Teaching is one component of faculty and instructional academic staff duties, which, beyond instruction, may include research, scholarly and creative activity, and service. They may also include administrative duties.  Teaching workload minimums are set at 24 credit hours per academic year.  Each instructional employee must teach at least one (1) course per semester. Instructional employees with a twelve-month contract must also teach at least one (1) course during the summer session.   Instructional employees with clinical appointments may meet their requirements through alternative measures and instructional activities that contribute to the advancement of the students, residents, and fellows under their purview. Instructional expectations shall be documented in the employee’s job descriptions or employment agreement consistent with this policy, and performance related to these expectations will be assessed annually. A. Credit Hour Equivalencies The academic colleges may develop credit hour equivalency policies that permit instructional employees to meet their required teaching responsibilities under <a href="https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/36/115/10" title="State Statute">Wis. Stat. § 36.115(10)</a> for academic work leading to the award of credit hours. The policies should include as appropriate, graduate instruction, high-enrollment courses, writing-intensive courses, laboratory, studio and discussion sessions, individual instruction, internships/field work, clinical instruction and supervision, dissertation and thesis supervision, etc. B. Adjustments to Teaching Workload Minimums Instructional employees’ teaching responsibilities may be adjusted as follows.  I. Chairperson Duties Academic department chairs’ and assistant or associate deans’ teaching responsibilities may be reduced commensurate with their duties in that role.   An academic department includes both departments within colleges and department-like bodies, including but not limited to the examples of Center for the Advancement of Teaching, Learning, Scholarship and Technology (CATLST) and the Honors Program.  Teaching responsibilities may be adjusted as chairperson, as long as it meets the definition within this policy, even if not utilizing the title of chairperson. II. Administrative Duties Other administrative duties involving the operation and strategic development of an institution not involving personnel, budget, or operations may be considered to the extent permitted under UW System policy. These could include but are not limited to shared governance responsibilities, program coordinators, assistant chairs and course coordinators.  III. Sabbatical and other leave Instructional employees on sabbatical, federal and/or Wisconsin Family and Medical Leave Act leave, family leave, a leave of absence or other approved leave that changes their teaching assignment(s) are not required to meet the teaching hour requirement in this policy. IV. Buyout  The number of credit hours an instructional employee is required to teach can be reduced through buyout.  The buyout must equal the proportional cost of the approved course release using the instructional employee’s base salary and fringe benefit rate. The funding sources for the buyout must comply with system policy and be clearly documented.  These buyouts must be approved annually by the academic dean.   V. Additional adjustments  In addition to those listed above, instructional employees have other duties and considerations that result in an adjustment to their workload to the extent permitted under UW System policy. These could include but are not limited to: market considerations, instructional employee development, and accreditation requirements.   Accreditation requirements include adjustments to teaching loads consistent with any accreditor’s course size or other relevant expectations.