Setting Up the Teaching Pattern in TTR

Owned by Fitsjba (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Aug 04, 2023
7 min read

Introduction

Teaching pattern elements are used to plan out teaching and research terms for an instructor. These patterns will be used to conduct gap analyses to determine faculty availability for future terms. It is crucial to set up the TTR pattern (dragging s - Teaching and s - Research codes) so that course planners can see an instructor's planned workload when assigning instructors to courses in the Course Planner. The TTR pattern will also drive the study leave service years calculation for eligible faculty members. 

Pattern Even ("Green Line")

Pattern Even is a marker that ensures a faculty member has fulfilled their assigned teaching workload. 

This pattern element is crucial in calculating the standard teaching workload because it resets the workload calculation for each academic calendar year. We have allowed flexibility in the placement of Pattern Evens to accommodate different academic calendar years of each faculty. The workload injected by the Pattern Even is equivalent to their teaching duty within their academic year which is based on the instructor's rank (e.g. Research Faculty, Teaching Faculty). This workload value number is displayed next to the Pattern Even line.  Any workload reduction or course assignment will affect the calculation of this workload value. The workload value number will show until the pattern is even. It provides a quick visual demonstration on whether a person has met their teaching duty within their academic year. 

 

 

Code Abbrev.

Code

Action

Teaching Workload

Description

Pattern Even

Given

+ 4 (Research Faculty)

+ 8 (Teaching Faculty)

A marker which injects teaching workload (standard pattern) for the following term set regarding ranks assigned.

How to Apply Pattern Even

  1. Click and drag the code into the previous term where the Pattern Even begins (e.g. Professor begins teaching in Spring 2020, drag the Pattern Even code into Fall 2019). The Pattern Even marker will be shown as a green line in the TTR. 

  2. In the TTR profile page, scroll down to the transactions table. Click the Teaching Pattern tab.

  3. In the transaction table, a new row will appear indicating the Pattern Even has been applied.

  4. Feel free to add additional notes in the Notes section for future reference.

  5. If under special circumstances that the Teaching Value transaction is different from the Collective Agreement, you may double click the Transaction Value box to modify. 

Teaching and Research 

The Teaching code indicates it is the teaching term for that faculty member. It is important to drag in the correct number of s and s because this will affect the total study leave value accumulation. The number in the brackets allow the administrators to see the planned teaching workload to be assigned for the term.

 

Tips

  • Please note that the teaching load number in brackets does not affect the study leave credit gained

  • All teaching codes will automatically add +0.33 study leave credits unless modified in the transaction

  • Notice a change in Total Study Leave Service Years summary card when you add a code or change its Study Leave value

 

 

Code Abbrev.

Code

Action

Study Leave Value

Transaction Table Tab

Description

Teaching

Given

+ 0.33

Teaching Pattern

T(0) = Teaching workload marker when no teaching is done in a teaching term.

Teaching

Given

+ 0.33

Teaching Pattern

T(1) = Planned teaching workload to be assigned to the term is 1

Teaching

Given

+ 0.33

Teaching Pattern

T(2) = Planned teaching workload to be assigned to the term is 2

Teaching

Given

+ 0.33

Teaching Pattern

T(3) = Planned teaching workload to be assigned to the term is 3

Teaching

Given

+ 0.33

Teaching Pattern

T(4) = Planned teaching workload to be assigned to the term is 4

Teaching

Given

+ 0.33

Teaching Pattern

Standard workload marker which awards 0.33 study leave credit for research term.

How to Apply Teaching/Research Pattern

  1. Click and drag the  or code into the terms that the instructor is teaching or doing research.

  2. In the TTR profile page, scroll down to the transactions table. Click the Teaching Pattern tab.

  3. In the transaction table, a new row will appear indicating the teaching/research pattern that has been 'given' in that term.

 

 

When you drag in a , the following rows will display in the transaction table:

  • Teaching Value

  • Study Leave Value

  • 1-in-9 Value will only appear for the Teaching Faculty

When you drag in a , the following rows will display in the transaction table:

  • Study Leave Value

 

  1. Feel free to add additional notes in the Notes section for future reference.

  2. If under special circumstances that the Study Leave Value or 1-in-9 Value is different from the Collective Agreement, you may double click the corresponding Transaction Value box to modify.

Standard Patterns 

Tips

  • Building a projected pattern in future terms requires data entry of at least 3 terms previous in order to be able to identify the upcoming pattern

  • 9 terms is ideal when doing a quick analysis of a pattern

  • Recommended to insert Pattern Evens first so that the system can automatically tell you the standard workload for the next pattern

 

Research Faculty

Teaching Faculty

For Research Faculty, maintain 2 Teaching : 1 Research ratio and total courses or their equivalent totals 4. Some typical patterns:

  | |

For Teaching Faculty, the total courses or their equivalents totals 8. Some typical patterns:

  | |

  | |

  | |

  | |

  | |

  | |

Other combinations with 1 in 9 and 1 in 6 are also acceptable where organized in advance

Non-Standard Teaching Loads

  • Some departments/Faculties have teaching loads that are less than 4 for Research Faculty and less than 8 for Teaching Faculty

  • For reporting, analysis and resource planning, it is a good idea to use 4/8 as the standard in all TTR’s and utilize methods of reductions to track why teaching loads are outside the norm (see Workload Reduction)

  • It is important to have a data trail to reference in future in case of grievances or questions of resource management. Use the Notes column in the transaction table to help track things.

Pattern Not Even 

Pattern Not Even is used when a faculty member has not fulfilled their teaching duty within their academic year. The Pattern Not Even provides a marker to replace the original Pattern Even so that the count of the workload does not reset and adds on to the previous Pattern Even.

 

Code Abbrev.

Code

Action

Teaching Workload

Description

Pattern Not Even

Given

+ 4 (Research Faculty)

+ 8 (Teaching Faculty)

Marker to identify that teaching 2:1 workload ratio should be in balance, but it is not.

How to Apply Pattern Not Even

  1. Remove the original Pattern Even by clicking and dragging it into the trash can

  2. Click and drag the  code into the term where the Pattern Even was originally there. The Pattern Not Even marker will be shown as a grey line in the TTR. 

  3. In the TTR profile page, scroll down to the transactions table. Click the Teaching Pattern tab.

  4. In the transaction table, a new row will appear indicating the Pattern Not Even has been applied.

  5. Feel free to add additional notes in the Notes section for future reference.

  6. If under special circumstances that the Teaching Value transaction is different from the Collective Agreement, you may double click the Transaction Value box to modify

Setting Up TTR Example

EXAMPLE: What comes after Summer 2021?

Setting Up The Pattern for Future Terms

  1. In this example, the new pattern will begin in Fall 2022 - you must drag the in Summer 2022. 

 

 

  1. Looks like this person's pattern is typically T-T-R so we can drag in in Fall 2021 and Spring 2022, in Summer 2022 to plan ahead.

TTR Analysis:

  1. How much of the workload left does the professor need to fulfill? Look at the Pattern Even (green line) balances at the beginning of the pattern.

  • Pattern starting Fall 2019: There is no number next to the 'E' green line which means that the person has fulfilled their teaching workload for Fall 2019 - Summer 2020 pattern.

  • Pattern starting Fall 2020: The instructor has yet to fulfill their teaching workload value of 4.  

  • Pattern starting Fall 2021: The instructor has yet to fulfill their teaching workload value of 4.  

 

  1. How many courses need to be assigned to the professor? Look at the  value in brackets for each semester. 

  •  indicates that the instructor will be teaching 2 courses in Fall 2020 and 2 courses in Spring 2021 (unless instructor requests changes in pattern that are approved by Director of Admin)

 

  1. After assigning this instructor to courses in the Course Planner, what happens to the Pattern Even balance? It decreases based on the workload value(s) of the course offering(s).

  • Notice that the Pattern Even balance for Pattern starting Fall 2020 has changed to 2

  • If you go to the Bank/Taught Courses tab in the transaction table, you will notice that each course offering is set to a workload value of 1 each. (System calculates: 4 - 1 - 1 = 2 remaining workload) 

  • The remaining workload balance can be fulfilled by assigning the professor 2 courses in Spring 2021. Try it out by assigning course offerings in the Course Planner!