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Recording of lectures

1. Introduction

1.1. Birkbeck, University of London (the College) recognises that there are a number of reasons why students might wish to record lectures and other teaching sessions, to support their learning. The College also recognises that copyright in the lectures and other teaching sessions resides with the teacher responsible for the teaching session and that privacy matters of the teacher and students are affected by recording teaching sessions, since their personality, behaviour and opinions will be open and potentially freely accessible. For this reason, the College seeks to protect the intellectual rights and privacy and objections of students against recordings of themselves and publishing of these recordings must be respected. This policy sets out the circumstances in which such recording may take place, the respective roles and responsibilities of those involved in such recordings and the implications of breaches of this policy.

1.2. For the purposes of this policy, the term 'recording' refers to any audio or visual recording of a lecture or other teaching session, made with any type of audio or visual recorder.

1.3. The College regards staff recording their own lectures to make available online as good practice, noting that due process must be followed where recordings would include the intellectual property of others.

2. Permission to record a lecture or other teaching session

2.1. Students may request permission to record any teaching session delivered as part of their programme of study. All such requests should be made prior to the recording, to the teacher responsible for the teaching session and (subject to paragraphs 2.2 and 2.3 below) the decision on whether to grant permission is at the discretion of the teacher. Students may only record teaching sessions where the teacher responsible for the session has given their consent (verbally or in writing, e.g. by email) and recordings of teaching sessions may not be made by students, unless this consent has been given. Covert recording of lectures is not permitted and will be treated as a disciplinary offence.

2.2. Permission to record any teaching session will not normally be given when a recording of that teaching session is to be made available via podcast or other method.

2.3. If it is identified in a Study Support Plan that it is a reasonable adjustment under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) for a student to record teaching sessions, there will be no requirement for students to seek any additional permission, as it is the College's expectation that permission to make such a recording will not normally be refused.

2.4. The College recognises that there may be exceptional circumstances where, notwithstanding the requirement to make reasonable adjustments for disabled students in accordance with the DDA, the school might regard the recording of a teaching session (or some parts of it) to be inappropriate (e.g. due to issues of patient/client confidentiality in practice-based situations). If such a situation arises, the school must contact the Disability Office to consider what alternative reasonable adjustments will need to be made (e.g. allowing students to record part of a lecture but not all).

2.5. Where permission has been granted to one or more students to record a lecture, the teacher leading the session should advise all students of this prior to the start of the session.

2.6. Where permission has been granted to one or more students to record a teaching session other than a lecture, the approval of the other students in the teaching session regarding this recording must be obtained. If recording such sessions has been included in a Study Support Plan and the approval of the other students is not given, the school should contact the Disability Office to consider what alternative reasonable adjustments will need to be made.

2.7. Permission to record a session is granted to a student on the understanding that no intellectual property right in the recording passes to the student.

3. Use of recordings of lectures or other teaching sessions

3.1. Recordings of teaching sessions may only be made for the personal and private use of the student making the recording. Students may not:

  • 3.1.1. record teaching sessions on behalf of other students
  • 3.1.2. pass such recordings to any other person (except for the purposes of transcription, in which case they can be passed to one person only)
  • 3.1.3. may not publish such recordings in any form (this includes but is not limited to, the internet and hard copy publication).

3.2. Students may store recordings of teaching sessions for the duration of their programme of study. Once they have completed the programme of study, the student should destroy all recordings of teaching sessions.

4. Implementation of this Policy

4.1. Where students breach this policy, the College may regard this as a disciplinary offence. All such breaches will be dealt with in accordance with the College’s Student Discipline Policy.

Policy review

  • Created: June 2012
  • Latest update: May 2022
  • Date of next review: 2026-27 academic year
  • Owner: Quality and Regulations Manager
  • SLT owner: DVC Education and Student Experience
  • Committee oversight: Education and Student Experience Committee for Academic Board