TRADITIONAL ACADEMIC WORKS EXAMPLES

Related Policy – Intellectual Property and Copyright

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Traditional academic works represent scholarly and creative outputs that faculty members create through independent scholarship in their academic disciplines. Faculty retain ownership of these works when created without substantial university resources beyond standard faculty support and outside specific employment assignments requiring particular outputs.

 Examples of Traditional Academic Works (Faculty Ownership):

• Peer-reviewed journal articles and academic manuscripts reporting original research in the faculty member’s discipline
• Textbooks, academic monographs, and book chapters written independently without substantial university resources
• Conference papers, posters, and presentation materials prepared for academic conferences and scholarly meetings
• Creative artistic productions including musical compositions, visual art, theatrical works, choreography, and literary works created through independent creative scholarship
• Syllabi and lecture notes created independently for traditional classroom instruction without substantial resource usage
• Course materials developed by individual faculty members for their courses without instructional design support, significant release time, or specific employment assignments
• Scholarly blog posts, op-eds, and public scholarship communicating research to broader audiences
• Grant proposals and research protocols written by faculty members (though funded research outcomes may trigger university ownership) 

Examples of University-Owned Academic Works:

• Online courses developed for university degree programs with instructional design support, substantial development time, or specific employment assignments
• Institutional curricula developed as specifically assigned duties such as core curriculum revision, program development, or accreditation documentation
• Course materials developed with substantial instructional designer involvement, dedicated development time, or significant multimedia production support
• Educational software, applications, or digital learning tools developed with programming support, significant funding, or substantial university resources
• Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) developed with substantial production support, dedicated personnel, or significant financial investment
• Assessment instruments, evaluation tools, or testing materials developed as specifically assigned institutional projects
• Training materials, professional development programs, or continuing education courses created as assigned employment duties 

Determining Traditional Academic Work Status:

Faculty members should consider several factors when determining whether works qualify as traditional academic works:

1. Did the faculty member create the work independently through scholarly interest in their discipline, or did employment agreements specifically assign the work as a duty?
2. Did creation use only standard faculty support (office, computer, library), or did it require specialized equipment, technical support, or substantial funding?
3. Does the work represent traditional scholarly communication in the faculty member’s field, or does it represent institutional products such as curricula or training materials?
4. Did the faculty member control creative decisions and scholarly direction, or did institutional needs dictate content, format, and outcomes?

When uncertainty exists regarding work classification, faculty members should consult university counsel or the Office of Academic Affairs before publication, distribution, or commercialization.