UCL Lecture Recording Policy
We are writing to remind colleagues of UCL’s Education Media Recording Policy. This is an “opt-in”, not an “opt-out” policy, as agreed with UCU. Staff should make a positive choice to record lectures and not feel that they are obliged to justify a decision to not do so.
There is no obligation on staff to make recordings of their lectures available to students. Staff are expected to use their professional judgment. There are multiple circumstances when making a recording may be inappropriate. As this is in the academic judgement of teaching staff and is an opt-in policy, it is not open to being questioned by admin teams or managers. The decision not to record is entirely at the discretion of staff, and generally any seminar or situation where students are expected to participate, or be ‘deliberately discursive’ as the policy 3.3 paragraph 1 puts it, may be judged unsuitable for recording.
Staff, either individually or by meeting as a course team, can decide to opt in (so long as members of the team agree) to record their lectures and then decide, pedagogically, for what period these will be available to view.
Reasonable adjustments
It is the responsibility of the university to make reasonable adjustments for disabled students, and it is the responsibility of individual members of staff to work with the university to the extent that is reasonable. It is not reasonable to impose recordings without consent (contradicting “opt-in”). Sharing good quality slides and notes may be an acceptable alternative.
Where reasonable, individual instructors may allow students to individually record lectures themselves for personal use only on an approved device type and under certain conditions (no sharing, no commercialisation, no release to AI platforms). Other alternative adjustments may be made. But beyond this no general obligation exists.
UCL UCU suggests that any member coming under pressure to record their lectures reply citing the latest version of the UCL policy, UCL’s Education Media Recording Policy.
Please note, if you have been given misleading instructions or pressured into recording lectures, it is never too late to assert your right to not opt-in.
