Purpose and Scope
This Policy expresses the school’s approach to ownership of intellectual property. It covers all those who are a
part of the School – faculty, staff, students, or other participants enrolled, employed or affiliated with the
Institution. Should there be any conflict between the provisions of this Policy and the terms of a separate
agreement between the Institution and one of the individuals listed above, the terms of that separate
agreement will govern.
The Rights of the Creator of Intellectual Property Works
A. Faculty and Staff Work
The School does not claim copyrights in journal articles, books,or other copyrightable works that are created
through independent academic effort and that are intended to disseminate the results of academic on the part
of faculty, staff, and students. Furthermore, the institution has the right to use and reproduce syllabi for
educational purposes.
In the case of the use of substantial school resources, the authorizing parties within the school will develop a
written agreement with the user of those resources to determine possible reimbursements, sharing of royalties,
or other systems of compensation back to the School.
B. Student Work
The School makes no claim of copyright ownership in works created by undergraduate and graduate full-time
and part-time working on their own, or developed in the context of a course without the use of substantial
School resources, and outside of any employment by the School. The School also makes no claim of copyright
ownership in works that are not sponsored, contracted or mandated by the School. Note the following rules:
(a) Students hired to carry out specific tasks that contribute to a copyrighted or patented work of the School
retain no rights of ownership in whole or in part to that work or to the student’s contribution to that work.
(b) Students working collaboratively with School employees on projects that result in copyrighted or patentable
works are granted the same rights and subject to the same limitations of ownership as would the employees
working on their own. However, students working collaboratively with School employees are required to
produce, sign, notarize, and file a written agreement outlining their rights before commencing on such projects.
Either party has the right to initiate such agreement.
C. Independent Contractor Work
The School will only retain the copyright in a work that is created by an independent contractor if the School
has specifically ordered or mandated the work and if a written agreement designating the work as a “work
made for hire” and/or requiring assignment of the copyright rights in the work has been executed and signed by
both parties. Subject to this rule, all School employees will be considered independent contractors with respect
to any work that bears no relation to their employment as defined by their regular employment contract,
and/or if they do not receive additional compensation beyond that specified in their regular employment
contract and/or do not use substantial School resources. Similarly, all School students will be considered
independent contractors if the work carried out bears no relation to existing student employment and/or if they
do not receive additional payment for the work and/or do not use substantial School resources.