Academic units are responsible for the administration, approval, and funding of extra compensation opportunities related to fully online courses. Academic units often provide unit-based guidelines on how these opportunities are administered. Instructors are highly encouraged to speak to their academic unit supervisors for additional guidelines, expectations, and approvals.
| Type | Verbiage and Origins | Supplemental Information |
|---|---|---|
| Development/Substantially Revised Materials for an Online Course | “Employees who develop or substantially revise instructional materials for an online course with extra compensation, either a three-credit-hour course release or compensation of $500 per credit hour at the discretion of the Supervisor, maintain ownership of the instructional content of the online course, but FIU maintains ownership of the technical design of the online course and has a limited, non-exclusive license to allow others the use of some or all of such course materials to teach an online section of the same course for a period of three (3) years.” Origins Collective Bargaining Agreement for 2021-2024 as ratified September 2021, Page 62, 10.b.ii.b |
This is what in the past has been referred to as the “new course incentive,” based on how some academic units operationalized the added compensation for “Development/Substantially Revised Materials for an Online Course” in the Faculty Collective bargaining agreement. However, this is not an institutionalized incentive. Rather, this is a guideline provided in the CBA should the supervisor and employee agree upon the extra compensation based on the development of new or enhancement of existing course materials. |
| Panther High-Quality Online Course Design Incentive | “Instructors selected to teach new online courses should be assigned with the explicit expectation that the course must meet the quality online course design standards as per this BOG mandate. New courses will not be eligible for the quality incentive available to faculty who enhance their existing courses to meet quality online course design standards.” “Faculty incentives for existing courses developed in compliance with these quality standards will be awarded for each course as follows:
Origins * FIU Online University Memo, as per BOG revised SUS Goal, February 25, 2020 *Original Provost Memo, March 2019 |
As of Summer 2020, and in accordance with the BOG mandate, the University established that all new online courses be developed to high-quality standards, a function now considered constituent to FIU online course standards and expectation of work. A “new course” is no longer considered new and is eligible for an enhancement after four years from its initial run. Example Professor Medina has been selected to teach COM 4464 online in Spring 2024. Prof. Medina has never taught this course online and therefore is teaching a new online course. Professor Medina will work with an FIU Online Instructional Design Consultant to design and develop a course that meets the State’s quality mandate. This is an FIU and State University System of Florida expectation for all new online courses. In this scenario, no added compensation related to the Panther High-Quality Online Course Design Incentive is awarded to the faculty. Suppose Prof. Medina does not certify the course. * In that case, the course is not considered eligible for the enhancement incentives until four years after its initial run, when it is no longer considered a new course. In this scenario, the course is not eligible for a Panther High-Quality Online Course Design Incentive until Spring 2028. *Not certifying a new course after its initial run will impact the University’s course quality reporting to the State University System of Florida Board of Governors reporting. |