don't know if late is better than never, I've a bad habit of storing posts to which I want to reply and then neglecting them...
Yoshie's above recollection is correct except for the 'tenured prof' reference...contractually/officially, we are instructors... moreover, we do not have tenure per se, but something called 'continuing contract' which I understand carries less legal import than tenure (both, however, are subject to courses/programs being offered, tenure is not blanket job guarantee either)...
full-time faculty where I work teach 5 courses per term in fall and spring terms...we are continually monitored for minimum enrollments per class (18 students) and 2 'underloads' (adminstrat-ese) in 3 year period or 3 in 5 year period can be used to initiate dismissal...
current administration is seeking to increase load to six courses... the 'faculty load committee' (there is an impotent committee for every issue imaginable at this institution) is recommending that magic number of 5 be retained for following reasons: it is national community college average, it maintains quality instruction, and it maintains faculty morale (snicker, chuckle, guffaw!)...
attempts to organize the faculty over a number of years have met with little success (which may say something about those involved in such efforts as well, I guess)...Michael Hoover