To help clarify what can and can’t be shared, the Copyright Office has updated the UM copyright guidelines. These updates are here to support students in making informed choices.

The university is committed to supporting a respectful academic environment and protecting the rights of professors, instructors and fellow students. 

Please remember: sharing, recording or uploading course content without permission — including distributing lecture materials or recordings without permission — is not allowed and may have serious consequences under UM’s Student Discipline and Misconduct procedures.

For more information, please review the Student Non-Academic Misconduct and Concerning Behaviour Procedure and the Student Discipline Bylaw.

Questions about copying?

If you are in doubt about the copyright status of materials, the Copyright Office can assist with clarifying what can be copied or how to get permission.

Contact the Copyright Office before you copy at um.copyright@umanitoba.ca or 204-474-7277.

Learn more about copyright.

See related story: https://news.umanitoba.ca/updated-um-copyright-guidelines-add-clarity-for-faculty-students/

40-80% of your email is likely transitory. Transitory emails could look like newsletters, mailing lists, meeting invites, and responses. Email conversations have a lot of redundancy – all those copies in the threads that get forwarded on over and over.

Outlook actually has a tool to help with that! Did you know that there is a “Clean Up” tool in the ribbon:

Click here to open your options – you can clean up a folder, folder and subfolders, or just clean up a long conversation!

The Outlook tool evaluates the contents of emails in a conversation thread, and if the earlier message is found in its entirety in a later email, it will delete the redundant, transitory emails – just make sure to configure your settings first.

It works in the background while you continue your work. It can eliminate a few hundred redundant emails in a folder in just a few seconds!

For more information on this tool, and some other ideas to scale back your email footprint, check out the resources on the Records and Information Management Intranet Site (UM log in required).

This course offers a practical information to implementing the vital elements of records management. You will learn why records management is important, identify and manage business records and understand the system of records retention. This course also offers helpful guidance on how to better manage email and other electronic records, know the most appropriate tools for file storing and sharing, and learn who to call.

Rachelle Ross will be leading the course. She is the Records and Information Officer at the University of Manitoba, working out of the Access and Privacy Office. Rachelle has a MA in Archival Studies, and over 15 years’ experience working in archival and records management roles in public and private institutions in Manitoba. 

Join us on a new session of the Introduction to Records and Information Management course next week!

Date: Thursday, February 20, 2025

Time: 1:30 to 4:00 PM

Location: Archives & Special Collections Classroom, 330 Elizabeth Dafoe Library, Fort Garry Campus

Registration closes: Wednesday, February 19, 2025

To register, please contact fippa [at] umanitoba [dot] ca.

Does finding a file on your shared drive involve such a detailed investigation that you feel like Sherlock Holmes catching Moriarty when you find the final Final FINAL draft?

If you are unsure of where and how to start managing your office’s records and information, join us for this half day session.  You’ll be introduced to the approved retention rules for university business records so you learn what information needs to be kept, and what can be destroyed, and the University-managed options for storage. You’ll learn where to find helpful guidance and tips and tricks, and learn who to call.

Rachelle Ross will be leading the course. She is the Records and Information Officer at the University of Manitoba, working out of the Access and Privacy Office.  Rachelle has a MA in Archival Studies, and over 15 years’ experience working in archival and records management roles in public and private institutions in Manitoba. 

Introduction to Records and Information Management course

Fort Garry Campus:

Date: Thursday, November 21, 2024

Time: 1:30-4:00 PM

Location:  Archives & Special Collections Classroom, 330 Elizabeth Dafoe Library

Registration closes: Monday, November 18, 2024

Bannatyne Campus:

Date: Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Time: 1:30 to 4:00 PM

Location: Neil John MacLean Health Sciences Library, Room 385 Boardroom

Registration closes: Monday, November 25, 2024

To register: Contact fippa [at] umanitoba [dot] ca. Please send your full name and the date of the course you are attending. Our office will notify you on your registration.

The Copyright Office has updated its web offerings to include some of the most asked about recent topics, including generative AI, locating free to use images, and copyright and note sharing websites. You can find this updated information on the Copyright Office intranet and website.

Consider attending an information session for more in depth information about copyright for faculty and instructors and how to responsibly use images. The Copyright Office has a variety of upcoming sessions that you can attend or contact the Copyright Office to book a session for you or your team to attend at your convenience.

Register here for one of the following upcoming sessions:

• July 15, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. – Copyright: What faculty and instructors need to know
• July 18, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. – Copyright: What faculty and instructors need to know
• July 23, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. – Copyright: What faculty and instructors need to know
• August 14, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. – Using Images
• August 22, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. – Using Images
• August 30, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. – Copyright: What faculty and instructors need to know

If you have questions, the Copyright Office is here to help! Contact um.copyright@umanitoba.ca for assistance.

Whether it’s phishing scams, fake job postings, phony calls from family asking for money, or fake requests from large organizations aiming to trick you into revealing credit card or banking information, learning how to protect yourself is vital.

Critical thinking can be your best defense.

Stay informed

“The best mindset these days is one of skepticism,” says David Treble, Manager of Information Security and Compliance with IST.

In his job he comes upon many different scams that people may encounter at work or at home.

They usually take place through email or a phone call. Most of us are familiar with scams that try to trick us into giving up our passwords, but more recently MFA (Multi Factor Authentication) codes are also being targeted, he says.

“We have also seen a rise in fake job postings which typically lead to a phony job offer,” says Treble. “Then the scammer will ask the ‘new employee’ to cash a cheque or transfer money to a third party and the check will bounce.”

Another type of popular fraud is called a “business email compromise”. These scams involve “phony invoices the scammer hopes will be paid, fake emails from a boss or superior asking to purchase gift cards and attempts by bad actors to change payroll deposit information to a different bank account,” he says.

People can be targeted with these scams in their personal lives too.

These variations include phony calls from family or grandchildren asking for money, fake requests from large organizations like Revenue Canada, PayPal, or Amazon, or fake notifications of a fine from law enforcement. Then there are the fake requests for payment for a package delivery from Canada Post or other courier services.

Scammers rely on several factors when working:

• People are naturally trusting,
• People want to help others or not get in trouble with law enforcement or their boss,
• If something sounds urgent, people don’t want to miss out, or lose access to accounts.

“All these things are expected by scammers and they tailor their tactics to prey on these traits,” says Treble.

In the end, it’s a numbers game, and scammers rely on coincidence.

Take a supposed text from Canada Post about payment for a package, as an example. “Thousands of packages are mailed each day, and the scammers know that if they contact 10,000 people there are going to be dozens who had just mailed something and will think the text is real,” says Treble. “Scammers only need to be right once to win.”

Look out for red flags

Treble recommends treating any requests for payment or financial transactions that come through email, phone call or text message as suspicious, until you verify it by contacting the organization through a known number listed on their website or other legitimate correspondence you have.

“Do not call the phone number that is provided to you through that first contact,” he says. “A scammer will just provide you a fake number that is part of the scam.”

“If it is someone claiming to be a friend or family member, consider calling another family member, call that person back on a number you know is their own, and ignore the caller’s plea for urgency, secrecy or pressure to do something quickly,” he says.

“Especially if they tell you that this is a secret, or they try to tell you they are embarrassed and don’t want anyone to know, these are all red flags that the call may be a scam.”

Treble also says that calls from your bank, Revenue Canada or the police should be verified first. “It may sound extreme, but everyone receives constant scam calls or texts regularly, so let unknown numbers go to voice mail. Even if it is a number you recognize, be cautious as call display numbers can be forged.”

Keeping information secure

Judy Dandurand, Access and Privacy Officer, says that treating information appropriately has a significant role to play in keeping data secure too.

“Employees should only have access to information that is required to do their jobs,” she says. “Open access to information poses a significant security risk.”

It’s also important to know what information you have in your unit, as “many privacy breaches are a result of employees not knowing what information they are responsible for in their holdings,” says Dandurand. She also says to only keep information for as long as there is a legitimate business need. The Access and Privacy Office can help provide guidelines on how long to store information.

Even how you share your documents at work can have an impact on security. “When emailing confidential documents, consider sending via a link to OneDrive. This will strengthen your security as only individuals who have permission to open a document can,” says Dandurand.

If your work is in the realm of research, Noël Galuschik from the Office of Research Security, has some additional tips.

In her role as Research Officer, Cannabis and Research Security, she says it’s important for researchers to consider the following:

• Who has access?
• What do they have access to?
• How long do they have access to it?

“I encourage everyone (PIs to summer students) to have a baseline level of cybersecurity awareness. The Government of Canada has a short course titled Cyber Security for Researchers available to anyone to take,” says Galuschik. “Encrypting computers, laptops and storage solutions are great ways to keep data secure and minimize risks.”

If researchers have questions, the Office of Research Security Intranet page and the IST Information Security and Compliance site provide further information.

Social media and data security

Dandurand says she often sees behaviours that people do in their personal lives that raise concerns about privacy, and therefore security.

People often share too much information on social media, she says, without recognizing the potential consequences.

“Less is best! Limit the information you provide on social media sites – you never know how others will use that information,” she says.

“Sharing sensitive information of friends, family or especially children with no thought to how it may impact them,” is not advised says Dandurand. “Your information may result in another person’s privacy being breached or you may be targeted and exploited by criminals for a fraudulent purpose.”

“Check your privacy settings on social media platforms and web browsers to control how and with whom your information is being shared.”

She also recommends caution when doing online or social media quizzes. “Don’t share the name of your first-grade teacher, your first pet, your first car on any Facebook survey or contest. These questions are commonly used to change forgotten passwords.”

Quick tips for digital security

So, what can you do to protect yourself?

• Treat requests for account, financial or personal information with extreme caution.
• Create unique and complex passwords for different accounts.
• Be careful with what you share on social media or with strangers.
• Check your bank statements and PayPal accounts regularly for suspicious charges.
• Review recent logins monthly if your account has that feature.
• Use Multi-Factor Authentication if it is available.
• Stay informed on common scams.
• Check your privacy settings regularly to ensure you know what information is being collected and who it may be shared with.
• Don’t be afraid to ask why personal information is being requested and how it will be used.

In addition to information from IST and the Access and Privacy Office, the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security and the Insurance Bureau of Canada have excellent resources for learning more about how to stay safe. The federal government’s Get Cyber Safe public awareness campaign also has tips on protecting yourself online.

The university is currently making ongoing efforts in support of its digital strategy and this article highlights how everyone has a role to play in digital security. Faculty and staff who are interested in engaging in discussions about digital best practices, technology and trends are invited to join the Digital Community of Practice.   

Is your filing strategy a precarious pile on the corner of your desk? Is your filing cabinet so crammed that opening it is like a workout? Does finding a file on your shared drive involve such a detailed investigation into who last saved what that you feel like Sherlock Holmes when you find the final FINAL draft? If you are unsure of where and how to tackle the job, an “Introduction to Records and Information Management” may be just the course for you.

The Access and Privacy Office offers online and in-person versions of the course. Access the online course through the Self-Registration section of UM Learn or register for the in-person session on Thursday, November 16.

To register, visit https://umanitoba.gosignmeup.com/Public/Course/Browse.

If you can’t make it this time, there will be another in-person session in February 2024. 

What you will learn

You will be introduced to the approved retention rules for university business records so you learn what to keep and what to destroy. You will learn where to find helpful guidance and tips and, most importantly, who to call when you don’t know what to do next. You will also get some practical advice on starting a clean-up project to turn that mountain into a molehill.

Effective records and information management is an integral part of information security. Managing the information we produce is something all staff should incorporate into our daily routines – if only to avoid the inevitable stress of figuring out what to delete or throw away when we run out of room to store it. Save yourself the hassle and learn how to manage your information now.

Questions? Feel free to contact the Access and Privacy Office at fippa [at] umanitoba [dot] ca.

To mark Fair Dealing Week (Feb. 20 to 24), the University of Manitoba is launching the new copyright course incorporating UM created-resources and modules from the Canadian Association of Research Libraries for faculty, instructors and staff. To make copyright decisions even easier, the course also incorporates a new copyright decision tool to help users navigate the UM Copyright Guidelines.

Animated copyright course (modules)

Streamlined so you can find the information you need quickly — whether you are a user or creator of materials — the new course features animated modules that require less than 7 minutes of your time.

The course is self-directed to allow users to work at their own pace and return to a module if required, and earn badges for completing different content topics.

Teaching staff are asked to complete the tutorial as part of the University’s copyright due diligence.

Make copyright decisions easier

A new copyright tool guides users to assess whether the copying is permitted under the UM Copyright Guidelines with a series of questions.

For copying that falls outside of the guidelines, the tool will populate an email to the Copyright Office with details of the proposed copying for additional assistance. The Copyright Office will review whether additional options, such as permissions and licensing, are available.

Access through your UM Learn account

Instructors have full access to the Copyright Course and decision tool through their UM Learn accounts, and you may also self-register at universityofmanitoba.desire2learn.com/d2l/login

Thanks for your efforts in helping to make UM copyright-compliant!

Need help with the course, tool, or with copyright in general? Contact the Copyright Office at um_copyright [at] umanitoba [dot] ca or 204-474-7277. Copyright Guidelines and other resources are available on the Copyright Office website.

Why Fair Dealing matters

Fair Dealing is a provision in Canada’s Copyright Act that grants an exception to copyright protection for specified purposes — like research and education — as long as the use is fair.

Faculty, instructors, students, librarians and support staff use Fair Dealing on a regular basis for educational, private study, and research purposes. For instance, faculty or students copying a chapter or an article for research purposes may be exercising their Fair Dealing rights.

Questions? Ask us during our virtual office hours on Feb. 24!

The Copyright Office will be hosting virtual office hours on Feb. 24 between 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. for Fair Dealing Week. Please stop by and join here with your Fair Dealing and copyright questions!

For general inquiries, contact the Copyright Office at um_copyright [at] umanitoba [dot] ca or 204-474-7277. Copyright Guidelines and other resources are available on the Copyright Office website.

1. Attend a copyright information session. Each 30-minute session covers

• Fair dealing and the UM Copyright Guidelines
• Copyright compliance of journals, book excerpts, and text works posted to UM Learn
• Use of photos, artwork, and figures into lecture slides and handouts
• How to access and interpret license use for e-Resources accessible through UML
• Creative Commons licenses; Search strategies, license types, attributions

Where: Ft. Garry Campus, 307 Tier Building

When: Wednesday, September 18    11:45 am – 12:30 pm

            Monday, September 23          12:30 – 1:15 pm

            Thursday, October 3   1:00 – 1:45 pm

2. Take the UM Copyright Tutorial on UM Learn

• Eight modules, under 3 minutes each. Watch them any time, in any order
• Get the basics on everything from fair dealing to managing your own copyright

Most faculty and instructors are pre-enrolled and can access the program at this link : U of M Copyright Tutorial – UM Learn log in  

If the course doesn’t open for you, follow these steps to self-register

• Log in to UM Learn
• Select “Self-Registration” from the menu at the top of the page
• Select “Copyright Tutorial” from the list of available courses
• Return to UM Learn homepage and find the tutorial under “My courses”

3.  Contact Copyright Solutions

A service dedicated to supporting U of M faculty and instructors in the use of copyright protected works for educational purposes. We are here to help.

U of M Copyright Office

203 Allen Building

204-474-9607 / 7277

um_copyright@umanitoba.ca