As a condition of enrollment, students at UNC-Charlotte are subject to the University's Copyright Policy with respect to works they create while here.  Such works could include papers, computer programs, creative works (artistic, musical) and theses and dissertations.

Students hold the copyright in their works, subject to the grant of use to the University as further explained.  Just like the grant to the University from faculty and EPA non-faculty copyright holders concerning Traditional or Non-Directed Works, student copyright holders are deemed to have granted the University "a non-exclusive, perpetual, world-wide, royalty-free right and license to reproduce and publicly or privately display, distribute or perform each Student Work for the University's own non-commercial educational purposes. The University's right and license in this paragraph is subject to the student's privacy rights under federal law."

•  Why does the University need this license to use my student work?  Suppose it's a beautiful drawing or design that I could possibly sell or make money by selling?

The University's purpose in retaining a right of non-commercial, educational use of student and faculty works is simple and in no way an attempt to steal or encroach on the copyright holder's ability to use and commercial their work(s).  The University merely needs the right to use the work for its own internal educational non-profit purposes such as putting examples of good papers or other student endeavors on the course web site, e-reserves, or distributing copies in class.  Furthermore, universities have always retained a copy of their graduating students' theses and dissertations in the University library and responded to requests for a copy of such works through inter-library loan.  The same kind of intent is behind the University's retention of a license regarding faculty Traditional or Non-Directed works.

•  What if I create works as a part of my student employee job?  Who holds the copyright to those works?

If you are employed by the University, then the works you create within that role are employee-created works, not student-created works.  Therefore, the works fall under the Work Made for Hire and are treated the same as SPA works.

The University is the copyright holder of such works.

•  Class Notes

•  Also included in the student section of UNC-Charlotte's Copyright Policy, is a prohibition against selling notes (even your notes) of classroom and laboratory lectures; in other word, NO commercial use of notes or anything like notes that you take in a UNC-Charlotte course.