"Faculty assignments and workloads...are under the dean's supervision and administration. Departmental chairs, program and division directors, and faculty members shall confer with the dean about problems relating to all such matters." (Laws of the Regents, 4.A.2)

Faculty with normal assignments are expected to engage in and demonstrate merit in the areas of teaching, research, and service. In the aggregate, as a school/college or total campus, the interpretation of Regents' policy on faculty performance is that the faculty workload is approximately weighted 40% teaching, 40% research and scholarly effort, and 20% service.

Each academic unit must have a unit policy on faculty differentiated workload. It should be submitted with unit materials at the time of each regular academic program review. This policy must recognize that each full-time faculty member is assigned a full workload in differential proportions of activity across three main categories: teaching, scholarly & creative work, and leadership & service. The proportions of teaching, scholarly & creative work, and leadership & service may vary within a full assignment, depending upon the ongoing, existing workload demands at the department level, and consistent "with the concept that the appropriate mix of teaching, research or creative work, scholarship, and service may differ from person to person, and from time to time in the career of an individual" (Laws of the Regents, Appendix B.2).

Assistant professors and associate professors considering a differentiated workload should do so with full understanding of the potential negative impact that such a decision may have on future promotion decisions. This policy pertains only to annual workloads. Utilization of annual differentiated workloads in no way compromises standards governing the award of tenure and promotion. For example, the Laws of the Regents (Article X, 2.A(2)) clearly stipulate that "tenure may be awarded only to faculty members with demonstrated meritorious performance in each of the three areas of teaching, research, or creative work." In the years prior to tenure and promotion to associate professor, careful assignment of annual workload is critical. Similar care must be given to workload assignments prior to promotion to full professor.