AU Students Denounce AUCC/Access Copyright Model License Agreement

May 2, 2012 – Athabasca University Students’ Union ? The Athabasca University Students’ Union (AUSU) does not believe that the recent model license agreement between Access Copyright and the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) is in the best interest of students ? or the future of post-secondary education in Canada.

?The agreement between Access Copyright and the AUCC is problematic, to say the least,? says AUSU President Bethany Tynes. ?It would mean a huge increase in the fees levied on universities, and these fees would then have to be paid by either students or taxpayers.?

?The model license purports to regulate normal, legal activities such as the sharing of links via email,? Tynes continues. ?It would also require very invasive monitoring of electronic communications transmitted among faculty, staff, and students, thereby curtailing academic freedom.?

AUSU urges Athabasca University, and all Canadian universities and colleges, to reject the current Access Copyright agreement and to conduct a meaningful consultation process with postsecondary stakeholders (including students and faculty) to determine a fair, equitable course of action for the future.

Athabasca University Students’ Union is the largest students’ union in Alberta, representing nearly 40,000 undergraduates annually.

For further information, contact:

Tamra Ross, Executive Director, AUSU
1.800.788.9041, extension 2905
executivedirector@ausu.org