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Category Academic
Type Policy
Approved by Senate, 3 December 2025
Date takes effect 20 February 2026
Last approved revision 
Sponsor Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and Academic Representative, Otago University Students' Association
Responsible officer Senior Analyst, Research and Policy (Academic Division)

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to give effect to Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka – University of Otago’s expectation that Lectures will normally be recorded and made accessible to students, while acknowledging that there are circumstances that justify withholding recordings. The policy outlines the University’s rules and principles for the provision of Lecture Recordings.

Organisational scope

The policy applies to all Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka – University of Otago staff and students.

This policy does not apply to teaching activities other than Lectures. Nor does it apply to Inaugural Professorial Lectures or Public Lectures.

Definitions

Active participants
All those involved in the formal presentation of a Lecture, including Lecturers, student presenters, people used for demonstration purposes (e.g. patients or actors) and guest speakers. Students incidentally contributing to discussions in the course of a Lecture (e.g. through asking questions) are not included in this definition.
Copyright
Copyright protects original works such as written and artistic material, as well as, separately, protecting recordings of audio or video. It gives the owner control over how their work is used, copied, or shared. The owner may also licence another party to use material in defined ways by agreement. Copyright protects the expression of ideas, not the ideas themselves. For further guidance see the Intellectual Property Rights and Commercialisation policy and procedures and the Copyright at Otago webpages.
Fair dealing
A limitation on Copyright which allows a person to use Copyright material in certain ways without seeking permission from the Copyright owner.
See the Copyright at Otago webpages for more information
Head of Department
For the purposes of this policy Head of Department is the Head of the lowest level Academic Unit (e.g. Department, Centre, Programme), who normally have responsibility for the delivery of teaching.
Intellectual property
As defined in the Intellectual Property Rights and Commercialisation policy and procedure, any creative output in which IPRs may arise (whether automatically or upon successful application) including, but not limited to:
  • Literary works (including publications in respect of research results) and associated materials, whether physical, biological or other materials (including drafts, data sets and laboratory notebooks);
  • instructional materials;
  • other original literary, dramatic, musical or artistic works, sound recordings, films, broadcasts, typographical arrangements, multimedia works, photographs and drawings;
  • symbols, brand names and images;
  • databases, tables or compilations, computer software, preparatory material for a computer program, firmware, courseware, and related materials;
  • inventions;
  • designs including layout designs of integrated circuits and mask works;
  • plant varieties and related information;
  • trade secrets; and
  • know how, information and data associated with the above.
Learning Management System ( LMS )
A Learning Management System ( LMS ) is a University-approved software platform (e.g. Brightspace) used to create, manage, organise, and deliver paper content and learning materials to students enrolled in a taught paper.
Lectorial
For the purpose of this policy, a Lectorial is a teaching activity delivered in the same space as a Lecture. Unlike a Lecture, a Lectorial is designed to involve significant student participation and discussion, where recording may be of little value. A Lectorial integrates the delivery of content (like a Lecture) with interactive, collaborative activities (like a tutorial). It is student-centred, in that it shifts the focus from the Lecturer to the students, who are actively involved in discussions and group work. It replaces passive learning with active learning strategies, such as inquiry-based and collaborative learning. Lectorials are out of scope for this policy.
Lecture
For the purpose of this policy, a Lecture is a University-authorised oral and visual presentation of information, which may be delivered in-person, live streamed or pre-recorded. A Lecture does not involve significant amounts of student participation, though it is likely to encourage questions from students. Consequently, it is not a dissertation, laboratory, placement, Lectorial, research project, seminar, thesis, tutorial, or workshop.
Lecture Recording
For the purpose of this policy, a Lecture Recording is a digital audio and video file that has captured the content of a classroom Lecture. A Lecture Recording may include a pre-recording of the Lecture.
Lecturer
For the purposes of this policy, includes any staff member teaching in, or facilitating, a Lecture; this may, where relevant, include an overall coordinator in papers taught by multiple staff.
Universal Design for Learning ( UDL )
UDL is a research-informed educational framework that guides the design of flexible learning environments to remove barriers and provide equal learning opportunities for all students. The framework emphasizes proactively offering multiple ways to access information, engage with teaching material, and demonstrate learning. The goal is to create learning experiences that accommodate diverse learners from the beginning, rather than adapting the curriculum for individual barriers later.

Content

  1. General principles

    1. Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka – University of Otago Lectures are primarily delivered face-to-face, on campus, where in-person attendance is normally expected.
    2. Recording of Lectures is expected. It is not expected that other teaching activities will be recorded (though recordings of Lectorials are encouraged where appropriate).
    3. Students should be informed about whether Lectures or Lectorials are recorded before enrolling in the associated paper.
    4. The University supports the recording of Lectures but where recordings are not appropriate an exemption will be given.
    5. The University is committed to the Universal Design for Learning Framework, which aims to make learning materials accessible to all students enrolled in a paper in multiple ways.
    6. Lecturers are not required to change their teaching style to accommodate Lecture Recordings, but flexibility is encouraged, and support is available to adapt the teaching approach as needed.

  2. General rationales

    1. Lecture Recordings provide supplementary learning resources but do not replace, and are not an alternative to, face-to-face delivery.
    2. Lecture Recordings allow for equitable access. Lecture recordings support accessibility and inclusion for diverse student needs.
    3. In emergency situations such as pandemics or extreme weather events, Lecture Recordings may be critical resources to support continuity of learning and teaching.

  3. Lecture Recordings

    1. All Lectures in rooms with preinstalled Lecture Recording facilities will be recorded as standard practice.
    2. Lecturers may edit Lecture Recordings to address Copyright concerns, legal, privacy or confidentiality concerns, improve quality or remove breaks or discussions in the Lecture or when a Head of Department-exemption has been approved that does not require removal of the whole Lecture.
    3. Lecturers will make accommodations to provide equivalent material (textual or recorded) covering the content of the Lecture when they are not recorded in error (e.g. due to a technical issue).

  4. Lecture Recordings exemptions

    1. Any request not to record or publish a Lecture (or series of lectures within a paper) should be made by a Lecturer to the Head of Department or their delegate.
    2. Where there is an actual or perceived conflict of interest with respect to a specific decision, the Head of Department or delegate should nominate someone else to make the decision after consulting with other members of the department, programme or centre.
    3. A Head of Department may make an exemption to the requirement to record for a number of reasons including (but not limited to) the following:
      1. the Lecture contains material that can be remotely accessed, such as pre-recorded Lectures, covering the same paper content and assessment information.
      2. the Lecture contains confidential, personal, or sensitive information or topics that cannot be reasonably managed through editing.
      3. the Lecture contains material that would, if recorded and made available, infringe Copyright.
      4. the Lecture contains material that by recording, would contravene legal, professional, regulatory or accreditation body requirements.
      5. the Lecture is partially or wholly presented by non-University employees (for example guest speakers) who do not give permission to be recorded.
    4. Exemptions can apply to multiple occurrences of a paper, so long as exemptions are reviewed by the Head of Department at least every three years.
    5. For other compelling reasons for exemptions not included above, the Head of Department or their delegate will make the decision following consultation with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and Otago University Students’ Association and other student and staff representative groups as appropriate.

  5. Access, use and deletion of Lecture Recordings

    1. Unless consent is obtained from all Active Participants in the paper (cf. Clauses 6(e) and 6(f)), recordings will only be available to students enrolled in the paper for which the Lecture Recording was made and to staff enrolled in the LMS paper offering.
    2. Students may only use the Lecture Recording for their personal research and study. Students must not sell, further reproduce, further distribute, or alter in any way Lecture Recordings.
    3. Except where agreed between the University and the Lecturer, Lecture Recordings are not to be made publicly available.
    4. Misuse of Lecture Recordings by students will count as misconduct and will, depending on the nature of the misuse, fall within the scope of the Student Conduct Statute or the Academic Statute.
    5. Lecture Recordings will be provided to students as soon as practicable after the end of the Lecture through the paper’s LMS .
    6. Normally, students will have continuous access to the Lecture Recording until they no longer have access to other materials in the LMS (exceptions will need approval from the Head of Department).
    7. Lecture Recordings may be deleted after the paper has been offered again in full. Lecture Recordings should be deleted no later than five years after the paper was offered.
    8. In exceptional circumstances (e.g. when a Lecturer in the recording dies), Lecture Recordings may be deleted before the paper has been offered again in full, but only with the approval of the Head of Department).
    9. Archived Lecture Recordings may be used to ensure learning and teaching continuity when there is a fault with a Lecture Recording, in an emergency or disaster situation or a temporary, unexpected Lecturer illness or unavailability.

  6. University role, rights, and responsibilities

    1. The University shall provide an efficient and well-maintained system that ensures recordings made by staff are securely stored, are archived on an appropriate schedule, and any technical issues related to recording or access dealt with in a timely manner.
    2. The University shall provide guidance for staff and students on how to use recordings responsibly to benefit students learning, and will support staff in their use and application of recording technology where assistance is requested.
    3. The University shall, via Lecture room door signage and/or other notifications, inform students when a Lecture they are attending may be recorded by the University.
    4. The University shall, via the Copyright at Otago webpages, the Manager, Copyright and Open Access and/or other means, advise Lecturers on Copyright issues relating to the distribution and use of recordings.
    5. The University must gain consent from the Lecturer to distribute University recordings of their Lectures to persons other than staff or enrolled students, except where such distribution is permitted under the provisions of the Intellectual Property Rights and Commercialisation Policy.
    6. The University, when distributing or otherwise making available a recording of a Lecture to persons other than staff or enrolled students, is responsible for ensuring that:
      1. all Active Participants have consented to recording and distribution
      2. Copyright permissions relating to embedded material e.g. video, audio recordings, pictures, have been obtained, and
      3. Copyright warning and limitation of use notices accompany the recording as appropriate.

  7. Lecturer role, rights, and responsibilities

    1. Lecturers will make recordings available without restriction for all students enrolled in the paper unless a Head of Department-exemption has been approved.
    2. Lecturers will ensure that recordings are released to students within the period specified in clauses 5(e) and 5(f).
    3. Lecturers will advise students in advance whether a Lecture or Lectorial is recorded. This will be clearly noted in the LMS for the paper (and, where practical, in the paper outline).
    4. As per the University’s Intellectual Property Rights and Commercialisation policy, the Lecturer owns the Copyright for instructional material they produce for the Lecture as the creator of the instructional material.
    5. The Lecturer has the right to distribute University recordings of their Lectures, subject to the provisions of this policy and the University's Intellectual Property Rights and Commercialisation Policy.
    6. The Lecturer is responsible for ensuring that:
      1. the material of others is used in accordance with the University's Copyright licensing agreements and New Zealand Copyright legislation (see the University's Copyright at Otago webpages and specifically information on Copyright in Lectures web page); and
      2. permission is obtained for the use of any material not covered by Copyright licences or by exceptions under legislation (e.g. Fair Dealing provisions).
    7. The Lecturer is responsible for informing all Active Participants if a Lecture is to be recorded and of the extent of any planned distribution of the recording.
    8. Lecturers may record student presentations for assessment purposes and publish them with the student’s permission.
    9. If a member of staff becomes aware that any defamatory or legally infringing material is included within a recording or there is any other reason why it would be expedient for the University to remove the recording, then the Lecturer concerned, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and, in the case of any issue related to Copyright, the Manager Copyright and Open Access should be informed. The Pro-Vice-Chancellor will determine what action is required (if any).

  8. Student role, rights and responsibilities

    1. Students have a responsibility to use Lecture Recordings appropriately.
    2. Lecture Recordings are not to be used as a substitute for regular Lecture attendance.
    3. Students are expected to understand and comply with Copyright, privacy and Intellectual Property provisions.
    4. Students should not further distribute recordings (including excerpts, screen shots, or any other component) to any other person, including via social media platforms or websites.
    5. Students own the Copyright for any recorded material they produce for a Lecture (e.g. for a student presentation, recorded assessment or student-led Lecture).
    6. Students presenting in Lectures are expected to use the material of others in accordance with New Zealand Copyright legislation. Advice is provided on the Copyright at Otago webpages, including the Copyright in Lectures webpage.
    7. Students may only make personal recordings of Lectures with the permission of the Lecturer, and may only use such recordings for the purposes of private study or research.

  9. Privacy provisions

    1. Lectures in rooms where recording technology is installed will have a sign indicating that those entering the room may be recorded.
    2. Lecturers will ensure that the contributions of non-University employees who are Active Participants in a Lecture are not recorded and published unless permission is obtained to do so prior to the Lecture.
    3. Students attending Lectures in which they are not Active Participants will not normally be recorded, except where such recording is unintentional, incidental or clearly announced in advance of the recording being made.
    4. Where recording of students is an integral part of a paper, and recording and distribution information is made clear to students in the paper outline and in the LMS, enrolment in the paper shall be taken as consent to be recorded and for recordings to be distributed, as specified in the information provided.
    5. Regardless of any other restrictions on access, any clearly identifiable participant in a recorded Lecture is entitled to access to the relevant part of that recorded Lecture, under Section 22; Principle 6 of the Privacy Act 2020.

  10. Requests for resolution for privacy provisions

    1. Where any participant in a Lecture, whether an Active Participant or a student in attendance, has concerns about their identifiable actions in a recording of a Lecture, they may make a written request for resolution, detailing their concerns, to the relevant Lecturer.
    2. A Lecturer receiving a request under clause 10(a) may refer this to another appropriate member of staff where the concerns expressed in the request relate to distribution outside the direct control of the Lecturer (e.g. University distribution of material).
    3. On receiving a request under clause 10(a), the Lecturer (or other staff member considering the request) shall decide on an appropriate course of action. This must involve a resolution satisfactory to the person making the request (e.g. restrictions on distribution, or deletion or editing of the recording in question) where that person is:
      1. an Active Participant who was entitled to, but not given, reasonable opportunity to express concerns about recording or distribution under clauses 7(f) and 7(g)
      2. an Active Participant who has not granted consent for distribution of recordings beyond that restricted to University staff and students, in the case of wider distribution by the University, or
      3. a clearly identifiable student who attended the Lecture (not as an Active Participant) and who has provided reasonable grounds that their identifiable inclusion in the recording will cause them significant undue distress.
    4. A person making a request under clause 10(a) who is dissatisfied with the outcome provided under clause 10(c) may request a review of the decision from the University's Privacy Officer.

  11. Intellectual Property

    1. Lecture Recordings are considered instructional materials or resources created by Lecturers and therefore the Intellectual Property of the staff member. As per the Intellectual Property Rights and Commercialisation Policy, the University has a licence to utilise these teaching materials or resources for teaching and research purposes.
    2. Students must be advised that they must not make a further copy, sell, alter or further reproduce or further distribute Lecture Recordings.

Related policies, procedures and forms

Contact

If you have any queries regarding the content of this policy or need further clarification, contact:

Senior Analyst, Research and Policy
Email dvca.analyst@otago.ac.nz

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