Faculty Handbook
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.
2.1 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.
3.1 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.
4.1 Prior to delivering distance education courseware, the University of Houston-Clear Lake and the instructor(s) must enter a written agreement covering its delivery. If two or more staff and/or faculty members jointly deliver a course containing prior authored courseware, compensation shall be distributed according to terms set forth in the written agreements. For the delivery of distance education courseware:
4.1.1 The University retains the right to offer any necessary course sections using the courseware, including the author’s materials, during any semester.
4.1.2 For as long as the author is employed by the University, the author retains the right of first refusal to instruct sections using the courseware, subject to workload guidelines and negotiations with the appropriate dean. Should the author decline to serve as instructor, the University may offer course sections using the courseware, including the author’s materials, with another faculty member or adjunct as instructor.
4.1.3 Should the author leave University employment, the University retains ownership of the Web-based courseware and the right to reuse or modify the courseware in any course. The author may re-use the web-based courseware materials at a subsequent place of employment after institution identifying information, logos, and trademarks are removed.
5.1 Ownership and the rights to commercialize the courseware or any elements of the courseware shall be determined by the System Intellectual Property Policy, Board Policy 21.08.
5.2 Should the author leave University employment, the University retains ownership of the Web-based courseware and the right to commercialize the courseware.
5.3 Use, by the courseware author, of the University of Houston-Clear Lake or University of Houston System name, logo, trademark, or other identifying marks requires prior written approval from the Office of the Vice President for Research and Intellectual Property Management.
6.1 Compensation to the author for the development or revision of distance education courseware is negotiable, typically:
6.1.1 Two course releases as defined in the “Workload Policy for Faculty” for faculty developing an entire course worth of courseware as part of their workload.
6.1.2 Overload compensation as defined in the “Guidelines for Full-time Overload and Off-Campus Teaching Compensation” for faculty developing or revising courseware as an overload.
6.2 As long as the author remains a University employee, the author is entitled to residual compensation for each section using the courseware taught by another faculty member or adjunct. Such compensation will be in addition to normal salary and in the amounts specified in the joint agreement.
6.3 Compensation to the author based on the sale, lease, license, rent, or trade of courseware or modules comprising the courseware by the University will be in accordance with the UH-System Intellectual Property Policy.
7.1 Schools’ Responsibility
7.1.1 Each school has by-laws guiding internal-decision making on matters of policy and curriculum. At the university level, the Educational Policies and Curriculum Committee (EPCC) provides overarching guidance on matters of policy and curriculum. A minimum set of responsibilities for each school with respect to distance education courseware and programs to be offered by the school includes:
7.1.1.1 Approving any proposed University-supported distance education courseware before and after authoring by UHCL faculty or staff.
7.1.1.2 Approving major modifications to approved distance education courseware.
7.1.1.3 Approving any proposed distance education courseware developed external to UHCL.
7.1.1.4 Approving instructors to deliver distance education courseware.
7.1.1.5 Approving non-credit courseware.
7.1.1.6 Establishing maximum class sizes.
7.1.1.7 Recommending policies governing distance education courseware to EPCC and LRCC.
7.2 Library, Research and Computing Committee’s Responsibility
7.2.1 Among other duties, the LRCC is responsible for:
7.2.1.1 Enacting standards for distance education courseware.
7.2.1.2 Approving each school’s standards for design, layout and format to assure conformity with University standards.
7.2.1.3 Approving each school’s standards for design, layout and format of proposed distance education courseware developed external to UHCL.
7.2.1.4 Recommending policies governing distance education courseware.
Approval Date: 3/9/2000
Sunset Date: 3/9/2010
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