The group around the table had been meeting regularly for six months, tackling the issue of faculty overloads. At this institution, faculty who taught more than the default workload accumulated extra credits that they could use in subsequent semesters to reduce their teaching load. But, as resources declined and fewer full-time faculty were hired, the teaching schedule did not get reduced at the same rate, resulting in faculty accumulating overload but never having an opportunity to use it. Furthermore, as fewer staff positions were being refilled, faculty assumed administrative duties, and their reward was additional workload credits.
Beyond Programs: Leadership Lessons from Ireland’s Inclusive Universities
During a recent sabbatical studying inclusive postsecondary education in Ireland, I visited four universities—University College Cork, Trinity College Dublin, Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, and Mary Immaculate
Ashley Rodrigues
July 20, 2026
