“We are deeply concerned about the recent proposed changes from Turnitin to its End User Licence Agreement (EULA), in which student submissions could be used to support the development and improvement of AI-related technologies in the future.
While we welcome Turnitin’s commitment to redraft the problematic EULA changes proposed, we believe that the increasing concerns raised by students over the past few weeks regarding intellectual property, ownership of academic work, consent and future use of student submissions remain both valid and important. We believe this issue is fundamentally about student rights. Academic work belongs to the students who create it and students should remain in control of how and where their work is used.
We therefore oppose any changes that would weaken student ownership over their own academic work and create uncertainty around future use of student submissions. While we welcome the University’s recognition of this issue and the statement it has already issued, we believe students deserve continued clarity on the institution’s position and any future plans relating to Turnitin.
Therefore, we will be meeting with relevant staff from the University of Chester to seek assurance that students interests and intellectual property will remain protected, what considerations are being made moving forward, and raise these concerns directly.
To every student who has contacted us so far, thank you. Your concerns have been heard and are being taken seriously. We will keep raising these issues directly with the University and ensuring that student voices remain central to these discussions.
If you still have views, concerns, or questions about Turnitin, AI, or the future use of student work, we encourage you to continue sharing them with us.
We will keep you updated on this matter as more information is shared.
From your officer team – Will, Luis, and Abi”
