Sharing course materials? Know the guidelines.

Educators at UM work hard to create high-quality resources for student learning, from PowerPoint presentations and handouts to recorded lectures. These materials are protected by copyright and are intended for students’ personal study and academic success.

It’s important to remember that sharing, uploading, or distributing course content without permission—including lecture materials or recordings—is not allowed. Doing so may result in serious consequences under UM’s Student Discipline and Misconduct procedures.

The UM Copyright Guidelines were updated last year to help clarify what can be legally copied or shared. This spring, the Senate and Board of Governors also approved a revision to the Student Non-Academic Misconduct and Concerning Behaviour procedure to reinforce understanding of the intellectual property rights of academic staff.

Respecting copyright is part of maintaining a supportive and respectful academic environment. It protects the work of UM professors and instructors and contributes to a positive learning experience for all students.