Consistent with standards generally recognized among colleges and universities of similar character, the normal teaching load at Point Loma Nazarene University consists of 24 semester units or their equivalent plus other faculty duties per nine-month term. The teaching load is taken to be about three-fourths of the total faculty workload, the remainder being devoted to advising and involvement with students, committee, and departmental/school assignments, participation in other activities of the University such as chapel, and in professional activities, such as reading, writing, and research. This load is in keeping with the characterization of the University as primarily a teaching, rather than a research, institution. To the extent possible, research and other forms of scholarly productivity are encouraged.

In calculating teaching loads the following guidelines are used:

1. Each 50-minute lecture period for a 16-week semester is weighted as one unit of course credit and one unit of teaching load credit.
2. The laboratory portion of a course is weighted at one unit of credit for one and one-half to three weekly contact hours, depending upon the degree of direct involvement in laboratory sessions. If faculty are not directly involved in teaching the laboratories, each session is weighted at one unit of credit for three hours of supervisory responsibility.
3. Supervision of student teachers is weighted at 0.6 units per student teacher for each eight-unit course of student teaching supervision.
4. Private music lessons are weighted at one unit for three thirty-minute lessons per week.
5. No load credit is allowed for directed study work except in certain honors programs where credit is permissible.
6. Physical Education activity classes are weighted in load computations at one and one-half units for a one-unit credit course.
7. Individual supervision of students in internships is generally weighted at one unit of teaching load credit for each twelve units taken by students.
8. Although it is proper to make allowances for extra large or very small classes, and extra heavy or unusually light committee assignments, for simplicity every effort is made to average these out.
9. Directed study courses are weighted at one unit for six units of student load.

The teaching load for a faculty member carrying department chair/school dean or other administrative responsibilities is reduced proportionately. In cases where, because of the cancellation of classes or other exigencies, a full teaching load does not develop for a full-time faculty member, the college dean is at liberty to assign other responsibilities in lieu of the deficiency in the workload.