Notwithstanding, the Chair/Director and faculty member, with decanal approval, may agree on an equivalent/alternate amount should the course be other than three semester hours and/or the duties required are significantly different in some aspect/nature.  The increased overload rate does not apply to faculty who enter a contract to teach a Continuing Education course through the Chang School in addition to their regular teaching workload assignment.

Please note that the change in compensation for an overload course also applies to CUPE 3904, Unit One part-time and sessional instructors.

Existing policies regarding the quantum of overloading teaching remain in place.  That is, faculty members and CUPE instructors cannot work more than two overload courses (or equivalent) in any one of the three semesters i.e., Fall, Winter, or Spring/Summer [Spring/Summer is one semester]. This applies to total overloads of day and CE courses programs or equivalent.

John Isbister
Vice Provost, Faculty Affairs

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