Undergraduate Research Mentoring (499) Compensation Policy

E22A

Elon University values the experience students receive by participating in the scholarly process mentored by faculty and desires to support faculty who provide students with high quality, intensive research opportunities. Developing and maintaining a premiere undergraduate research program requires that faculty have adequate time and resources to mentor students and to maintain active research programs, and that faculty are fairly compensated and recognized for this important work. As part of an ongoing effort to support, compensate for, and recognize the intensive work of mentoring, the faculty approved the 499 course designation for research in each discipline and the University has developed a compensation program based on 499 credit hours. (Courses numbered 498 denote honors research.)

The Undergraduate Research Program shares with individual faculty members the responsibility for tracking the number of student hours earned. The Undergraduate Research Program will provide Deans, Department Chairs, and individual faculty 498 and 499 mentoring reports in November, at which time, faculty will choose between compensation by course release or compensation by overload pay.

(Faculty select one of the following two options.)

Compensation by Course Release

• Course releases are based on accrued hours.
• Faculty must inform the Director of Undergraduate Research of their intent to accrue for course release.
• The Director of Undergraduate Research will notify faculty, Department Chairs, and Deans by late November of hours accumulated to date.
• Faculty should also keep track of their 498 and 499 hours.
• Faculty will work with their Department Chairs to schedule the course release.

Release time for 499 is based upon the following:

6 student hours of 499 = 1 faculty load hour

12 student hours of 499 = 2 faculty load hours

18 student hours of 499 = 3 faculty load hours

24 student hours of 499 = 4 faculty load hours

Release time for 498 is based upon the following:

4 student hours of 498 = 1 faculty load hour

8 student hours of 498 = 2 faculty load hours

12 student hours of 498 = 3 faculty load hours

16 student hours of 498 = 4 faculty load hours

OR

Compensation by Overload Pay

• Faculty will be compensated by overload pay when supervision of 498 or 499 causes their annual teaching load to exceed 24 semester hours.
• Compensation for 499 is based upon the ratio of 6 hours of student research = 1 faculty load hour; compensation for 498 is based upon the ratio of 4 hours of student research = 1 faculty load hour.
• Faculty will receive overload pay for all research hours supervised as overload during the academic year.
• Faculty must inform the Director of Undergraduate Research of their intent to seek annual overload pay.
• The Director of Undergraduate Research will notify faculty, Department Chairs, and Deans by the first week of February of their overload hours for the academic year.
• Faculty should also keep track of their 498 and 499 hours.
• Compensation is based on current overload pay rates and will be made in the spring.

Faculty supervising 498 or 499 credit during the summer will be paid based upon the current formula for summer pay.