Faculty, UNL devising plan
on ownership of work
TugofWar
news analysis by Cara Pesek
Over the past several years,
Internet, distance learning, recorded
lectures and computer software have
found their way into many UNL class
rooms.
Much of the new technology used
on campus has been developed by
University of Nebraska-Lincoln facul
ty members, oftentimes with the aid of
university resources such as comput
ers, software and even laboratories.
So it is no surprise that a debate
between university administrators and
faculty members has arisen over the
ownership rights of these resources,
which are known as intellectual proper
ty
During a time when many UNL
posed policy were not defined clearly,
Bryant said.
Furthermore, the proposal lacked
definitions for terms like a faculty
member’s “own time,” he said.
In addition, Latta said, faculty
members were disappointed with the
generous intellectual property rights
the policy granted the university.
“(Under the proposed policy)
things the faculty develop other than
traditional material virtually belong to
the university,” Latta said.
She said hill or nearly full universi
ty ownership of intellectual property
could discourage faculty members
from further development of these
resources.
faculty members are leaving the cam- We are not indentured servants
pus for higher paying where everything we think, say and do
jobs, UNL needs to 44 nrp y\nt belongs to the universi
look at ways to retain tlrt? rltfl ty,” Latta said.
faculty members. inrlpntiirprl “I would like to see
Granting faculty lilU'&rllur tw it recommended that to
members full or near- whpyp be employed by the uni
full intellectual prop- *3t:r VUfUo Writer & versity does not mean
erty rights would be ,1 • everything we do with
out way to do that, everything we in our areas of expertise
Former ;. 7 ? belongs to the universi
Academic Senate trlM/t, say ana *
President Gail Latta J u 1 + At ^eb. *
said a policy outlining WO DeiOngS lO Academic Senate
ownership rights for . i . „ meeting, senators voted
these resources was trie University. unanimously to accept
drafted last summer. a resolution calling for
The policy was revisions to the pro
one of the foci of the Gail Latta posed intellectual prop
senate throughout the former faculty senate president erty P°bcy.
spring semester. While the resolu
Currently, there is tion proposed no spe
no policy for determining who has cific changes to the policy, iturged revi
ownership rights for intellectual prop- sion based on recommendations made
erty. by faculty members at the forums.
And since the initial policy was
drafted, much discussion has been
devoted to it.
The Academic Senate sponsored
two forums in January where faculty
members could voice their concerns
about the policy draft.
Agnes Adams, a UNL faculty
member who helped draft the initial
policy, said those who attended the
forum thought the policy didn’t satis
factorily address as number of issues.
At the Feb. 1 senate meeting, Miles
Bryant, senate secretary, said faculty
members also were concerned that
many terms in the draft policy wefc
vague.
Terms like “substantial university
resources,” “instructional materials”
and “device-like software” in the pro
Donal Bums, NU associate execu
tive vice president and provost, said he
and UNL attorney Carmen Maurer
have been reviewing the policy after
looking at feedback given by all four
University of Nebraska campuses.
And although he and Maurer are
making headway on the revised draft,
he said doesn’t know how soon it will
be before the policy ready to go before
the Academic Senate again.
“Frankly, I think we’ve made pretty
good progress as the year has pro
gressed, and we hope we’re getting
closer to the final document,” Burns
said.
If the policy would be approved by
the senate, the NU Board of Regents
would have to approve it before it could
be put into action.
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