Faculty | Policies

Course Set Up
Copyright & Intellectual Property
EE&O Plans

Course Set Up
Distance or online courses are set up through regular processes in SIS+ by the department scheduler. These classes are designated as "S" type courses and identified with a section number of 700 or 800 and appear in the printed version as well as the web version of the schedule of classes. For more information about section numbers for distance courses, contact Distance Education Services (472-5515).

A course taught completely online should not list a campus classroom. Distance courses must be accompanied by memo codes that identify for students the technology required to take the course. Many colleges set minimum standards for programs in their colleges Students must know required technology before they register.

The following memo codes are used for distance and online courses:

MLA Access to TV and VCR required.
MLB Access to computer with CD-Rom required.
MLC Polycom connection required.
MLD Class taught via Blackboard.
MLE Class taught by Lotus Notes.
MLG Access to videoconferencing system required.
MLH Computer, e-mail, and Internet required. 
MLI High speed Internet connection required.
MLJ Computer with DVD required.
MMT Course taught by interactive TV. 

If you expect to use a form of interactive video in your course, there are many options. Some systems require that students go to a specific building and room to participate in class delivered to an off-campus site. Information Services (472-2015) can assist you in scheduling the appropriate technology system, determining the sites available for delivery, making reservations and arrangements for site support, providing information on reserving a distance classroom on campus, and arranging for audio bridges. Costs incurred at delivery sites, technology costs, and audio bridges are the responsibility of the academic unit.

Copyright & Intellectual Property

TO Nebraska Regents Intellectual Property Policy

Copyright and Fair Use Policies
Copyright laws apply to many instructional materials used in distance education just as they do when similar materials are used in a traditional classroom setting. The U.S. Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. Sections 101-810 is the federal legislation established by Congress to protect the "writings" of authors. "Writings" may mean text, video, music, images, motion pictures, and/or computer software. Copyright law, in essence, gives the owner the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, perform, display, or license his or her work. It also gives the owner exclusive rights to produce or license derivatives of his or her work.

There are limited exceptions to this right of exclusivity that are very important for educators because they give you the ability to use "writings" to demonstrate, illustrate, explain, teach. Exceptions for classroom and distance education are similar but not absolutely the same. You need to be familiar with the exceptions that apply to distance education as you develop and teach distance courses. Following appropriate guidelines will protect you and your institution as well as the copyright holder.

When you wish to use works authored by others in a distance course, you must meet one or more of the following requirements:

(Click on icon to open PDF file.)
The work is in the public domain.
You are acting within the fair use guidelines, Section 107 and Section 110(1) of the Copyright Act of 1976.
You have documented (written) permission from the copyright holder.
You are acting within specific, statutory exceptions, such as those now found within the TEACH Act.

Plagiarism
The Undergraduate Bulletin states: "The maintenance of academic honesty is a vital concern of the university community. Any student found guilty of academic dishonesty shall be subject to both academic and disciplinary sanctions." Academic dishonesty includes, but it is not limited to, the following:

Cheating
Fabrication and Falsification
Plagiarism
Abuse of Academic Materials
Complicity in Academic Dishonesty
Falsifying Grade Reports
Misrepresentation to Avoid Academic Work
Other
Please see the most current Undergraduate Bulletin for the complete text.

http://www.unl.edu/unlpub/undergrad/index.html

Intellectual Property and Copyright Committee
Bob Bolin of University Libraries has created a site on Blackboard intended to help instructors reduce incidences of plagiarism. It includes simple strategies for instructors, sample modules that can be included in online classes to have students learn how to site resources and avoid plagiarism, and selected references.

To access this site, log on to my.unl.edu.

EE&O Plans
In April 1998 the Board of Regents Policy Statement on Lifelong Learning was approved. This was followed in May of 1999 with the "University of Nebraska Extended Education Policy for Credit Course," which stated that:

"Extended education is part of the core mission of the University of Nebraska, and requires tangible resources for its development and delivery. It should thus be fully integrated in to the University's infrastructure so that extended education for credit courses can benefit from state-aided budget as do the regular on-campus courses."

Strategic Plans, policies and guidelines to help make distance education a core mission of the University have emerged at the campus level, within Central Administration and from the Board of Regents.

Policy PDF Files
Strategic Plans
   NU Distance Education Strategic Plan
   UNL Distance Education Strategic Plan
   Extended Education & Outreach Strategic Plan
   Tuition Policy for Distance Education For-Credit Hours
   Distance Education Tuition Policy
   Special Contracts
  

Distance Education Guidelines
   Course Policy Guidelines
   Mini Courses
   Field Course Submission Form
   -Click here for a Microsoft Word version of this form.