Educational Continuity and Faculty Ownership of Course Materials

March 11, 2020

Dear Colleagues,

As faculty prepare to deliver more instruction online, this is a good time to review our university policies concerning ownership of course materials and some steps faculty can take to protect them. 

The University of California’s 2003 policy on Ownership of Course Materials describes in detail ownership of course materials in whatever medium or combination thereof and includes, but is not limited to, lectures, lecture notes and materials, syllabi, study guides, and web-ready content. In brief, unless you have used “exceptional university resources” to create course materials, you own the copyrights to the course materials you create. This means that only the faculty member and anyone to whom the faculty member has granted permission may reproduce, distribute, or display course materials. 

Rules relating to the distribution of course recordings are described in the University of California’s 2005 policy on Use of Recordings of Course Presentations. In sum, only legitimate pedagogical and instructional uses by enrolled students and by faculty are allowed.

For more details on these topics and about how to protect your materials, please see DTEI’s Guidance for UCI Faculty in Light of Increased Online Instruction (COVID-19).

Yours,

James Steintrager

Chair of the Academic Senate, Irvine Division

Michael Dennin

Vice Provost of Teaching and Learning

Dean, Division of Undergraduate Education