A Methodological Framework for Structuring Academic Staff Workload

This study investigated international approaches to faculty workload allocation. Drawing on the experience of Empress Catherine II St. Petersburg Mining University in implementing a pilot project aimed at modernizing higher education, the study developed a framework for workload structuring that reflects the diversification of academic roles and responsibilities. The proposed framework categorizes faculty members into distinct roles, including lecturers, course coordinators, cohort mentors, and career mentors, with each role defined by specific objectives, responsibilities, workload components, and requirements related to teaching, course preparation and materials development, research, departmental and institutional service, and mentoring. Within this framework, workload allocation is determined by the nature and scope of assigned tasks. The study compared workload distribution under the new model with that under the previous system. The changes were analyzed alongside trends in faculty performance indicators, including thesis supervision outcomes, the development of teaching materials, and publication activity, as well as institutional indicators such as graduate employment rates and the development of students’ professional skills. The findings suggest that the proposed model may improve workload distribution and may contribute to positive academic outcomes.