June 10, 2020
Jennifer Schiffner
Director, Employee & Labor Relations
University of California, Santa Cruz
Dear Jen,
Thanks for your letter of June 9. The clarifications you sent, particularly the sunset clause, represent progress in the protection of faculty rights. The clause in the initial call was far too vague, and unclear in its commitment to faculty I.P. We believe that the following additional modification, which adheres to the spirit of the university’s intention behind sharing, would clear up any lingering vagueness about faculty rights.
We suggest a slight modification to policy, and hope that this can be reflected in communication with awardees.
We suggest changing this:
In particular, we ask that faculty develop asynchronous materials, and that faculty be willing to share these materials with their colleagues if asked by their colleagues.
to this:
In particular, we ask that faculty develop asynchronous materials, and if colleagues would like to make use of that material in exceptional situations that the originating faculty member be willing to work toward an agreement for sharing these materials that is satisfactory to both parties.
This would certainly not impact the kind of collegial sharing that your initial phrasing envisions, but it would provide the necessary clarity regarding faculty retention of control over I.P. As you know, most agreements of this kind have provisions for faculty opt out. We do not envision significant opt-out in the sort of sharing you describe, and feel that the university’s aims in developing these courses can in the above way be reconciled with the respect for and protection of faculty I.P. rights that your letter confirms.
Sincerely yours,
Chris Connery, Debbie Gould, and Ronnie Lipschutz,
SCFA Co-chairs.
Herbie Lee, Vice Provost, Academic Affairs
Barbara Greening, Labor Relations Lead
SCFA Assistant