Faculty meeting held at Nassau Hall

Members of the University faculty discussed a series of curriculum alterations and modifications to the University's policy on intellectual property during their monthly meeting in Nassau Hall yesterday afternoon.

The curriculum changes will include additions and cancellations of courses to next year's course catalogue.

These changes will affect the chemistry, classics, geosciences, molecular biology, psychology and religion departments, as well as the Program for the Study of Women and Gender.

The University policy on intellectual property, which the faculty discussed at length, covers ownership of copyrights for computer programs and in cases where the University provides substantial resources for the development of a work, as well as conflicts associated with electronic courseware.

In the spring of 2000, the faculty appointed four members to the Ad-Hoc Committee on Intellectual Property to address major concerns with the policy. The results of their work were voted on and approved in Monday's meeting.

Committee member professor Andrew Appel said he felt they had made "quite a good compromise that achieves the [faculty's] main goal."

"The faculty and trustees arrived at and properly expressed a mutual understanding on [intellectual policy]," he said.

Professor Ruby Lee presented a motion from the Electrical Engineering department suggesting further changes to the policy.

"We thought the committee did such an excellent job. We thought we would entreat them to take a look at a few additional issues," she said.

Though Lee's motion was defeated, President Shapiro urged the department to continue discussing their concerns, as the following three years will see continuing evaluation of the new policy.

The faculty also considered a series of memorial resolutions that were presented in commemoration of three recently deceased University professors.