NUMBER:   ACAF 1.34

SECTION:  Academic Affairs    



SUBJECT:  Use of Self-Authored Materials by Instructor



DATE:     August 21, 1996

                     

Policy for:     All Campuses

Procedure for:  All Campuses

Authorized by:  Winona B. Vernberg

Issued by:      Provost's Office



______________________________________________________________



I.  Policy



Requiring students to purchase classroom materials which are

authored by the instructor of the course, and from which the

instructor derives direct financial benefit may constitute a

violation of the South Carolina Ethics Act, or may present the

appearance of a conflict-of-interest or a lack of objectivity.

Therefore, requiring students to purchase classroom materials

which are authored by the instructor of the course and from which

the instructor derives direct financial benefit is allowed only

when approved in writing by the instructor's administrative

supervisor.





II.  Procedure



A.   Definitions



Classroom Materials: Any informational material, regardless of

format, which is used while conducting a course.  A non-exclusive

list of classroom materials includes:  textbooks, monographs,

case studies, compiled printed information, audiotapes,

videotapes, or computer software.



B.   Process



1.   An instructor who intends to require students to purchase

     classroom materials which are authored by the instructor of

     the course and from which the instructor derives direct

     financial benefit, will seek the written approval to do so

     from the instructor's administrative supervisor. This

     request should occur well before the deadline for ordering

     classroom materials at the University Bookstore.



2.   The instructor's administrative supervisor shall seek the

     advice of the unit ethics committee in making his/her

     judgment.  The standard by which the unit ethics committee

     should make its recommendation, and the standard by which

     administrative supervisor of the instructor making the

     request should make his/her decision, is whether the

     classroom material in question is the best (or equivalent to

     the best) material available for use in the course.  If the

     requested classroom material does not meet this standard,

     then the administrative supervisor of the instructor should

     deny the request.  If the classroom material does meet the

     standard, then the administrative supervisor should approve

     the request.



     a.  If the administrative supervisor does not feel

     academically qualified to determine if the standard is being

     met, then the administrative supervisor should seek the

     advice of faculty members who are qualified to make that

     judgment.



3.   If the administrative supervisor does grant the instructor's

     request, a copy of the supervisor's written permission

     should be given to the instructor and a copy should be

     permanently retained in the unit's files.  If the unit is at

     the departmental level, an additional copy should of the

     written permission should be retained in the dean's office.



      



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