This branch notes with alarm, concerns raised by the branch committee regarding the new lecture capture policy the university senior management is intending to introduce, despite serious concerns raised by the RUCU branch committee and UCU national official in relation to the policy.
These concerns include the proposed use of lecture capture as a strike breaking weapon, the potential use of lecture capture output in staff disciplinary processes and the denial of some of the safeguards expected by UCU to safeguard academic freedom and be in line with GDPR.
This branch asserts the following position:
1. lecture capture should always be voluntary (UCU’s policy position is that all lecture capture is opt-in)
2. staff should retain authorship and performance rights to their lectures
3. staff should have a say in the use of the films and other recordings of their lectures
4. a condition of any policy the university on lecture capture must have a clause to explicitly exclude films and other recordings being used during industrial action
5. academic freedom is not curtailed by filming and other recording
6. students and staff should not be put into ethical, personal safety or other difficulties by filmed or recorded responses in captured lectures
7. lecture capture should never be used for disciplinary uses for staff. The appropriate mutually agreed staff disciplinary processes should apply
8. lecture capture presents particular risks given the potential for clips or edited materials to appear on the internet. These should be given due care by the university and use of the materials should be appropriately time-limited to the relevant cohort as per agreement with RUCU, and with explicit agreement from students that the materials will not be used outside of their intended purpose or platform.
9. lecture capture may present particular concerns for disabled staff or those presenting different protected characteristics. These should be appropriately addressed.
Should senior management proceed to implementation, overriding or ignoring material pedagogical and staff concerns raised by RUCU during consultation, then this branch instructs the branch committee to take appropriate actions to prevent the implementation of the policy.