Policy No. LRC.2000.001
10.6 Policy on the Authoring and Delivery of Distance Education Courseware by University of Houston Clear Lake Faculty and Staff
1. Scope
1.1 The purpose of this policy is to maximize the creative efforts of faculty and staff for the mutual benefit of the University and its faculty and staff.
1.2 No part of this policy is intended to circumvent the authority vested in the Office of the Provost regarding curricular matters.
1.3 This policy governs the authoring and delivery of credit and non-credit distance education courseware by full time faculty and staff at the University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL). Distance education courseware may differ substantially in nature from traditional classroom courseware and the number of students may vary greatly. Therefore, a policy dealing specifically with authoring and delivering distance education courseware by UHCL faculty and staff is necessary. This policy:
1.3.1 generally follows policies governing other courseware offered at UHCL.
1.3.2 reaffirms the UH-System Intellectual Property Policy adopted by the Board of Regents in May 1999 and designated as Section 21.08.
1.3.3 seeks to make the System policy operational within the UHCL environment.
1.3.4 seeks to delineate the roles, responsibilities, and benefits related to University-developed and delivered distance education credit courseware.
1.3.5 applies to any University employee engaged in authoring, developing, delivering, or commercializing distance education courseware.
1.3.6 is not intended to infringe on the job description of persons hired by the University.
1.4 Faculty members not hired specifically to develop, deliver, or support distance education courseware may choose not to participate in such activities. References to financial compensation and royalties described in this document apply only to full-time faculty and staff. Compensation of part-time faculty, adjuncts, and other less-than full-time employees of the University is not subject to this policy.
2.0 Definitions
2.1 Distance Education Courseware - courseware where the content is delivered primarily (50% or more) via television, telephone, the Internet, videotape, or other means by instructors who are not physically present with students at a distant location. Courseware may or may not be taught with students physically present with the instructor. If students are physically present, the term “distance education courseware” refers to the instructional component offered to students not physically present with the instructor.
2.2 Web-based Courseware – distance education credit courseware where 50% or more of the courseware content is delivered through the World Wide Web or other Internet facilities. Web-enhanced courseware, with less than 50% of the content is delivered in this manner, is not subject to this policy.
2.3 Courseware Development – any or all of the following: authoring, creating and organizing courseware content and other essential materials; generating or deliberate arranging of events to facilitating student learning and performance including; the syllabus, topics to be covered, courseware goals and objectives, sample assignments and exercises, readings, class notes, handouts, sample tests, examinations, selection of textbooks, slide presentations, and other ancillary supporting materials.
2.4 Courseware Delivery - day-to-day instructional activities connected with offering courseware, including lecturing, or interacting with students via telephone, television, the Internet, or other electronic means to accomplish the goals of the courseware. Delivery includes providing instruction and answering questions via telephone, television, or the Internet via electronic mail exchanges discussion forums, chat room sessions, news groups, and other electronic means.
2.5 Web Book - a collection of courseware content composed of HTML documents or web pages without a significant programming component. One or more web books may be part of distance education courseware.
3.0 Courseware Development
3.1 Before courseware can be developed and offered as a distance education course, the course and courseware must:
3.1.1 Be approved by the appropriate Dean for development and delivery as a distance education course, AND
3.1.2 Appear in the University’s official inventory OR have been approved though the University’s normal curriculum approval processes.
3.2 Before beginning development, the author and the University shall jointly reach an agreement covering the development, delivery, and commercialization of the distance education courseware.
3.3 Once courseware is developed but before it can be delivered,
3.3.1 The courseware content must be reviewed and approved by the appropriate curriculum committee of the school offering the course containing the courseware.
3.3.2 For each school, the design, layout and format for web-based courseware must meet University standards reviewed and approved by the LRCC. Each school is responsible for enforcing its content standards.
3.4 Nothing in this section is meant to preclude employees of UHCL from developing courseware or web books without substantial assistance from the University. Faculty members are free to contract with commercial web publishers to develop courseware or web books, subject to the UH System Intellectual Property. However, before such courseware or web books can be offered via distance education, as a part of the University’s curriculum, it must undergo the normal processes for school and University approval, which includes conforming to this policy.
