Tina,
 
I think there are quite a few language center managers/directors who also have
teaching duties. Some have faculty positions, some have staff positions. In many
years of talking with colleagues I have learned that there may be as many
variations as there are commonalities when it comes to position descriptions,
tenure, pay, etc.
 
Nonetheless, it is helpful, as you say, to know what goes on elsewhere. This is
my personal situation:
 
I worked for 18 years as full-time manager of the language center here at Loyola
University Chicago. Additionally, for many of those years, I taught one German
course per semester, for which I was paid additionally, as "part-time" faculty.
Two jobs, two checks.
 
Less than one year ago the administration decided that they wanted to change
this arrangement. They added the teaching responsibility to my job description,
and added the extra pay I had been receiving for teaching into my staff salary.
In other words, for me it's the same work, same pay as before. The difference is
that teaching language courses (2 per year) is now officially a part of my job.
However, my status remains unchanged--I have a staff position, not a faculty
position. According to my recently revised job description, that language
teaching component accounts for about 20% of my time. (I figure that teaching
the one class requires about 25% of my time when classes are in session, so only
20% on average since my staff position is a 12-month position.)
 
I should add that my staff position requires additional "teaching" as well, in
the form of workshops for faculty and occasionally for students.
Personally, I find that teaching language classes helps me immensely when it
comes to my role as center manager. It gives me insight into the issues involved
with classroom teaching, allows me to test technologies with my students. allows
me to better understand the forces at work on classroom
teachers and to make suitable recommendations. I also think it gives me more
credibility and respect among the faculty.
 
Hope this helps. It's an interesting discussion. One may question the practice
of incorporating teaching responsibilities into a staff position without also
giving faculty status and/or benefits, or at least considering something
equivalent. In my case, I didn't come away with tangible extra benefits, but as
I said, I would say the net effect of teaching is positive.
 
David Pankratz
Loyola University Chicago
 
 

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