Can I be made to work during my time off in the summer?

[Anselm]

After dragging their feet we finally got an update from the administration today.   All  summer classes will be held online.  Most classes will be over 12 weeks instead of the usual 6 weeks in Summer 1 and 2 sessions.  This was justified as helping students master a subject when they normally were not expecting online classes.  I have a 3.5 term contract with 6 weeks in the summer being obligatory.  Some have a 3 term contract and others are 4 term.  The latter is more common with those teaching the vocational classes at our community college.

When we stopped having classes we held emergency meetings about contingency plans for finishing the term in alternative formats. Not knowing if and when students would be back in class we considered extending the spring term for another week when we normally have a short break before summer classes.  OK, I get that and it seemed reasonable during a national emergency.   Now, without asking me it has been decided that I won't get my usual 6 week break in July and August.  I am told that I can do this from anywhere but to me I am still working.   I gave up visiting family over spring break in part to cooperate with our social distancing efforts.   Long breaks is one of the reasons I chose this profession.  I also want to see my elderly parents while they are alive.  They also benefit from the chores and errands I do for them.   

So, do I have a reasonable complaint here?

[Hegemony]

So the idea is that the class will have the same content, but just drawn out more slowly? Or are they actually more labor-intensive classes?  If the former, that might be legal.  If more actual work is expected of you, then not.

I don't suppose you have a union?

Are others also expected to teach these new longer classes without additional compensation?

I know universities are having a budget crisis right now, but delivering the same courses, except demanding more work from instructors, does seem legitimate, and arguably it doesn't even help the university appreciably.

If you push back in conjunction with others, that would be the most effective way to respond.

You might also consider asking Alison Green at Ask-A-Manager. She covers this kind of question frequently.  https://www.askamanager.org/

[Caracal]

So the idea is that the class will have the same content, but just drawn out more slowly? Or are they actually more labor-intensive classes?  If the former, that might be legal.  If more actual work is expected of you, then not.

I'd have to assume the credit hours remain the same, so the instructor time expectations also remain the same, or should.  In terms of vacation, this sucks, but you could probably manage to arrange things in a way that could give you some window of time mostly off? You're probably not going to be able to just disappear for a week, but I imagine over the longer semester you could find a way to have a week that required less active work from you, allowed you to go visit your parents, mostly spend time with them and just take an hour or two a day to keep things running on the course?

[mahagonny]

Why don't you just do what they need? Isn't this a full time, benefitted job that pays you a good living? That's what I would do if I had a full time job and weren't considered a disposable outsider.

[Ruralguy]

Also, keep in mind that a lot of Faculty Handbooks use such language as "Normally, ...."

If anything defines "abnormal" its the current situation. Even if it were to become the new normal, that's probably some time off. For now, its an unusual exception to the rule.

But, yeah, if it really is a demand that amounts to increasing your student contact load, and you have a union, then probably someone can make some noise.

[mahagonny]

Also, keep in mind that a lot of Faculty Handbooks use such language as "Normally, ...."

If anything defines "abnormal" its the current situation. Even if it were to become the new normal, that's probably some time off. For now, its an unusual exception to the rule.

But, yeah, if it really is a demand that amounts to increasing your student contact load, and you have a union, then probably someone can make some noise.

If this is a regular job, as in an appointment with true intentionality, then Anselms' future is tied to that of the institution. The union might do well to think of that.

[Anselm]

So the idea is that the class will have the same content, but just drawn out more slowly? Or are they actually more labor-intensive classes?  If the former, that might be legal.  If more actual work is expected of you, then not.

I'd have to assume the credit hours remain the same, so the instructor time expectations also remain the same, or should.  In terms of vacation, this sucks, but you could probably manage to arrange things in a way that could give you some window of time mostly off? You're probably not going to be able to just disappear for a week, but I imagine over the longer semester you could find a way to have a week that required less active work from you, allowed you to go visit your parents, mostly spend time with them and just take an hour or two a day to keep things running on the course?

Yes, it is the same content just spread out slowly, the equivalent of meeting twice a week instead of four days per week which is what we normally do in the summer.  Yes, there is no union here.

mahoganny, yes this if full time with benefits and I am 98% certain to fall in line and get with the program.  It just seems unethical and irresponsible to take away my usual vacation time.

[mahagonny]

So the idea is that the class will have the same content, but just drawn out more slowly? Or are they actually more labor-intensive classes?  If the former, that might be legal.  If more actual work is expected of you, then not.

I'd have to assume the credit hours remain the same, so the instructor time expectations also remain the same, or should.  In terms of vacation, this sucks, but you could probably manage to arrange things in a way that could give you some window of time mostly off? You're probably not going to be able to just disappear for a week, but I imagine over the longer semester you could find a way to have a week that required less active work from you, allowed you to go visit your parents, mostly spend time with them and just take an hour or two a day to keep things running on the course?

Yes, it is the same content just spread out slowly, the equivalent of meeting twice a week instead of four days per week which is what we normally do in the summer.  Yes, there is no union here.

mahoganny, yes this if full time with benefits and I am 98% certain to fall in line and get with the program.  It just seems unethical and irresponsible to take away my usual vacation time.

Good. Do the work and keep expressing yourself. You can be a useful example to illustrate why the segmentation of labor in higher education is an absurd arrangement in desperate need of overhaul.

[Ruralguy]

Not to burst your bubble, but they are likely counting on you and your students not being able to really go anywhere. Even if your state (or country, if not in US) doesn't have a lock down by then, the one you might be interested in going to could still be under restriction.

[drprof]

Since it is a 12 week semester now, I think Caracal is on the right track with recommending that you find a week to do less.  In fact, I suggest that you DO schedule an entire week out of the 12 when you and the students have no work at all.  My university has 12 week terms and we have a break in the middle of the Fall term and a break in the middle of the Winter term.  They're combo catch-up-on-work and mental health breaks for the students. 

During that Summer break week you could just assign reading (or even no work whatsoever), and go see your parents for 9+ (depending on exactly how you schedule things) days.  Not ideal, but a lot better than nothing.

[tuxthepenguin]

You're doing half as much work per week and you can do it from anywhere. Be available for office hours on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning. Tell students that you'll respond to all email messages within 36 business hours. I think the better course of action is to just go along without complaining. Save your ammo for when they try to cut your pay. I'd rather be inconvenienced during the summer than not be able to buy food.

[Aster]

Ugh. If you're TT and have a contractual summer teaching commitment, it will be very difficult to get out of it.

Big Urban College is experiencing similar summer class insanity. Mismashed academic calendar. Mismashed technology advisories/mandates. Everything is a total cluster$%^& right now with most all of the summer faculty freaking out. Just yesterday they were all told that the summer and fall terms will now bump right into each other without any break at all. Someone else reported a requirement that all emergency remote classes must be delivered in synchronous format.

I don't know who's going to end up with more regrets at the end of this summer, the professors performing emergency remote teaching, or the students enrolled in emergency remote classes. Probably both. Like now I suppose, except the entire course is set up for emergency remote. Ugh.

Rarely have I been more happy that I stopped teaching summer classes a long time ago.

[Hegemony]

If it's wise to travel over the summer — and I have my doubts about that — then it's certainly possible to go see your parents and do their chores for them while teaching online.  If you're not used to teaching online, you may be making it harder than it needs to be. Set up the course to be wholly asynchronous, which makes it much easier for the students anyway.  Make all your quizzes the kind that are automatically graded by the system. Have brief writing assignments due every two or every three weeks. Require a weekly discussion to keep the students engaged. Then all you have to do is to stop by the discussion every few days and pitch in (which I find actively fun), grade the writing assignments every 2-3 weeks, answer emails as they come in, and go about the rest of your business as usual. The key is to have everything set up and online BEFORE the course starts. That is absolutely crucial. Once you've done that, you just press the metaphorical button and it all unrolls by itself. You can certainly combine this with any amount of trips. I have taught online while moving between three countries in four weeks.

[Cheerful]

You're doing half as much work per week and you can do it from anywhere. Be available for office hours on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning. Tell students that you'll respond to all email messages within 36 business hours. I think the better course of action is to just go along without complaining. Save your ammo for when they try to cut your pay. I'd rather be inconvenienced during the summer than not be able to buy food.

Yes, there are ways to comply by doing the minimum necessary to not get in trouble. Collective action involving most faculty pushing back against unreasonable policies could be useful, unless they'll just fire people.

I wouldn't declare to students that you'll reply to emails within a particular time frame. Just be prompt.  Some students will think 36 hours is too long.  Don't box yourself in or create opportunities for complaints.  Just reply as soon as you can within a reasonable time frame.

Hegemony offers excellent advice for teaching online.  Don't let perfect be the enemy of good.  Don't be more loyal to your U than your U is loyal to you.

[tuxthepenguin]

I wouldn't declare to students that you'll reply to emails within a particular time frame. Just be prompt.  Some students will think 36 hours is too long.  Don't box yourself in or create opportunities for complaints.  Just reply as soon as you can within a reasonable time frame.

Apologies for sidetracking the conversation. I copied that from a successful online teacher (they actually put an even longer amount of time right in the syllabus). That allows them to respond to email at the same time every afternoon, and the students are happy for a "fast" response - after a while they learn the response is coming in the late afternoon, students send all questions in the afternoon during the week, and every question is answered within a couple hours. I adopted a modified version for my in-person classes, and I've never had a complaint either to my face or in my evaluations.

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