The committee spent several months gathering information about how issues of academic conduct and ownership and social media are dealt with at other universities, in state law and in existing university policy.

On Tuesday, they presented their final report to the Steering Committee. Several members at the meeting raised concerns about how students are using current technology to sell their notes on the Internet, and about how future technology, such as Google Glass, could alter the classroom dynamic even further.

Rather than preventing such technologies from entering the classroom in the future, Acting Provost June Youatt said at the meeting that it’s more effective to teach students about the principles of academic ownership pertaining to course material.

Within the report, existing policy defines that faculty retain ownership of course materials and students retain ownership of materials or works created for classes.

Ron Fisher, economics professor and member of the committee, said at the meeting that confusion over these policies arises from their being scattered throughout different manuals.

Fisher added that, to make this information known, it should be apparent to students that teaching assistants may need training programs.

Other principles within the report stated that students are assured of personal privacy; and both faculty and students are expected to behave in a professional, civil and respectful manner.

At the meeting, the Steering Committee decided to send the report to the University Council for further discussion, before returning to the committee consultation.

President Lou Anna K. Simon said social media introduced a shift in regard to academic ownership within the classroom, which will take some adjustment to cater to.

“Technology is now in a public domain without an assumption that (material) belongs to the faculty member,” Simon said at the meeting.