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My InfoAssociation of Part-Time Professors of the University of Ottawa

Article 9 : class size

Only sub-clauses 9.1, 9.2 and 9.7 apply to the Faculty of Law.

9.2 PEDAGOGICAL RESPONSIBILITY

The Employer and the Union agree upon the objective of maintaining class sizes and formats conducive to pedagogical soundness.

9.3 PROJECTED ENROLMENT

Projected course enrolments established by the Employer shall be set out in position postings and contracts for all part-time academic staff, except where not relevant.

9.4 TYPES OF COURSES: The parties recognize four (4) types of courses:

  • Type "A" Courses: courses with no written assignments and without examinations that cannot be computer marked.
  • Type "B" Courses: courses with either written assignments or examinations which are not computer marked.
  • Type "C" Courses: courses with written assignments and with examinations which are not computer marked.
  • Type "D" Courses: courses which, by their nature, consist primarily of individual attention teaching or of small group interactions, e.g. second language teaching, problem solving sessions, and the like.

9.5 RIGHT TO ASSISTANCE OR COMPENSATION

9.5.1 Any assistance provided to a member must be in the course's primary language of instruction.

9.5.2 The member or members teaching a Type "A" course shall be assigned assistance and/or equivalent additional compensation which shall be at least at the rate of 2 1/2 hours of marker/grader assistance for each credit value of the course for each block of ten (10) students or portion thereof exceeding the critical number.

9.5.3 The member or members teaching a Type "B", "C" or "D" course shall be assigned assistance and/or equivalent additional compensation which shall be at least at the rate of 2 1/2 hours of marker/grader assistance for each credit value of the course for each block of five (5) students or portion thereof exceeding the critical enrolment number set out in section 9.5.

9.5.4 Assistance shall be provided from the commencement of the course where the initial enrolment exceeds the critical number, but the assistance may be modified so as to reflect the actual enrolment as of the first official enrolment reporting date after the commencement of the course.

9.5.5 Where the initial enrolment is equal to or less than the critical number but actual enrolment as of the first official enrolment reporting date exceeds the critical number, assistance shall be provided as set out in 9.4.2.

9.5.6 If a course requires students to complete activities such as group discussions and labs outside regular class hours and the activities cannot be overseen by a grader or marker, teaching assistants shall be assigned to members provided for under a teaching assistant allocation norm or policy in an academic unit.

9.6 CRITICAL ENROLMENT NUMBERS

9.6.1 For the types of courses set out in 9.3, the critical numbers shall be as follows:

Type "A" – 90 Type "B" – 60 Type "C" – 45 Type "D" - 35 (25 in the case of courses, related to the bilingual mandate of the University including courses given at the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute).

9.6.2 It is understood that the above figures are not intended to represent norms in class size.

9.6.3 Departments shall employ the same set of rules or criteria in determining the point at which enrolment requires the creation of a new section of a course, whether or not the course is taught by a full-time professor or a member.

9.6.4 

  • The number of students registered in a given course is the official number of registered students as established by the Office of the Registrar immediately after the date indicated in the University calendar as the last day for changes in course selection for a given term.
  • A member shall receive an amount of $10.00 for each student for a given type of course over and above the original critical number of registrations for the course in question, as established in 9.5.1.

9.7 PAYMENT IN LIEU OF ASSISTANCE

9.7.1 Funds for marker/grader assistance is intended first for the University's students. Nevertheless, the Employer shall give reasonable consideration to any reasoned request by a member to receive compensation in lieu of marking assistance. Where such request is granted, payment shall be the greater of the minimum rate established by the University for marker/correctors or the current rate paid by the department offering the course.

9.7.2 Where a member can make a reasonable case to the Employer that the assigned grader/marker is not performing or has not performed satisfactorily, the Employer will offer the member a prorated compensation in lieu of assistance for the marking to be done or for the remainder of the marking not done by the grader/marker. The request for compensation must be made no later than 15 working days after the end of the session.

9.8 The Employer shall endeavour to ensure that the number of seats and work/writing surfaces/spaces available in the assigned classroom, laboratory or studio is sufficient for the number of students in a class.