FSU policy strictly prohibits solicitation for financial gain both in-person and online using a University account. FSU policy also strictly prohibits using IT resources for the propagation of spam. Therefore, FSU-owned resources like Canvas and Webmail should not be used to solicit others for the personal sale of class notes, study guides, textbooks, apartment leases, etc.
Before sending a message like this, know that FSU reserves the right to suspend a user's access to its online systems and more for violating this policy.
If you notice anyone sending inappropriate emails or posting inappropriate material through Canvas, please send these to [email protected] so we can take action. If an inappropriate email was sent directly through Webmail, please forward it to [email protected].
The use of any university IT resource for financial gain is in violation of FSU policy. This includes:
In-person solicitation of buyers anywhere on the FSU campus is prohibited without a written contract with FSU. Violations of this policy include and are not limited to:
For more information, see FSU's Information Security Policy and FSU's Commercial Solicitation Policy.
This policy should not discourage instructor-approved collaboration, such as participating in study groups or working together on group assignments. It is often beneficial for students to study together and test one another on course material. Similarly, sharing class notes free of charge with a classmate who was absent or was unable to take good notes during class does not violate FSU's policies. This collaboration does not apply to items being turned in for a grade unless the instructor has directed you to collaborate on a group assignment. Selling or buying answers to assignments that are to be turned in for a grade that are not group assignments is a clear violation of the FSU Honor Code.
When students are in need of academic accommodations that include receiving course notes, instructors usually make an announcement requesting an official note taker. These announcements and email requests from the instructor do not violate FSU policy.
Some companies that facilitate buying and selling notes may give the impression that they are FSU-approved and a legitimate partnership exists. They may also promise you that you are not violating any policies by selling your notes. This is not the case. StudySoup, in particular, is very misleading in the information they communicate to students. StudySoup is using FSU’s logo without permission and we are concerned that students are being duped into thinking a legitimate partnership exists, and that instructors approve of the practice of students selling notes to classmates. FSU is not affiliated with this company in any way, nor does FSU condone the selling of study notes through this company, or others like it. FSU has taken steps to have StudySoup remove the FSU seal from their website to avoid further legal action against the company.
A number of businesses hire students to sell class notes and study guide answers. While it is undoubtedly tempting to purchase these "study aids," they will not necessarily help you to do well in your classes regardless of what they and fellow students may claim. Instructors do not recommend the purchase of these notes as they are not official course materials and the efficacy of study notes uploaded to these sites is not monitored. FSU students should not be influenced in any way to purchase these items as there is no mechanism in place to monitor quality or accuracy.
If you are concerned about your academic success, we recommend the following: