Important set up and timesheet deadlines for Christmas and January payroll can be found in the HR A-Z.
About Teaching workstream Roles
Page updated 12 November 2025
The Teaching Workstream focuses on improving how hourly paid teaching staff are engaged across the University. This workstream supports the consistent management of all teaching-related hourly paid roles, ensuring clear processes, fair rates of pay, and compliance with university policies and academic standards.
Following the rollout of updated procedures, the Teaching Workstream aims to provide greater clarity and support for Schools, Units, and individuals involved in teaching on an hourly basis. The approach promotes transparency, efficiency, and a positive experience for both hiring units and teaching staff.
What is changing?
The key change is that the role of the “Occasional Lecturer” has been reviewed and there is now a wider suite of options and rates available. These revised options ensure the correct terms and conditions are aligned to the nature of the work being undertaken.
What is not changing?
Overall the end to end process is not changing. The ability to hire hourly paid occasional teachers / lecturers still remains. The online process through Info Hub still remains. The payroll facility and timings still remain. The ownership of the process remains locally managed.
A detailed FAQ for Hourly Teaching can be found here.
Choosing the right role
As part of the Teaching Workstream, four roles have been introduced to ensure consistency and transparency in how teaching activity is contracted and paid across UCD. Each role reflects a different level of responsibility and contribution to teaching and learning.
- Occasional Lecturer
- Occasional Teacher
- Part-Time Module Lecturer
- Part-Time Module Teacher
Definition: Occasional Roles
An hourly-paid teaching role used on an occasional or irregular basis, where the individual supports the delivery of learning but does not hold primary responsibility. The role requires appropriate subject knowledge and the ability to deliver teaching under academic direction. This role applies where teaching covers up to 45% of a module.
- Occasional Lecturer – Appointed for limited lecturing activity within a module, typically teaching under 45% of a module.
- Occasional Teacher – Engaged for short-term or low-volume teaching activity, typically teach under 45% of a module.
Definition: Part Time Module Roles
An hourly-paid teaching role used where individuals deliver a full module or in some cases a part of a module that equates to above 45% of a module delivery hours. With the individual engaged to do some or all of the module design, delivery and assessment. The Role expects to contribute research expertise only when it is necessary and relevant for the instruction of the specific module they are engaged to teach.
- Part-Time Module Lecturer – Used where teaching exceeds 45% of a module, with substantial responsibility for delivery, preparation, assessment, and student support.
- Part-Time Module Teacher – Used where teaching exceeds 45% of a module. Involving regular delivery of part of a module but not full module responsibility.
What about placement roles and other teaching type roles that do not fall into the 4 roles above that are hourly paid?
The hourly paid project is reviewing all teaching roles in the University at present and the “Occasional Teaching / Lecturing” roles are the first cohort to be implemented. Further work is under way to look at all other teaching type roles that are hourly paid and this will be subject to further engagement and communications in the new year (2026). Meantime, they can continue to claim as done to-date.
Recruiting for Hourly Paid Teaching Roles
Schools and Units must ensure that all hourly paid teaching roles are correctly classified, approved, and contracted before any work begins. The process ensures compliance with employment legislation, timely payment, and clarity for both staff and hiring units.
There are a number of steps in the process of recruiting hourly paid teaching roles, summarized below. Expand the text for a more detailed explanation of the steps.
- Identify the correct role after reviewing the 4 options and the role profile information
- Confirm rate and eligibility
- Complete the Local Recruitment Guidelines and InfoHub Hiring process
- Hourly Paid employee form set up process
- School and HR review and contract issue
- Contract and HR system
Step 1 – Identify the correct role after reviewing the options and role profiles
Choose the required teaching role based on the duration and level of responsibility:
- Occasional Teacher / Lecturer → up to 45 % of module.
- Part-Time Module Teacher / Lecturer → more than 45 % of module.
The role descriptions detailed elsewhere on this page should assist you identifying the correct role.
Step 2 – Confirm rate and eligibility
- Select the Job title from the given the list.
- Review the current Teaching Hourly Pay Rates and confirm.
Step 3 – Complete local recruitment and InfoHub Hiring process
- Follow Hiring process steps.
- Once employee selected, Send email template to hourly paid employees ( Includes before you go online steps, Personal details, next of keen, bank details, IRP card if required, role title and rate, if needs to be communicated before )
Step 4 – Hourly Paid employee form set up process
- The selected individual receives an email to complete the HRP employee set up form.
- Set- up form created by an individual and followed all the steps as per email guide. Send for school review and Approvers (Head of School /timesheet approvers )
Note : Submit at least 2 weeks before the teaching start date to avoid delays.
Step 5 – School and HR review and contract issue
- The school reviews the submitted form.
- School adds details about the contract start and end dates, hours in all 3 trimesters and rate of pay.
- HR reviews the submission and sends it back to the individual to review/ accept the contract for signature.
- Contract will be issue
Step 6 – Contract and HR system
Once the contract is accepted, HR Operations will add the contract to the Core HR system. The contract is then active and IT, payroll and PeopleXD access follows.
Role profiles & the trimester system
The difference between an Occasional / Part-Time Teacher and a Lecturer is based on the level of experience, academic expertise, and responsibility required to fulfil the role. This difference reflects role complexity and the level of academic skill required to carry out duties effectively
Summary Role Profiles
Occasional / part time Lecturers:
- Have a higher level of academic qualification and subject expertise (Level 8 & 9 degree, post grad or equivalent OR significant subject matter knowledge / experience).
- Minimum of 5 years of experience and deliver specialist teaching requirements.
- Typically engage in the design and delivery of the programme.
- Typically work under the direction of a module coordinator
- Carry greater responsibility for academic standards.
Occasional/ Part time Teachers:
- Level 8 (degree or equivalent).
- Likely early career.
- Have the subject capability needed for supporting delivery of learning.
- Work under the direction of a module coordinator.
- Provide teaching support rather than leading curriculum delivery.
Trimesters & the Academic Year
The UCD academic year is divided into trimesters.
- Autumn (Trimester 1) is September to December : 12 weeks
- Spring (Trimester 2) is January to May :12 weeks
- Summer (Trimester 3) is May to August : 12 Weeks
Undergraduate programmes are normally taught in the Autumn and Spring Trimesters. Within each trimester, you will have 12 weeks of teaching, revision weeks and exams.
Trimesters & Contract Length
You can choose to request a one or two trimester contract or indeed all 3 trimesters so that a contract of employment for a full Academic Year is issued.
Learn more about the dates of the Academic Year 2025/26
Detailed Role Profiles
- Occasional Teacher Role Profile
- Occasional Lecturer role profile
- Part Time Module Teacher Role
- Part time Module Lecturer Role
Resourcing Documents
Deadlines, Roles & Responsibilities
To ensure timely payroll access, your Hourly Set-Up Form must be submitted to HR by:
| Month |
Deadline |
| December 2025 |
Wednesday, 26th November |
| January 2026 |
Monday, 5th January |
| February 2026 |
Tuesday, 3rd February |
| March 2026 |
Monday, 2nd March |
| April 2026 |
Wednesday, 1st April |
| May 2026 |
Friday, 1st May |
| June 2026 |
Tuesday, 2nd June |
Timesheet Submission Deadlines (Monthly Payroll)
Timesheets must be approved by Approver 2 by 5:00 PM on the deadline date to be processed that month.
You will receive an email once your timesheet has been approved by Approver 1 and Approver 2. Please contact your School / Unit contact if there is a delay, to ensure your timesheet is fully approved by the deadline.
| Month | Approver 2 Deadline |
| December 2025 | Monday, 8th December |
| January 2026 | Thursday, 15th January |
| February 2026 | Thursday, 12th February |
| March 2026 | Friday, 13th March |
| April 2026 | Wednesday, 15th April |
| May 2026 | Thursday, 14th May |
| June 2026 | Monday, 15th June |
Timesheet Submission Deadlines (Weekly Payroll)
Thursdays at 5.00 pm each week.
For Public Holidays, Easter. etc. the deadline is 5.00 pm on Wednesday.
- Completion of the recruitment process and commencing the online hiring form where relevant.
- Ensuring hours and rate of pay are agreed with the new hire and are within the parameters of our hourly paid policy.
- Managing online timesheets where relevant
- Monitoring hours of work to ensure that they are in line with contractual agreements and within the confines of the Working Time Act.
- Ensuring that any queries for the hire are dealt with locally in the first instance.
- Ensuring that process is followed for ending employees when employment is due to cease.
- Liaising with HR on any queries / issues arising or on any long term needs that arise.
Role Profiles
- Occasional Teacher Role Profile
- Occasional Lecturer role profile
- Part Time Module Teacher Role
- Part time Module Lecturer Role
Resourcing Documents
- Completion of the online hiring form where relevant
- Abiding by the terms of their employment with UCD.
- Ensuring they are familiar with and are available for the duties and responsibilities of their role.
- Adherence to the University Policies and Procedures
- Signing and returning their contract of employment in advance of commencement in the role.
- Responsible for claiming their part time hours through the system in line with payroll deadlines and procedures
Human Resources
- Providing guidance and support to Schools and Units on the process
- Overall responsibility for the oversight of the process across the University
- Ensuring that hiring forms are in compliance with policy and legislative requirements
- Set up the relevant hourly paid employees on CoreHR in a timely manner
- Ending the relevant hourly paid employees on CoreHR in a timely manner
Payroll
- Process payments and generate payslips
- Provide guidance and support to Schools and Units on payroll related queries
- Financial reporting where required
Frequently Asked Questions
A detailed FAQ section covering a range of topics related to Hourly Teaching can be found here.