Recording of Classroom Instructional Activities Policy
Approved by Mercy College Board of Trustees, March 2021
The purpose of the Recording of Classroom Instructional Activities policy is to provide a consistent process for the advance approval, use, and retention of such recordings in the classroom environment.
Mercy College of Ohio prohibits students from recording, maintaining, or sharing faculty lectures or other classroom presentations unless the student has obtained the written consent of the faculty member.
For purposes of this policy, a “recording” is a video or audio replication or photographic image recorded on devices including, but not limited to, audio recorders, video recorders, cellular/smart phones, digital cameras, media players, computers and other devices that record images or sound.
Proper Use of a Recording
In situations where a student has been approved to record classroom instructional activities, the following rules govern the purpose, use, dissemination, and retention of such recordings:
- Recording of classroom instructional activities is solely for the purpose of individual or group study with other students enrolled in the same class.
- The recorded materials and all information contained within, are protected under federal copyright laws and may not be published or quoted without written permission of the presenter(s) and Mercy College of Ohio.
- The student shall not use any recording for commercial, compensatory, or non-educational purposes.
- The recorded materials shall not be copied, retransmitted, or disseminated in any fashion.
- The recorded materials shall not be posted on any website or social media site.
- Recorded materials shall not be used to harass or retaliate against any student or faculty member or for any other non-academic purposes, including external complaints or legal proceedings against the faculty member or Mercy College of Ohio.
Destruction of Recordings
Students must destroy all recordings at the end of the semester unless they have received written permission from the faculty member to retain them.
Exception
Students with disabilities registered with the Office of Accessibility may be preapproved to record some or all of classroom instructional activities as a reasonable accommodation in keeping with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Under these conditions, the Director of Accessibility is responsible for having the student sign Form 514-A as part of the accommodations agreement. The original copy is kept in the student’s file in the Division of Student Affairs, with a copy given to the student. Students may provide a copy to their instructor if necessary.
The student is expected to abide by the “Proper Usage” policy requirements set forth above.
Faculty members who are presented with an accommodation notification letter from the Office of Accessibility do not have discretion to prohibit the student from recording classroom instructional activities. As with all issues regarding accommodations, a faculty member should contact the Director of Accessibility with questions or concerns.
A student with a disability may maintain recordings past the end of the semester if doing so is part of the student’s Office of Accessibility and Testing Services-approved reasonable accommodation. All such recordings must be destroyed when the individual is no longer a student at Mercy College of Ohio.
Policy Violation
A faculty member who believes that an unauthorized recording has been made or that there has been an improper use of a recording should make a report to their respective Dean who will notify the Vice President of Academic Affairs.
Violations of this policy may warrant disciplinary action pursuant to the Student Code of Conduct. Violations may also constitute copyright infringement in violation of federal law and subject the violator to external legal action and penalties.