Intellectual Property Rights of Faculty in the Digital Age—Evolution or Dissolution in 21st Century Academia?
Unforeseen forces are at work in higher education today. The purpose of this article is to explore the issues involved in the changing landscape. Decisions are and will be made that impact the intellectual property rights of faculty. It is important to be cognizant of the factors involved and alert to possible ramifications. The basics of the copyright law and their application in our traditional, face-to-face classrooms will be examined. The picture changes when online delivery is considered. The results of a simple survey of faculty regarding their expectations of copyright ownership will be shared. Issues that may make a difference and additional factors involved in Massive Open Online Courses will then be discussed. In some cases, existing policies of colleges and universities are being applied to these issues at least for the time being. A sample will be provided. The role of our professional organizations and unions will play a role in the ultimate decisions. Their relevant policies and recommendations will also be discussed.