Teaching
Teaching encompasses all tasks related to the provision of education. There are no hard definitions of what we mean by teaching duties. This includes (but is not limited to):
- Developing and preparing a course.e.g. determining and describing learning objectives, determining foreknowledge of students, structuring the learning material, making sheets.
- Execution. e.g. giving lectures or tutorials.
- Assessment and examination.. e.g. making and checking (homework) assignments, making and checking exams.
Teaching forms a vital part of experience in academia. If you want to pursue a career in academia, you should be given the opportunity to gain experience in teaching. The collective labour agreement contains an intention that all novice teachers should receive supervision and are given the opportunity to develop teaching skills, for example by taking part in the University Teaching Qualification (UTQ) track.
Amount of teaching
There are no strict overarching rules on how much a PhD candidate can be asked to teach, but your contract can make explicit what part of your position is allocated to teaching. Within a four-year contract, it is common to have a teaching load of between 10% and 20% of your working hours. This range also shows from the PNN Employment Conditions Monitor. If your contract contains teaching obligations exceeding 20% of your contract, this is difficult to call into question due to the current lack of a legal basis. However, if your teaching load exceeds 50% of your total fte, you no longer qualify as a PhD candidate and should be appointed as a lecturer. There are no strict overarching rules on how much a PhD candidate can be asked to teach, but your contract can make explicit what part of your position is allocated to teaching. Within a four-year contract, it is common to have a teaching load of between 10% and 20% of your working hours. This range also shows from the Employment condition monitor. If your contract contains teaching obligations exceeding 20% of your contract, this is difficult to call into question due to the current lack of a legal basis. However, if your teaching load exceeds 50% of your total fte, you no longer qualify as a PhD candidate and should be appointed as a lecturer.
Junior lecturers pursuing a PhD
Your employer can offer a combined junior lecturer and researcher or PhD candidate position within a temporary employment contract of six years, again in principle. During this period, you are expected to obtain the Universal Teaching Qualification (UTQ) and successfully complete your thesis. Moreover, there are agreements that if a full-time position should become available, junior lecturers should be offered a permanent position as an assistant professor. The (longer) fixed-term employment contract should allow the faculty to better absorb any fluctuations in education and teaching for a longer period in terms of quality. In addition, a longer employment contract can be used as a period to scout for talent to take up a career in research and academia. For you, this period increases your chances of an academic or research career, possibly even outside your own university.
Are you currently experiencing issues during your PhD that you need help with?
Most institutions have a number of contact points for help. This compass is designed to help you find the right support.
In the drop-down menu you can select the institution that you are doing your PhD at. Then the roadmap will show you available contact points. In most cases it makes sense to start by considering contact points in your immediate work environment first and then progress to higher levels (like institutional or national).
At the bottom of the page you can find some examples of problems you can run into and a list of descriptions of each contact point.
Your first contact points
Colleagues: Sometimes it can already help to talk with your colleagues about the issue you are experiencing. This will help you judge the severity of it and can provide you with allies in taking further action.
Daily supervisor*: Naturally, your daily supervisor is the first contact point for all issues. They can help you determine the next steps. Of course, you may not feel comfortable discussing everything with your supervisor, or maybe your daily supervisor is involved in the issue. In these cases have a look at the other available contact points.
Promotor or Co-Supervisor*: Especially, in cases of issues with your daily supervisor, consider reaching out to your promotor or another member on the supervision team and ask for a one-on-one meeting. Maybe they can (temporarily) step-up and help you resolve the issue.If you have a conflict with your supervisor(s), you can also have a look at the PNN PhD supervisor conflict roadmap.
*Note that your annual review talk with your supervisory team is a good opportunity to address issues or suggestions for improvement.
National contact points
Labor unions: Organizations representing the interests of academic staff, offering support on employment-related matters, rights, and fair treatment.
NWO Scientific Integrity Desk: A specialized desk addressing scientific integrity concerns in projects related to or funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO).
Netherlands Board of Research Integrity (LOWI): An independent body handling complaints related to scientific integrity, providing a platform for fair investigation. If you feel like the local scientific integrity committee at your institution did not handle a case correctly, the LOWI can be the next contact point.
Making a police report: In cases involving a criminal offense, please consider contacting local law enforcement to report incidents and seek assistance.