Effective Spring 2026
Table of Contents
1. Purpose and Scope
The purpose of this policy is to ensure faculty workload within Washington State University College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS) is fair, equitably assigned, transparent, and aligned with WSU’s mission and values as a land-grant institution. Faculty in CAHNRS engage in diverse roles, including teaching, research/scholarship, service, Extension, and administration. This policy applies to all faculty tracks (tenure-track, career-track, research, scholarly, and Extension) and will guide individual workload planning, annual reviews, and performance assessments.
This policy is aligned with the WSU university workload policy and is informed by best practices with an equity-minded and mission-aligned workload framework. It is a living document and subject to regular review and revision. Broad workload definitions and expectations are defined by this policy, but each department is required to have its own workload policy that defines the specifics for that unit. Department policies must be approved by the Dean and the Provost and should be completed by December 31, 2026.
CAHNRS promotes excellence in teaching, innovative research, and Extension programs that address complex local and global agricultural, human, and natural resource issues. Faculty and staff in CAHNRS commit to cultivating diverse, equitable, inclusive, and safe environments that foster transformative student experiences, authentic community engagement, and respectful knowledge exchange.
CAHNRS has the broadest statewide impact of any college at WSU due to its statewide presence and breadth of disciplines. CAHNRS faculty are located at all campuses throughout the state and expertise spans agricultural science, natural resource sciences, and human sciences through the CAHNRS network of schools, departments, Extension program units, Research and Extension Centers (RECs), county and tribal Extension offices, and almost 10,000 acres of farmland. Teaching, research, and Extension programs take a transdisciplinary approach to building capacity and exploring feasible solutions for the most challenging societal issues of the day and future.
CAHNRS values the capacity of faculty to integrate their work across the land grant missions of research, teaching, Extension, and service. Those faculty members who are engaged in two or more missions of the land grant university can integrate their work across their teaching, Extension, research, and service roles. Faculty who successfully demonstrate this integration embody the ideals of the land grant university, and their efforts should be recognized and rewarded accordingly, regardless of track.
Please refer to the CAHNRS Faculty Guide for Promotion and Tenure Guidelines (PDF) for additional details, expectations, and examples of scholarship, scholarly activity, impact, and creative activity for tenure and career track faculty.
2. Workload Categories
Faculty work may be allocated across the following categories, as appropriate to appointment:
- Teaching
- Scholarship
- Service
- Extension
- Administration
- Other
Each department will define specific activities that constitute satisfactory and meritorious performance within these categories. For example, scholarship may include grant activity, peer- reviewed publications, or community-engaged research; service may include contributions to Faculty Senate or leading accreditation efforts. Teaching should include activities involving instruction, advising, and mentoring.
3. Workload Allocation
Faculty workload in CAHNRS is assigned in terms of % FTE across categories, based on appointment type and aligned with departmental and college goals. The WSU Faculty Workload policy defines the baseline workload on a semester basis for teaching as:
| Teaching %FTE | Number of three-credit courses, (Distinct courses, not the same course with different course prefixes), or equivalent teaching, advising, mentoring. | Total credit equivalencies for academic year |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 X 0 | 0 |
| 20 | 1 X 1 | 6 |
| 40 | 2 X 2 | 12 |
| 60 | 3 X 3 | 18 |
| 80 | 4 X 4 | 24 |
| 100 | 5 X 5 | 30 |
The following table adopts WSU’s recommendations for CAHNRS’ use.
| Faculty Type | Teaching /Mentoring/Advising | Creative Scholarship / Research | Service | Extension/ Applied Research |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenure-track faculty (Department based) | 5%–80% | 10%–80% | 10%–20% | 0%-70% |
| Tenure-track faculty (Extension Unit based) | 0% | 0% | 10% | 90% |
| Career-track Teaching faculty | 60%–95% | 0%–30% | 5%–20% | N/A |
| Career-track Research faculty | 0%-20% | 90%-100% | 5%–20% | N/A |
| Career-track Scholarly faculty | 50%-80% | 10%-45% | 5%–20% | 0%-45% |
| Career-track Extension faculty | 0% | 0% | 10% | 90% |
| Administrative appointments | Adjusted depending on scope of admin role – may reduce other areas proportionally | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Workload should reflect a faculty member’s appointment, career stage, and unit needs, with consideration of external funding, class size, course modality, outreach efforts, and administrative service.
Note: Faculty with appointments including multiple roles (e.g., Extension + Teaching, Extension
+ Research, Extension + Research +Teaching) will have integrated workload plans reflecting a blend of these functions.