Required number of classroom teaching hours for university faculty members.

(1) As used in this section:

(a) “State funds” means those funds appropriated annually in the General Appropriations Act.

(b) “Classroom contact hour” means a regularly scheduled 1-hour period of classroom activity in a course of instruction which has been approved by the university.

(2) Each full-time equivalent teaching faculty member at a university who is paid wholly from state funds shall teach a minimum of 12 classroom contact hours per week at such university. However, any faculty member who is assigned by his or her departmental chair or other appropriate university administrator professional responsibilities and duties in furtherance of the mission of the university shall teach a minimum number of classroom contact hours in proportion to 12 classroom hours per week as such especially assigned aforementioned duties and responsibilities bear to 12 classroom contact hours per week. Any full-time faculty member who is paid partly from state funds and partly from other funds or appropriations shall teach a minimum number of classroom contact hours in such proportion to 12 classroom contact hours per week as his or her salary paid from state funds bears to his or her total salary. In determining the appropriate hourly weighting of assigned duties other than classroom contact hours, the universities shall develop and apply a formula designed to equate the time required for nonclassroom duties with classroom contact hours. “Full-time equivalent teaching faculty member” shall be interpreted to mean all faculty personnel budgeted in the instruction and research portion of the budget, exclusive of those full-time equivalent positions assigned to research, public service, administrative duties, and academic advising. Full-time administrators, librarians, and counselors shall be exempt from the provisions of this section; and colleges of medicine and law and others which are required for purposes of accreditation to meet national standards prescribed by the American Medical Association, the American Bar Association, or other professional associations shall be exempt from the provisions of this section to the extent that the requirements of this section differ from the requirements of accreditation.