Page 48 - AUN-QA

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE)

In calculating the FTEs of academic staff, institutions should define what constitutes
full-time student loads and faculty teaching loads including part-time students and
faculty at their percentage of full time loads.

There are different ways in calculating FTEs and institutions should state the
method, parameters and assumptions used. One of the methods to calculate FTEs is
based on the investment of time. For example, if 1 FTE is equal to 40 hours per
week (full-time employment), then the FTE of an academic staff member with a
teaching load of 8 hours per week will be 0.2 (i.e. 8/40). The investment of time
method can also be used for calculating FTEs of student. For example, if 1 FTE
student has to attend 20 hours of lesson a week, then the FTE of a part-time student
with 10 hours of lesson a week will be 0.5 (i.e. 10/20).

Another method to calculate FTEs is based on teaching load. For example, if the
official full-time teaching load of an academic staff is 4 courses per semester, then
each course accounts for 0.25 FTE. If an academic staff member is assigned 2
courses per semester, then the FTE will be 0.5 (i.e. 2 x 0.25 FTE). Similarly, student
study load can be used to calculate the FTEs of student. For example, if 1 FTE
student has to take 24 credits load per semester, then the FTE of a student with 18
credits load per semester will be 0.75 (i.e. 18/24).

Use Figure 2.3 to specify the number of academic staff and their FTEs in the last 5
academic years.

Category M F Total Percentage of
Headcounts FTEs PhDs
Professors
Associate/
Assistant
Professors
Full-time
Lecturers
Part-time
Lecturers
Visiting
Professors/
Lecturers
Total
Figure 2.3 - Number of Academic Staff (specify reference date and method of calculation
used for FTE of academic staff)

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