Towards Estimating
Academic Workloads for
UKZN
Glen Barnes (MSc Agric, MGSSA)
Director, Management Information, UKZN
May 2006
Objectives


To estimate academic staff workload
demand based on the commitment to
teaching and supervision, research,
community involvement or outreach, and
administration.
To enable a more objective method of
estimating the staff teaching load using
quantitative data through the medium of
module notional study hours, and
limitations placed on student delivery by
class sizes and group study.
The Outcome …


The construction of a decision support
system addressing the most
important variables
The incorporation of these ideas into a
computerized decision support
framework currently known as the
School Planning Decision Support
System (SPDSS).
Procedure


Initial pilot study
Special Senate Task Team
– Identify the important variables
– Determine a set of default values

Roll out to Schools
– Establish ‘buy-in’ of the Schools
– Foster ownership of the data

Integration with other tools
Academic Endeavours




Teaching
Research
Community Development &
Outreach
Administration
Inputs & Assumptions






High-level Assumptions
Module Enrolment Data
Detailed Module Assumptions
Staff Assumptions
Research Data
Graduate Data
Institutional targets



Working year : 219 days
Working day : 8 hours
Proportional allocation
– Teaching : 45%
– Research : 40%
– Admin/Outreach : 15%


Research productivity : 60 PUs/yr
Minimum SAPSE proportion : 50%
Inputs & Assumptions






High-level Assumptions
Module Enrolment Data
Detailed Module Assumptions
Staff Assumptions
Research Data
Graduate Data
Inputs & Assumptions






High-level Assumptions
Module Enrolment Data
Detailed Module Assumptions
Staff Assumptions
Research Data
Graduate Data
Inputs & Assumptions






High-level Assumptions
Module Enrolment Data
Detailed Module Assumptions
Staff Assumptions
Research Data
Graduate Data
Default Values & Norms



Quantified by the Senate Task Team
Initial deployment of the system
Form the basis of comparison
– Determine differences between Schools
– Evaluate inputs from the Schools
Reporting Objectives



Highlight data errors
Summarize the data into ratios and
performance indicators
Generate a number of scenarios for
planning
Outputs & Reports


Time & Staff estimates
School Summary Analysis
– Summary Tables
– Four Scenarios
– Scenario summary
Time & Staff estimates
Module
Module
Module
Contact
Preparation
Assessment
Consulting
Group
Teach
Total
Acad
Level
Count
Enrol
hrs
hrs
hrs
hrs
hrs
(%)
hrs
Staff
2
10
1806
662 (10%)
527 (8%)
5075
90 (1%)
0
100
6354
8.1
4
16
871
576 (12%)
763 (16%)
2645
881 (18%)
0
100
4865
6.2
3
8
1044
655 (14%)
640 (13%)
3367
104 (2%)
0
100
4766
6.1
1
6
425
167 (17%)
182 (19%)
608
21 (2%)
0
100
978
1.3
8
9
50
0
0
0
874 (100%)
0
100
874
1.1
9
4
19
0
0
0
648 (100%)
0
100
648
0.83
27
53
4215
2060 (11%)
2111 (11%)
11694 (63%)
2619 (14%)
0 (0%)
100
18485
23
Outputs & Reports


Time & Staff estimates
School Summary Analysis
– Summary Tables
– Four Scenarios
– Scenario summary
Summary Tables
2005
2006
2007
2008
No of Modules
55
55
55
55
Enrolled FTEs
282
282
291
299
Weighted FTEs
300
300
308
317
Enrolled Head Count
314
314
323
333
FTE to HC (%)
89.9
89.9
89.9
89.8
FTEs per Module
5.3
5.3
5.5
5.7
Enrolments per Module
44
44
45.3
46.6
Student FTEs & Head Counts
Summary Tables ...
2005
2006
2007
2008
1658
1658
1686
1693
16%
16%
16%
16%
2065
2065
2065
2065
20%
20%
20%
20%
5833
5833
5977
6122
58%
58%
58%
59%
535
535
539
542
5%
5%
5%
5%
0
0
0
0
0%
0%
0%
0%
10092
10092
10266
10422
Teaching Allocation (hrs)
Contact (2004: 2500)
Preparation
Assessment (2004: 9862)
Consulting (2004: 1218)
Group teaching
TOTAL (2004: 13580)
Summary Tables …
2005
2006
2007
2008
Planned Academic
16
16
16
16
Planned Support
4
4
4
4
Academic to Support Staff Ratio
4
4
4
4
Modules per Academic
3
3
3
3
Credits per Academic
102
102
102
102
Teaching hrs per week
12
12
12
13
Staff number estimates (FTEs)
Outputs & Reports


Time & Staff estimates
School Summary Analysis
– Summary Tables
– Four Scenarios
– Scenario summary
Scenario One – the current situation
2005
2006
Teaching and Research
Teaching rate (%)
36
Research rate (%)
23.5
Admin/Outreach rate (%)
40.5
TOTAL (%)
100
Adjusted Staff (FTEs)
16
Research output (PUs)
564.6
All Academic Staff
Adjusted Staff (FTEs)
16
Students per Academic (FTEs)
17.6
NSH per Academic (hrs)
1020
Research output (PUs)
565
Productivity per Academic (PUs)
35
Margin over Compensation (1000s)
1952
2007
2008
Scenario Two – revised Admin/Outreach
Constant
Increase
2005
Decrease
2006
Teaching and Research
Teaching rate (%)
36
Research rate (%)
23.5
Admin/Outreach rate (%)
15
TOTAL (%)
74.5
Adjusted Staff (FTEs)
11.9
Research output (PUs)
564.6
All Academic Staff
Adjusted Staff (FTEs)
11.9
Students per Academic (FTEs)
23.7
NSH per Academic (hrs)
1369
Research output (PUs)
565
Productivity per Academic (PUs)
47
Margin over Compensation (1000s)
2995
2007
2008
Scenario Three – revised Admin/Outreach & Research
Constant
Increase
2005
Decrease
2006
Teaching and Research
Teaching rate (%)
36
Research rate (%)
49
Admin/Outreach rate (%)
15
TOTAL (%)
100
Adjusted Staff (FTEs)
16
Research output (PUs)
1176
All Academic Staff
Adjusted Staff (FTEs)
16
Students per Academic (FTEs)
17.6
NSH per Academic (hrs)
1020
Research output (PUs)
1176
Productivity per Academic (PUs)
Margin over Compensation (1000s)
73
2101
2007
2008
Scenario Four – institutional targets
Constant
Increase
2005
Decrease
2006
Teaching and Research
Teaching rate (%)
45
Research rate (%)
40
Admin/Outreach rate (%)
15
TOTAL (%)
100
Adjusted Staff (FTEs)
12.8
Research output (PUs)
768
All Academic Staff
Adjusted Staff (FTEs)
Students per Academic (FTEs)
12.8
22
NSH per Academic (hrs)
1275
Research output (PUs)
768
Productivity per Academic (PUs)
60
Margin over Compensation (1000s)
2771
2007
2008
Outputs & Reports


Time & Staff estimates
School Summary Analysis
– Summary Tables
– Four Scenarios
– Scenario summary
Scenario Summary
2005
2006
Academic Staff (FTEs)
Scenario 1
16
Scenario 2
11.9
Scenario 3
17.6
Scenario 4
12.8
Scenario 1
565
Scenario 2
565
Scenario 3
1176
Scenario 4
768
Productivity (PUs)
Margin over Compensation (1000s)
Scenario 1
1952
Scenario 2
2995
Scenario 3
2101
Scenario 4
2771
2007
2008
Data Integration

Data inputs are from:
– ModMan; Modules for Handbooks
– MIDB; Enrolments, Graduates
– IRMA; staff productivity

Scenario outputs become inputs into:
– Affordability model
– Academic viability model
– School Business Plan
Conclusions




An attempt to address the very sensitive
issue of staff workloads
Considered the limitations of previous
investigations and propose enhancements
Through a collaborative approach assist the
School planning process
Facilitate a system of monitoring into the
future
Thank you …