Syracuse University publishes Copyright Guide

Syracuse University has published “Using Copyrighted Works in Teaching: A Guide for Syracuse University Faculty” to provide recommendations and best practices to assist SU faculty members, teaching assistants, online course administrators, librarians and others in making legal use of copyright-protected works for curricular purposes. The guide was developed by K. Matthew Dames, copyright and information policy adviser in the Syracuse University Library.

The University Committee on Copyright, appointed in 2010 by Vice Chancellor and Provost Eric F. Spina and chaired by College of Law Professor Lisa Dolak, helped to frame these complex issues and determine how best to provide guidance to SU faculty. Several Senate committees reviewed earlier drafts and provided helpful comments and suggestions.

Print copies of the guide are being mailed to all faculty and related instructional staff; distribution should be complete by Sept. 15. While the guide applies specifically to circumstances at Syracuse University, faculty and administrators at other colleges and universities are welcome to use the guide as a model.

The guide is also available online at http://copyright.syr.edu/guide/. The online version will be kept up to date to reflect new modes of instruction and changes in copyright law. Dames will publish a running list of updates to the guide on the copyright.syr.edu website. Any changes to the online version will supersede the print version. Print copies are available upon request.

For additional information about the guide or to offer suggestions for improvement, contact Dames at cipa@syr.edu.