Cusat withdraws circular on teachers' workload

The Hindu

2 days ago

Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) has withdrawn a circular asking heads of departments to confirm whether teachers were complying with the workload as prescribed by the University Grants Commission.
The circular issued by the Registrar on May 27, 2025 was withdrawn following opposition from teachers, who said that it contradicted an earlier order pertaining to work norms ratified by the academic council and the Syndicate.
The varsity authorities said the circular was withdrawn as it had contradicted an earlier order. It would be cleared and placed before the appropriate body for approval, they added.
The circular had asked heads/directors of departments/schools/centres to provide the details of workload assigned for a week to each teacher as prescribed by the UGC. They were told to submit the required documentary evidence.
The circular, quoting UGC Regulations 2018, pointed out that the workload of teachers in full employment should not be less than 40 hours a week for 30 working weeks (180 teaching days) in an academic year. It should be necessary for the teacher to be available for at least seven hours daily in the university/college, out of which at least two hours for mentoring of students (minimum 15 students per coordinator) for community development/extra curricular activities/library consultation in case of undergraduate courses and at least two hours for research in case of postgraduate courses. The minimum direct teaching-learning process hours should be: Assistant Professor - 16 hours per week; Associate Professor - 14 hours per week; and Professor - 14 hours per week, it said.
Teachers who opposed the circular said that the administrative wing had issued the circular without verifying the norms related to workload ratified by the academic council and the Syndicate earlier.