Financial Considerations
As far as for-credit online courses are concerned, two major points need to be kept in mind: (1) instructors get paid for developing an online course, and (2) for teaching it.
Remuneration for Course Development
By default, course developers have up to one year to develop an online course and are paid the equivalent of one 3-ch stipend for development once the course is ready to be offered to students. Stipends amounts depend on your academic status and are defined in the collective agreements (Group 1: full-time; Group 2: Contract Academic Employees).
In most instances, payment is a one-time, lump sum processed through UNB Payroll, as per CRA regulations.
These terms and other details are laid out in a development contract.
Remuneration for Teaching an Online Course
Open Entry (courses with an established track-record of sustainable enrollment)
As per the AUNBT collective agreement, remuneration for teaching an open-entry course is as follows:
As per the collective agreement, UNB Online agrees to pay the Instructor as follows: for each 12-month period that the Course is offered (starting and ending on the Anniversary), a one-time payment of $3000 (payable within one month after the start date) plus the following for each student (after the first 10 students) registered in the Course in each 12-month period, payable when the final mark for the student is posted:
1. $200 for the eleventh through the fortieth (11 to 40);
2. $175 for the forty-first through the sixtieth (41 to 60); and
3. $150 for the sixty-first and above (61 and above).
If a student withdraws from the Course before completing it, the amount payable to the Instructor shall be prorated to pay the Instructor in the same percentage as the tuition retained by UNB and not refunded to the student under CEL's fee refund policy in place at the time of withdrawal.
The anniversary is usually on the date that the course was first open for registration. In summary, the instructor is paid a flat $3000 fee once a year to cover the first 10 registrations in that year; then an amount per student beyond the first 10 registrations for that year. Per-student payments are processed once a month for students who have completed and received a final grade in that month. Payment is through UNB Payroll.
Open Entry (New courses or courses with relatively low enrollment)
UNB Online and the Instructor agree that the Instructor shall be paid the following for each student registered in the Course in each 12-month period that the Course is offered (starting and ending on the Anniversary), payable when the final mark for the student is posted:
- $300 for the first through the tenth (1-10);
- $200 for the eleventh through the fortieth (11-40);
- $175 for the forty-first through the sixtieth (41-60);
- $150 for the sixty-first and above (61 and above).
If a student withdraws from the Course before completing it, the amount payable to the Instructor shall be prorated to pay the Instructor in the same proportion as the tuition retained by UNB and not refunded to the student under CEL's fee refund policy in place at the time of withdrawal.
Term Based
Instructors teaching a term-based course are normally paid a full stipend paid biweekly through UNB payroll. Stipendiary appointments are normally posted as per regulations defined in the collective agreement.
Need More Information?
For more information on course development, curriculum design, program delivery, policies and so on, or to book an appointment to discuss these topics in person, please contact:
Joss Richer
Manager, UNB Online
joss@unb.ca
506-452-6338
