Course Materials

[Updated: 05 Jun 2024]

Providing Print and Digital Course Readings

As an instructor, you will select course materials to distribute to students. Before providing any copies, it is important to consider the copyright status and any associated licensing terms. The materials you want to use might be: in the public domain, licensed by the library, openly licensed, available to distribute within the fair dealing guidelines, or available to distribute with the purchase of a transactional licence. The terms of use specific to your selected materials will determine which steps are required for you to share copies with students while respecting copyright and the University of Alberta’s institutional policy and guidelines.

In some cases your course materials list will need to be reviewed by the Copyright Office. The information on this page will help you determine whether or not a copyright review is required, and includes guidelines for using copyright-protected materials for instructional purposes.

 

What Materials Require Copyright Review?

Copyright review of your course materials by the Copyright Office is required for the following:

  • Print course materials that have been reproduced from a copyright-protected source publication that are to be distributed as a coursepack. These materials require copyright review whether or not the selection exceeds the amount permitted under the University of Alberta Fair Dealing Guidelines.
  • Copies (such as PDFs) to be uploaded to a Learning Management System (LMS) that derive from:
    • A print source AND the copying exceeds the amount permitted under the University of Alberta Fair Dealing Guidelines.
    • A digital source held in the U of A Library’s electronic resources collection, where the available online access to the material is not sufficient to meet the needs of the students in that course, and where distribution by PDF is not permitted under the conditions of use.
    • A source from the open web that includes a clearly visible notice prohibiting copying for education use.

Review this 3-step summary of factors to consider to help you determine whether your course materials need a copyright review.

If a copyright review is required, the Copyright Office will review your list and, if needed, obtain permissions or transactional licences for specific materials. See below for instructions on Requesting a Copyright Review. More information about copyright review and clearance is available on the Review and Permissions page.

 

What Materials Do Not Require Copyright Review?

Copyright review and clearance by the Copyright Office IS NOT required for the following course materials:

  • Works in the public domain may be freely used with no restrictions. Work through the Canadian Public Domain Flowchart to help determine whether a work is in the public domain.
  • Licensed library resources made available through the U of A Library’s Reading List Service.
  • Links to resources:
    • For licensed library resources (e.g., ejournal articles or ebooks), provide students with a persistent link to access the original directly.
    • For content that is freely available on the open web, provide students with a link to the website rather than reproducing the content.
  • Consider adopting a textbook for your course. Contact the University Bookstore for assistance, and/or find suitable Open Educational Resources (OER).

 

Distribution of Course Materials

Production and Sale of Printed Course Materials

  • SUBprint on North Campus is the first point of contact for accepting requests and answering inquiries related to the production of printed course materials. See the SUBprint website for more information.
  • Coursepacks that contain copyright-protected material must be reviewed for copyright compliance prior to production. See Requesting a Copyright Review below.
  • As the time required for clearing copyright does vary, we recommend submitting your request 6-8 weeks in advance of the course start date.

Posting to a Learning Management System

Course readings posted to a Learning Management System (LMS) might require copyright review if:

  • you are uploading copies that exceed the limits of the University of Alberta Fair Dealing Guidelines;
  • the licence under which you downloaded your PDF does not included permission to copy and distribute; or,
  • there is a clearly visible notice on the material that prohibits copying for educational use.

See Requesting a Copyright Review below if your course materials require review.

Regardless of whether a copyright review is required, please follow the guidelines outlined below when posting course materials to an LMS.

Guidelines and Conditions

  • If the terms of use do not support uploading the entire work to an LMS, adhere to the percentages outlined in the University of Alberta Fair Dealing Guidelines.
  • Rather than reproduce and provide a copy of an ejournal article or ebook accessible through the U of A Library, create a persistent URL to the original source. Likewise for content available on the open web.
  • Exercise due diligence in ensuring the copy reproduced is made from a lawful source.
  • Guard against systematic, cumulative copying from the same work over the course of one term.
  • Limit distribution to students enrolled in the program.
  • Upload readings to a secure LMS operated by and under the control of the University. Ensure documents are no longer accessible to students once the course or series of courses they pertain to has ended.
  • In cases where material is to be made available under fair dealing, provide a full citation of the work and the following statement on a page of the material, or otherwise associated with the copy, where it will be seen by the student before reading the selection:
    "This content has been reproduced and provided or communicated pursuant to the University of Alberta Fair Dealing Guidelines for use by students enrolled in the course of study or training program for which it was made. Any reproduction or other use of this material has not been authorized and may require permission from the rights holder."

 

Requesting a Copyright Review

  1. Fill in the Copyright Review Request Form. Please see the form for specific instructions.
    • If you have an existing Copyright Review Request Form from a previous course session, simply update your readings, save and send us the file.
    • If you require a copy of your old Copyright Review Request Form, contact us and we will send you a copy.
    • If you have any questions or require assistance, contact the Copyright Office at  copyright@ualberta.ca.
  2. Email your completed request form to copyright@ualberta.ca.
    • Copyright Office staff will review the course readings and advise on printing or uploading selections once the review is complete.
    • As the time required for clearing copyright does vary, we recommend submitting your requests 6-8 weeks in advance of the course start date.

 

Resources

For additional details or clarification around current practices, see the Use of Copyright Materials Procedure (UAPPOL), and the Course Materials Copyright Information Document.

If you have any questions or require assistance, please contact Copyright Office staff at copyright@ualberta.ca.