Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe announced at the Dec. 2 Arts and Sciences Chairs meeting that he will be looking for volunteers to work with him and the Faculty Workload Committee to review the merit of faculty contributions using hypothetical cases, a plan of action based on the findings of a May 2010 Faculty Workload Committee report. The hypothetical cases would examine the merit of intervention by University administration that could potentially increase faculty contributions.

Jaffe said he plans to report back to the Arts and Sciences Chairs about the composite hypothetical cases in February or March.

In May 2010, the Arts and Sciences Faculty Workload Committee released a report that reviewed the contributions of faculty members in the School of Arts and Sciences to the established missions of Brandeis University.

The Faculty Workload Committee report reviewed the "overall parameters governing what constitutes full-time work for an Arts and Sciences faculty member," according to the report.

A complete workload for a faculty member is based on three dimensions: service, teaching and research or creative work.

Teaching includes a suggested minimum annual enrollment of 40 students, office hours and responsiveness to students. Service is defined by departmental service obligations and student advising among other commitments.

The third aspect is that "all tenured and tenure-track faculty are expected to engage in scholarship/research or creative work," according to the report.

"Expectations with respect to scholarship/research or creative work will vary by discipline," stated the report.

The report recommended that the University intervene to adjust the workload of those faculty who fail to make adequate contributions to the University.

Faculty members who do not contribute enough to the University can be assigned additional teaching, advising and service assignments, stated the report. If the faculty do not meet the expected levels of contributions in the area of research and do not take on additional teaching or service, they may be subject to a salary reduction.

The report concluded that "for the foreseeable future, the increase in enrollments and limitations on faculty hiring will inevitably increase the overall burdens borne by the faculty in terms of teaching and service, especially advising."

Prior to the May report, a February 2010 Faculty Workload Committee report proposed a new merit review process, which was not ultimately implemented.

According to the report, "It was decided not to try to implement the new process this year, but rather to experiment first with modifications of the existing system."

The report defined contributions as helping to advance to the University's missions in the areas of scholarship or creative work, teaching and service.

The February report recommended that the University follow "a formal procedure by which all tenured faculty members in Arts and Sciences will report on their recent contributions to the university and their plans for the near future, which is updated and reviewed every 5 years."

The May report essentially voided the findings of the February report.

"Implementation of a once-in-five-years reporting mechanism for tenured faculty that we recommended in our earlier memorandum has been suspended in favor of expanding the existing annual faculty activity's report," stated the May report.