Academic Chemistry Workload Modelling

The request was successful.

Dear University of Plymouth,

I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request
the following information from the University regarding the workload
allocation models and tariffs used to model the workload of your academic
Chemistry staff:

1. What activities are recognised by the workload model for Chemistry
staff?

2. What tariffs are associated with each activity (i.e. how much time is
allocated for each activity) for Chemistry staff?

3. How is the total workload of a member of Chemistry staff modelled (i.e.
what protocol is used to combine tariffs)?

4. What formal guidance is given to managers relating to the link between
contracts of employment and the calculated workloads of Chemistry staff?
In particular:

(a) What are the maximum and minimum permissible tariffed workloads for a
member of staff in a full-time role?

(b) What are the broad subcategories of activity (such as Teaching or
Research) recognised in academic roles?

(c) What is the division of total workload between these subcategories in
contracts of employment (e.g. 40% Teaching, 60% Research)? How does this
division relate to modelled workload?

(d) How are part-time contracts modelled differently to full-time
contracts?

(e) What is the intended relationship between modelled workload and true
workload? (e.g. modelled workload is expected to be 20% less than true
workload, or to match true workload, or to exceed true workload by 20%)

Please provide information in the form of a Microsoft Word document in
either the .doc or .docx format.

If it is not possible to provide the information requested due to the
information exceeding the cost of compliance limits identified in Section
12, please provide advice and assistance – under your Section 16
obligations – as to how I can refine my request to be included within the
scope of the Act.

In any case, if you can identify ways that my request could be refined
please provide further advice and assistance to indicate this.

I look forward to your response within 20 working days, as stipulated by
the Act.

If you have any further queries please don’t hesitate to contact me, and I
will be happy to clarify what I am asking for.

Yours faithfully,

Mr O'Neill

Freedom of Information Act, University of Plymouth

FOI000285/2020

Dear Mr O'Neill,

Thank you for your information request.

Your request is being dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act and will be answered within 20 working days.

If you have any queries in relation to your request please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best wishes

Emma

Emma Wainman

Freedom of Information and Data Protection Specialist
Legal and Compliance
Academic Registry

 [email address]
 University of Plymouth, 15 Kirkby Terrace, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA

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Freedom of Information Act, University of Plymouth

2 Attachments

FOI00285/2020

Dear Mr O'Neill

Thank you for your recent information request.

Please find attached the following documents;

1. Copy of your request.
2. Released information.

The requested information has been provided in the attached document. If you are dissatisfied with the outcome, or how your request for information has been handled you have the right to appeal.

Should you wish to appeal please set out in writing your reasons for appealing and send to [University of Plymouth request email] within 40 working days of the date of this email.

If you are unhappy with the outcome of the appeal then you can have a further right of appeal to the Information Commissioner’s Office. Further information is available on their website https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/ or by telephone on 0303 123 1113.

Please ensure you quote the above reference in all correspondence.

Best wishes

Emma

Emma Wainman

Freedom of Information and Data Protection Specialist Legal Services Academic Registry

 (01752) (5)88214  [email address]
 University of Plymouth, 15 Kirkby Terrace, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA

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Dear Freedom of Information Act,

Thank you for your response.

You state that the hourly tariffs for activities exist, but I cannot find their values in the information you sent me.

Are you able to provide these standardised numbers so as to answer my second question?

Yours sincerely,

Mr O'Neill

Freedom of Information Act, University of Plymouth

1 Attachment

Dear Mr O'Neill

Apologies for the delay in responding - please find the information attached.

Best wishes

Emma

Emma Wainman

Freedom of Information and Data Protection Specialist
Legal and Compliance
Academic Registry

[email address]
University of Plymouth, 15 Kirkby Terrace, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA

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Dear Freedom of Information Act,

Thank you so much for this response, and for providing it under such a difficult national circumstance.

The first page of your response seems to have cropped out the bottom of the first (left-hand) columns. Are you able to clarify what these say? Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Mr O'Neill

Freedom of Information Act, University of Plymouth

Dear Mr O'Neill

Apologies for the delay in responding. Please find the clarification below:

The first column reading from left to right is the heading Time Tabled Teaching. There is nothing underneath that.

The next columns are as follows:

Preparation allocation: 40 mins per contact hour

Brand new content preparation: Up to 5 hours per contact hour

Assessment allocation: 1 hour per student/20 cr module/no. markers

UG Project students:15

PGT Project students :20

Best wishes

Emma

Emma Wainman

Freedom of Information and Data Protection Specialist
Legal and Compliance
Academic Registry

[email address]
University of Plymouth, 15 Kirkby Terrace, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA

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