Overload Teaching Approval Process
This "overload" relates to full time faculty, full time exempt staff, and graduate student appointees (AC3). There is no "overload" possible for AC2/adjunct faculty members. Hourly staff may not have AC2 appointments.
Follow internal procedures when the number of credits are 1-3. For 4-6 credits, Office of the Provost approval is needed—see below.
EXCEPTION: When faculty are teaching 4 credits because of a 3 credit regular course and a 1 credit Bridge course, or because a single course is 4 credits, no approval is needed from the Provost's Office.
Summer: no approval is needed for 1-6 credits for 10-month faculty and 1-3 credits for staff. 1-3 credits for 12-month faculty should be rare, and anything over 3 credits needs approval.
For approval from the Provost's Office, send an email with: person’s name, university ID number, the course information, their status (e.g. full time faculty, professional staff, or grad student) and an indication (e.g. memo or email) that the person’s supervisor knows and approves the overload, to ude[dot]ui[at]rhdaca.
If someone has already been hired by another department for a course, that hire will show in eDocs. Supervisors must explicitly approve the total commitment.
Note about “credit” definition for independent-type courses (internships, research, readings, etc.). A course should only be considered a full X-credit course when the instructor is paid a full X amount. For example, if the unit routinely pays $2000 per 3-credit courses, but for independent studies, instructors are paid $200 per person, the ‘course’ only counts as 3 credits if there are at least 10 students (10 x $200 = $2000). Therefore, if staff or faculty are teaching independent studies that amount to 3 credit-hours or less in payment, they do not need overload permission from the Provost's Office. Please make this explicit in the supplemental pay eDoc note.
Double full overloads (the equivalent of 6 credits) for faculty or staff will not be allowed on an ongoing basis. They should be relatively rare and in response to last minute uncontrollable circumstances.
For 10 month faculty summer assignments and payments from all sources must not exceed 32% of base salary
|
Type of Person Being Hired |
Total Credits Involved (per semester) |
Supervisor Permission |
Other Conditions |
Provost |
|
Full-time Faculty Member (AC1, carrying normal load) |
1-3 |
Yes |
Per IU Indianapolis Faculty Guide: Cannot regularly teach overload within one’s own department or school |
No |
|
Full-time Faculty Member |
4 or more |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Full-time Exempt Staff Member |
1-3 credits |
Yes |
|
No |
|
Full-time Exempt Staff Member |
4-6 credits |
Yes |
|
Yes |
|
Part-time Staff |
Cannot be combined with an AC2 appointment |
|||
|
Part-time/Adjunct Faculty Member (AC2) |
9 credits max for fall or spring, 6 for summer. |
n/a |
No overloads possible |
|
|
Academic Specialist |
1-3 |
Part of job |
|
No |
|
Academic Specialist |
4 or more (for added pay, not as part of regular assignment) |
Yes |
Should not be regular |
Yes |
|
Graduate Students (AC3) |
Must work 15-20 standard hours = 3-6 credits |
No |
AC3s can be assigned a combination of teaching and other tasks to equal 15-20 standard hours per week. |
No |
|
Graduate Students (AC3) |
20-30 standard hours = max 10 credit hours |
Yes-their academic supervisor |
|
Yes |
For questions, contact ude[dot]ui[at]rhdaca.
Reviewed and revised: 6/2026.