Remote Teaching – Privacy and Intellectual Property Concerns

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Academic Staff Members (ASMs) at Memorial University are using online technologies to teach, engage in scholarship, and perform academic service in new ways. ASMs should be aware that the use of these online tools can raise important privacy and intellectual property issues.

ASMs are advised that all provisions in the Collective Agreement are still in effect, including privacy and intellectual property rights, as well as academic freedoms.
No lectures or classes can be recorded without the ASM’s written permission (Clause 27.27), and ASMs have a right to privacy in their personal and professional communications and files, subject to legal requirements (Clause 27.18). ASMs are encouraged to become familiar with the privacy and security settings of any program or software to ensure secure use.
Further, the content of remote teaching sessions remain the intellectual property of the ASM (Clause 28.01). ASMs should consider communicating a privacy and copyright statement to their students, for example:

Students are reminded that privacy laws and expectations continue, and that videos and other all other course materials are copyright of the instructor, unless otherwise noted. Students must not record, publish, send, post on an internet site, sell, rent, or otherwise distribute this work without the instructor’s express permission.

We ask ASMs to stay in contact with their Association to communicate any concerns or potential Collective Agreement violations as they transition their work online. MUNFA remains ready to defend your rights.

For more information, please see the CAUT Briefing on Privacy and Intellectual Property, or contact the MUNFA office at munfa@mun.ca.

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