Commercial note-taking takes hit from Senate From Inside Purdue Members of the University Senate have unanimously approved a measure to restrict commercial note taking in class. The Senate approved the measure April 19 at its last meeting of the academic year, adding new language to an existing university regulation on the use of copyrighted material. The new section, titled "Commercial Note Taking in Classes," was drafted to protect against the sale or bartering of lectures and other class materials provided by faculty and instructors without their written consent. The new policy language, which takes effect immediately, says all those taking notes in class must assume that all "materials presented by an instructor are protected by copyright unless the instructor states otherwise." The new policy provisions do not prevent the sharing of notes among student groups and organizations, only their sale for profit. The policy also specifies that instructors may give students or class visitors written permission to sell or barter notes from classes, but that they may rescind that permission at any time. The new policy does not address how the Office of the Dean of Students will discipline violators. Steve Akers, executive associate dean of students, says any cases involving students determined to be violating the new regulation will be handled individually. "We will review the situations on a case-by-base basis," Akers says. In other Senate business, Timothy Skvarenina, professor of electrical engineering technology and chair of the Educational Policy Committee, said that the committee was unable to find a way to accommodate faculty requests that Saturday final exam scheduling be reworked and the grade-reporting deadline be extended. Skvarenina said one reason the grade-reporting deadline falls on the Tuesday after Saturday exams is the need to have diplomas ready for the first commencement ceremony in May, which often falls on the subsequent Friday night. While acknowledging difficulties that faculty have in grading Saturday essay exams or exams given to large classes by the Tuesday deadline, he also cited antiquated academic records software that drives operating methods and limits the university's abilities to adopt changes to the schedule. "It is not feasible to extend the grade-reporting deadline until new academic system software is in place, unless the requirement to hand out diplomas at the May graduation is removed, or the May Friday evening commencement is moved to Saturday or Sunday," Skvarenina said.