Intellectual property policy

As a graduate teaching assistant you should be aware of the University’s policy on intellectual property.

Any teaching materials you deliver, develop or create as part of your work for the University belong to the University.

Employees, including GTAs, cannot make use of such materials once their employment with the University has ended, without first obtaining a licence from the University (see Intellectual Property Policy 2016).

For example, if you go on to work for another institution, you could not re-use materials designed for a session you have delivered at the University without prior approval.

This policy also prevents the use of University teaching materials for commercial gain without the University’s agreement.

Essay banks

This includes the use of University-owned teaching materials to create assignments that might be purchased by students, either by private agreement with yourself or via essay banks.

A student submitting work for assessment that they did not author, without appropriately acknowledging the source, would be subject to the University’s disciplinary procedures.

As such, it would be inappropriate for anybody employed by the University to produce materials which could be used by students in this way.

While you are working as a GTA, it is not appropriate for you to create material which could be accessed by students via an essay bank and submitted for assessment.