GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2017

S                                                                                                                                                    D

SENATE BILL DRS15033-LH-40A   (01/31)

Short Title:      Improve Professor Teaching Opportunities/UNC.		(Public)
Sponsors:	Senators Curtis and McInnis (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to:

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT TO improve the quality of instruction at the constituent institutions of the university of north carolina.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  Article 1 of Chapter 116 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:

"§ 116‑11.5.  Duties regarding faculty teaching standards.

(a) The Board of Governors shall adopt a policy, in accordance with this section, applicable to all constituent institutions except the North Carolina School of Science and Math and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, that sets faculty teaching standards differentiated by the type of institution, according to Carnegie Classification institution types, and by course discipline, according to course discipline types defined by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

(b) For the purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) Research Universities I: North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

(2) Doctoral Universities I: East Carolina University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

(3) Masters Institutions I (Comprehensive): Appalachian State University, Fayetteville State University, North Carolina Central University, the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and Western Carolina University.

(4) Baccalaureate Institutions I, II: Elizabeth City State University, the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and Winston‑Salem State University.

(5) STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics): Courses taught in the disciplines of mathematics, physical sciences, and biological sciences, as defined by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, including courses in engineering, computer science, and health care and allied professions.

(6) Humanities and Social Sciences: Courses taught in the disciplines of humanities and social sciences, as defined by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, including courses in business and education.

(c) The average faculty teaching load for each department at a constituent institution shall be as follows, according to the appropriate categories:

(1) Research Universities I:

a. STEM: 4.0 courses per year.

b. Humanities and Social Sciences: 5.0 courses per year.

(2) Doctoral Institutions I:

a.         STEM: 5.5 courses per year.

b. Humanities and Social Sciences: 6.0 courses per year.

(3) Masters Institutions I:

a. STEM: 6.0 courses per year.

b. Humanities and Social Sciences: 6.0 courses per year.

(4) Baccalaureate Institutions:

a. STEM: 8.0 courses per year.

b. Humanities and Social Sciences: 8.0 courses per year.

No department may average fewer than 10 students per course.

(d) The salary of any full‑time professor who teaches less than the required number of courses shall be reduced on a pro rata basis, unless:

(1) The institution chooses to supplement the professor's salary with the proceeds of the constituent institution's endowment fund.

(2) The professor has private or federal grant funds transferred to the department in exchange for a pro rata reduction of teaching obligations.

(3) The professor is serving concurrently in an administrative position.

(e) An annual independent audit of each constituent institution shall be required to determine compliance."

SECTION 2.  G.S. 116‑36(b) reads as rewritten:

"(b)      It is not the intent of this section that the proceeds from any endowment fund shall take the place of State appropriations or any part thereof, but it is the intent of this section that those proceeds shall supplement the State appropriations to the end that the institution may improve and increase its functions, may enlarge its areas of service, and may become more useful to a greater number of people. However, the proceeds of an endowment fund may be used to supplement the salary of a professor whose salary has been reduced pursuant to G.S. 116‑11.5."

SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies to academic years beginning on or after July 1, 2017.