Provost Memo on Article 3.18(b) and Teaching Assignments
June 23, 2026MUNFA is writing to make members aware of a memorandum circulated on May 20, 2026, by the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) to Deans Council on the subject of allocating teaching resources.
Citing budgetary constraints, the memorandum reminds Deans of Article 3:18(b) of the MUN-MUNFA Collective Agreement and asks them to "work with your associate deans and department heads to assign additional courses to faculty members covered by this article" where feasible.
Article 3:18(b) permits an increase of up to two courses or the equivalent above the teaching norm for an Academic Unit "when, in the previous three (3) years, a Faculty Member has not engaged in scholarly activity in accordance with Clause 3.03," and it requires that "the Administrative Head shall consult with the Faculty Member before increasing the amount of teaching."
A finding that a member has not engaged in scholarly activity must be assessed against Clause 3.03, reproduced below, which defines scholarly activity broadly and requires that both the conduct of the work and its dissemination be present over the full three-year period. Members who are approached about an increase to their teaching load under this article are entitled to consultation beforehand and are encouraged to contact the MUNFA office before agreeing to any change. MUNFA will monitor how this article is applied across faculties, schools, and campuses, and will act to protect members where the requirements of consultation and individual assessment are not met.
MUNFA office can be reached at munfa@mun.ca for any questions.
Clause 3.03 of the MUN-MUNFA Collective Agreement
3.03 The duty to engage in scholarly activity includes:
(a) the conduct of research, scholarship, and critical, creative, professional or developmental work; and
(b) the dissemination of such work through publication, demonstration, presentation, exhibition or performance, or by other means appropriate to the discipline.
Both (a) and (b) must be present to comprise scholarly activity when viewed over a three (3) year period.
