B. Statement on Privacy and Intellectual Property
1. Intellectual Property
ICON is infrastructure provided by The University of Iowa through the Office of Teaching, Learning & Technology in cooperation with the Office of the Provost. Placing content in ICON and using this tool for instruction raises issues related to ownership of copyrighted content within course sites, ownership of the course site, and the privacy rights of students who are using the course site. The following statements summarize the rights and responsibilities associated with ICON course sites:
- Placing content on an ICON server in no way alters the ownership of that content.
- Responsibility for administrative decisions concerning ICON course sites rests and assignment of administrative rights within ICON.
Departments and colleges are advised to consider the potential copyright implications of with the department or other unit responsible for the administration of the course for The University of Iowa. Such decisions include, but are not limited to: assignment of instructor rights through MAUI.
For more information on copyright issues, visit:
- The intellectual property policy in The University of Iowa Operations Manual.
- The University of Iowa Research Foundation web site.
2. Privacy
Adding TAs and instructors to ICON courses has privacy implications for all students involved in the course. Instructors and TAs can access class lists, grades, course-specific communications, and other information protected under FERPA. Instructors, ICON administrators, and collegiate and departmental administrators need to be aware of the FERPA implications of such an action and should consider potential privacy implications before adding
instructors or TAs to ICON course sites.
Some courses, both face-to-face and those offered over the World Wide Web or via a course management system like ICON (powered by Canvas), may require sharing information like name, email address, phone, etc., with fellow classmates in order to facilitate classroom interaction. This sharing information for such courses is not prohibited by FERPA, and it may be expected of all students, even for a student who has placed a block on directory information. Before enrolling in a course, students are encouraged to discuss any concerns regarding sharing this type of information with the instructor.
For more information about FERPA issues, visit:
For more detail on students’ rights and the sharing of student information in a course, see the student records policy statement.