Unauthorized Recording Policy

Specific Guidelines for the Recording of Classes

1. Recording of online or in-person class sessions is appropriate as directed by the faculty member whose class is being recorded. As such, faculty may choose to record class sessions or they may grant permission to a student to record a lecture/class session. Additionally, recording is permissible when approved by the Office of Academic Accessibility as an accommodation for students with disabilities. In such cases, students are granted the right to record lectures, if it does not fundamentally alter the nature of the program. Students afforded the accommodation of the ability to record a lecture have that accommodation placed in their accommodation letter from the Office of Academic Accessibility.
2. Students in the class must be notified in advance that the class and/or activity is being recorded.
3. All faculty must include this Statement on Recording and FERPA Privacy Issues in their syllabi verbatim: Classes at Messiah University utilize technologies selected by your instructor that may use your computer’s webcam or other tools to monitor and/or record classes, class activities, and assessments. Instructors who record elements of this course may share their recordings with students registered for this course. These recordings, if posted, will be posted only on a secure, limited-access site. Students should treat these recordings with care and not re-share or post them beyond this course. Students are not allowed to audio-record or video-record class activities without the permission of the instructor.
4. A faculty member’s permission to record a lecture, whether online or in-person, is limited to the student’s personal use of the material and is for educational purposes only. Students may not copy, reproduce, display or distribute any class recordings. Any permitted recordings made by students must be destroyed at the end of the course or semester.
5. Recordings of classes that include student discussions or student presentations require additional attention. Faculty need to assess when it would be appropriate to turn off or limit recording so as to best facilitate an appropriate student experience.