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Legal Commentary

: Prawfs

Beyond the Double T-Squared Class Schedule

By Dan Markel, Ethan Leib, Rick Garnett, Matt Bodie, Paul Horwitz , Steve Vladeck, and Orly Lobel

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As part of a series meant to help faculty understand their associate deans better, today I'll talk about negotiations over class schedules. After you and the associate dean negotiate the courses you will teach for the next academic year, you will need to reach some agreement about the timing of courses. Different schools allow different amounts of faculty input. Some places allow little or no input on the schedule, while some in effect allow the faculty member to choose her own schedule or to veto any proposal from the dean. Most places, the schedule flows from a negotiation, with input from both parties.

Judging from the comments I hear at associate dean conferences (yes, these things do happen!), the deans really hate the scheduling process. They talk about the "double T-squared" schedule that virtually all of their faculty insist upon: everyone wants to teach between Tuesday and Thursday and between Ten and Two. And everyone also wants a time slot with little competition from other teachers, allowing full access to the best classrooms and students. Students have their own preferences in schedules, but that is another story.

This is where you can do something memorable in conversation with your associate dean. You could just announce, "Put my classes this semester (and this semester only!) anywhere in the schedule that best suits the students and you." How bad could it be for one semester? If you choose wisely, you can offer this bargaining chip during a semester when it does not cost you much. On the plus side, this will really strengthen your hand during future bargaining sessions with the associate dean, whether it be on this topic or a different one.

Here is a second-best plan. If your personal circumstances don't allow you to pursue the "Schedule Me Anywhere" strategy, you could pursue the "Just One Request" strategy. Select one schedule parameter that is a priority for you (e.g. "I need to pick up my daughter by 3:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays"). Then tell the dean that you will only ask for one schedule accommodation. You will likely get partial credit for this move in future negotiations, because many of your colleagues will present a longer list of schedule requests.

Where do you spend the credits that you've earned from the dean in this way? Blog posts are not necessary on this question.

Full post as published by Prawfs on May 25, 2010 (boomark / email).