Developing a faculty workload accountability system is important because instructional responsibilities will be increasingly diverse and complex in the future, and it will be important to have a management tool in place to monitor those responsibilities. It is clear that an effective faculty workload accountability system will require each institution to develop a policy consistent with its mission. While the University System, which represents diverse institutions with a board range of missions in instruction, research, and service, can adopt guidelines and parameters for policy formulation, each institution will need to shape its policy consistent with the educational services it provides. An assignment consisting only of instruction in the University System is very rare. In fact, at institutions within the University System faculty workload is tripartite, composed of teaching, research, and service in varying proportions.
Teaching is the communication of knowledge, while research is the advancement of knowledge.
The two are interrelated. Thus, while the teaching mission is paramount, teaching is inextricably connected to faculty research. Faculty service may include assistance to the State, to the institution, and to the profession. All faculty perform service tot he institution, while participation in professional and State service varies according to an individual's academic discipline and the type of program. It is important to note that public demand for faculty service is increasing in many disciplines.