Nuts & Bolts: Online Course Development Fees – just say no, plus update on Higher Ed Advocacy Day

2/27/2023

Dear Members, 

BRIEF UDPATE: HIGHER ED ADVOCACY DAY POSTPONED- The event has been postponed due to upcoming inclement weather. We’ll provide you with more information at a later date on when the event will be rescheduled. And now, on to our regularly scheduled programming….

Many times, we ask you to do something such as signing a petition or joining a campus event supporting a cause.  This Nuts & Bolts is not one of those. This issue is asking you to say no.  Say no to developing an on-line class until you have in hand all the required signatures and confirmation of the development fee payment.  

(On-line course development fee details can be found in our March 2022 member email).

It has come to our attention that what the FSU believed was a yearly pool of funds designated for development fee payments, there is no longer a pool of funds.   There was an initial $100,000 allocation to encourage on-line course development.  Since then, the Provost and Chancellor offices have not maintained a central pool of funding.  In addition, the Provost’s Office budget does not have any funding committed for on-line course development fees.   

Where are development fee funds coming from?  Colleges and departments.  Future funding for approved on-line courses will come from a college and department’s annual online revenue share.  

We acknowledge we do not know how much funding the online revenue share produces for each college and therefore how many course development fees can be paid.  

Article 35 and the associated memoranda relating to developing on-line courses were agreed upon with the FSU assuming a continuous pool of funds. This is not the case. We do not want you to put in the hours to create a course and meet university criteria and then finding out you will not be paid. The agreements were made with the understanding you will get paid for work beyond your normal workload.  

If you choose to create an on-line class, please do not create the class until you receive email confirmation that you will be paid the development fee (note that the final required signature on the DL development fee agreement must be from the Provost).

Sincerely,

Caroline Coscia                                 

FSU President                                   

Senior Lecturer II                               

Political Science Department