Effective September 1, 2026, Act 15 requires faculty and instructional academic staff to teach a minimum of 12 credits each academic year (at least one course per semester), plus three summer credits for those with 12-month appointments.
In alignment with regent and system policy, UW-Madison involved an Ad Hoc Instructional Workload Advisory Group, shared governance and other campus leaders and stakeholders, to establish a minimum teaching workload expectation policy and implementation procedures.
It is vitally important to continue our commitment to excellence in teaching while also recognizing that the balance of time between teaching, research, outreach, and service activities varies across schools, colleges, and departments, according to the needs of the students, stakeholders, and discipline, as does the manner of delivering educational content to their respective learners. This policy aims to accommodate differences in skills and experiences among individuals within academic departments and allows schools, colleges, and departments to assemble highly effective teams of faculty and staff to achieve their teaching, research, outreach, and service objectives.
Policies and Procedures
- UW–Madison UW-1100 Minimum Teaching Workload Expectations Policy
- UW–Madison Minimum Teaching Workload Expectations Implementation Template for Academic Divisions
- Job Titles with Teaching Workload Expectations
- Implementation Flow Chart for UW–Madison Teaching Workload Reporting
- UW System Administrative Policy 200-Interim 03 Interim: Faculty and Instructional Academic Staff Teaching Responsibilities and Workload
- Regent Policy Document 20-25 Teaching Workload Policy