6 Essential Tips for Negotiating Your Teaching Load at a University

Negotiating your teaching load at a university can be a crucial part of your academic job negotiations. As you prepare for negotiations, it's essential to consider the aspects of your teaching load that are most important to you and how you can best align them with the department's needs.

In this blog post, we'll share six tips for negotiating your teaching load at a university.

Tip 1: Negotiate How Often You Teach

You might negotiate to teach fewer courses in a semester to allow for more time for research or other academic pursuits. Alternatively, you might negotiate to teach more classes in a semester to increase your teaching experience or to gain additional income.

Tip 2: Negotiate When You Teach

Think about the timing of the teaching and what best fits your personal and professional needs. You might negotiate to teach courses only during specific days or times of the week to accommodate other commitments or to avoid scheduling conflicts. For some courses you might decide you want to teach in the morning or evening. Other courses you might be interested in teaching 1,2, or 3 times a week. Some faculty, have a preference to teach all courses on the same day. Alternatively, you might negotiate to teach only during fall or spring semester because of travel.

Tip 3: Negotiate How Many Times You Have to Prep a New Class

Preparing for a new class takes time, so build in some grace so you do not get behind on writing, research activities, and other obligations. You might negotiate to teach a course you have already prepared, saving time and energy. Alternatively, you might negotiate to teach classes closely related to each other, which can reduce the time you need to prepare for each course.

Tip 4: You Can Negotiate if You Teach in Person or Online

We are in the digital age! Don't forget you can teach in person or online. You can teach in person in the classroom or in person but off campus (e.g., in the field). Teaching in the field can mean lots of things depending on your discipline. I have found that teaching in the field provides students with hands-on experiences that allow theories discussed in the textbook to come to life. For instance, some faculty members have conducted classes in detention centers, courts, farms, hospitals, community agencies, and churches.

Tip 5: You Can Negotiate Not Teaching a Particular Semester

When starting a new job, do you think you can benefit from not teaching your first semester? If this is the case, it is worth negotiating. Negotiating not teaching a particular semester can give you the time and flexibility to focus on research activities or other academic pursuits. You might also negotiate to take a sabbatical or research leave to focus on a book or other research project. Alternatively, you might negotiate to take a semester off from teaching to participate in a professional development program, pursue further academic opportunities, or teach in the fall because you will be traveling to conduct field research spring and summer. The goal is to have a conversation about what is the ideal circumstance for you.

Tip 6: You can Negotiate What You Teach

Suppose you have a particulate area of expertise or research interest. Suppose you have a history of teaching a particular set of courses. In that case, you may be able to negotiate teaching specific courses that align with that topical area. Additionally, suppose you prefer teaching at the undergraduate or graduate level; in that case, you may be able to negotiate to focus on your teaching on one group or the other.

In conclusion, negotiating your teaching load at a university can help you achieve your professional goals while aligning with the department's needs. Considering these tips, you can handle a teaching load that best supports your academic interests and priorities.

Remember, EVERYTHING IS NEGOTIABLE! You can check out our Everything is Negotiable Mug in our shop as a constant reminder and encouragement that the possibilities to converse about your needs and wants are endless.

I hope that you remain encouraged to ask.