The following guidance applies to instructional summer appointments for Faculty, Academic Staff & Lecturer (SA)s.

Appointment dates

Summer instructional appointments typically include one prep week before the instructional session. E.g., an instructor teaching an 8-week course will be appointed for 9 weeks.

Appointment percentages

Less common scenarios

Please consult with L&S Teaching & Learning Administration to walk through any less common scenario, especially if the instructor is teaching more than one summer course. We will consider complexities and provide guidance. Some less common scenarios include:

• When courses begin the first contract week of summer, the additional week will typically be added to the end of the appointment.
• Instructors teaching two courses back-to-back should have an additional week for each course added to the appointment. Typically this will be a week prior to the appointment (for the first course), and a week after the second course. 
• Instructors teaching 13 & 14 week courses will not receive an additional week for prep added to their appointment. Instead of getting an extra week, they will receive a higher appointment percentage:
  
  • 13-week courses: 35.0%
  • 14-week courses: 32.5%
• Other scenarios not listed will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by L&S Teaching & Learning Administration in consultation with L&S HR.

Procedure

• L&S TLA staff will review instructor appointment levels during the Summer Budget Proposal exercise (see: L&S Summer Budget Proposals). Approved appointment details will be listed on the Expense Details report.
  • L&S TLA will discuss appointment levels with the Academic Associate Dean, with input from the Budget Office and Human Resources.
  • Approved appointment details will be listed on the Expense Details report.
• Departments must submit a request through the L&S Instructional Staffing Request Form (instructions) if any changes are needed after their Summer Budget Proposal is approved.
• See below for appointment letter procedures.

Need Help? Email Rob Schultz (rob.schultz@wisc.edu) for help finding past appointment levels or calculating an appointment percentage.

Appointment dates

Departments may add an additional week of prep time, similar to instructors. E.g., the TA appointment for an 8-week course may span nine weeks.

Appointment percentages

Teaching Assistants appointment levels are often similar to instructor appointment levels. Common appointment levels are listed below. The appointment level is ultimately determined by the number of hours needed for the appointment.

Less common scenarios

Please consult with L&S Teaching & Learning Administration to walk through any less common scenarios, especially if the TA is teaching more than one summer course. We will consider complexities and provide guidance. Some less common scenarios include:

• When courses begin the first contract week of summer, the additional week may be added to the end of the appointment.
• TAs teaching two courses back-to-back should have an additional week for each course added to the appointment. Typically this will be a week prior to the appointment (for the first course), and a week after the second course. 
• TAs teaching 13 & 14 week courses will not receive an additional week for prep added to their appointment. Instead of getting an extra week, they will receive a higher appointment percentage
• Other scenarios not listed will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by L&S Teaching & Learning Administration in consultation with L&S HR.

Procedure

• TA appointment levels are approved at the time of the Summer Budget Proposal.
• Approved appointment details will be listed on the Expense Details report.
• Changes may be requested through the L&S Instructional Staffing Request Form (instructions).
• Departments must provide a summer workload document to TAs that lists the expected duties and number of hours for the appointment. Contact Lynne Prost (lprost@wisc.edu) with questions related to TA workloads. 
• Contact Lynne Prost with questions related to TA workloads. Departments may also contact teach.learn@ls.wisc.edu for assistance in finding past appointment levels or calculating an appointment percentage.
• See below for appointment letter procedures.

• Departments are permitted to create paid appointments for a Summer Chair, paid on the Summer 131 funding (131-2 A48##93), as long as the department is projected to have adequate surplus.
• The details of the Summer Chair appointment are approved at the time of the Summer Budget Proposal.
• Departments may be asked to obtain Executive Committee approval for chair compensation.
• See below for appointment letter procedures.

• Summer Term instructors, TAs and chairs in L&S (with nine-month/C-Basis appointments) will receive appointment letters.
• The specific, approved details for these appointment letters are listed on the Expense Details report.
• The sections below outline the specific appointment letter procedure, based on whether the individual hired is Faculty/renewable staff, Short-term Staff (STS), or a TA.
• Approval process:
  • These positions are requested as part of the Summer Budget Proposal.
  • Request additions or changes via the Instructional Staffing Request form (instructions).
    • Add summer course
    • Add TA support
    • Change instructor
• Contact teach.learn@ls.wisc.edu with questions.

Faculty and renewable Academic Staff (including Summer Chairs)

Short-term Staff (including Lecturer SAs)

Teaching Assistants:

Summer offer letters contain additional contingency language related to sufficient enrollment, limitations on summer appointments, and instructor absences.

Enrollment

• Summer offer letters are contingent upon sufficient enrollment. Enrollment is reviewed in mid-April, when the College distributes Preliminary Enrollment Financial Reports. See the L&S Summer Budget Model KB for additional information on this process.

Limitations on summer appointments

• Campus policy places limitations on repeated summer appointments for C-Basis employees: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-5032
• Faculty should check with the Graduate School about any combination of Summer Graduate School Research Grant funding and summer teaching assignments; departments may need to have back-up plans for covering a course if a faculty member receives such funding and becomes unavailable to teach.

Instructor expectations

• Given the compressed format of summer courses, it is essential for instructors to be present for all scheduled class sessions. Absences from campus for non-emergency situations will not be approved.
• Instructors teaching online courses are expected to be available to their students for the entire session in a manner that meets the needs of students at the same level of quality as a course originating from a campus base (quality of network connectivity, response time, etc.). See L&S Foundational Criteria for Online & Hybrid Instruction.