Note sales a student's right

Several professors in the political science department are punishing students with an "F" for selling or buying notes. While these professors are free to set their own standards of academic honesty, the implications of a note-selling prohibition are dubious. Currently the University does not have a blanket policy regulating the sales of notes. \nProfessors who outlaw note sales aren't employing private detectives to monitor their students, but their message is loud and clear; and certainly one can see their perspective. Which instructor with a Ph.D. wants their thunder stolen by someone pursuing a degree in "get rich quick" schemes? \nStudents are prone to using purchased notes as a crutch for classes they could walk through with little trouble. Also, notes are very personal and nuanced. Isolated words and phrases that make perfect sense to the original taker may seem cryptic to a person who chooses not to attend lectures.\nBuying notes is obviously a situation for which the concept "buyer beware" applies doubly. A student note taker who does not have a grasp on the topic -- or the English language for that matter -- might hurt the buyer more than help them. Notes can be inaccurate and misleading, not to mention incomplete. They are to be used as a supplement to the lecture and a study aid, rather than a substitute for critical thought about the material and understanding of the ideas.\nBut prohibiting the sale of notes erodes the ownership rights of the author based in copyright law. The facts presented in a lecture belong to no one and become the property of the note taker once committed to paper. Students have the legal right to do what they wish with their notes. When a professor regulates that commerce of notes, he or she effectively undercuts that student's constitutional rights.\nAlso, the University employs people to take notes for those who are physically incapable of taking their own notes. Putting the clamps on the note exchanges would trample the rights of those who have a legitimate need for the handiwork of another student.\nThe existence of notes for sale can be a constructive support for students seeking a supplement to their own studies, and provide a way to keep up if they miss class for any reason. They level the playing ground for non-Greek students who don't have access to files of information about classes, including many tests. Note exchanges are a part -- albeit a questionable one -- of the dizzying exchange of information in the modern age. \nUltimately, the laissez faire stance of the University is commendable. Student behavior is nearly impossible to regulate, and attempts only appear to inflame undesirable actions. A culture of academic honesty is the best base for policy, and the University has taken the right step by supporting a policy that exhibits trust in students' ethics. As professors continue to choose whether or not to allow note selling, they should consider copyright law, academic realities and the intelligence of the students they teach.\nStaff vote: 19 - 0 - 1\nyes - no - abstain