Lecture Capture and Opt-Out

UCU Office has been receiving queries around the new lecture capture policy, in particular the opt-out part of the policy.

To clarify, point 9 of the policy states that ‘in respect of the academic year 2015/16, lectures may opt out for any good reason (except where the University has an overriding legal obligation to provide a recording) provided that they notify the Mediasite Project Team and their reasons for opting out’. The reasons given will be monitored by the Mediasite Project Team and reviewed at the end of the year.

Note, too, point 3 of ‘Mediasite for LECTURING STAFF: 10 Things you need to know’, page 2 of the Mediasite leaflet.

From a Bristol UCU point of view, and in the spirit of the policy, it would be best practice if Schools not only stressed opt-out in any lecture capture-related communication to staff, but also gathered the reasons for opting out, to then forward to Mediasite.