As a branch we have been engaged with the proposed lecture capture plans for some time. In 2020 the focus of this work was on the legal rights and protections for staff, as well as students, including circumstances where the university cannot use recorded content (for example during strike action, or as part of a disciplinary process). As colleagues will know, the 2020 policy introduced an opt-in system for using a centralised automated recording system for teaching sessions.
We have continued discussion with the university on this area of policy. In doing so, we had sight of an early draft of the new opt-out policy in Feb 2023. In response, we raised concerns over the pedagogic rationale for this shift, how it would be implemented, and how the rights/needs of staff can be protected alongside those of students. However, we were then not informed that this policy had been approved and were not given advance notification of its introduction in August 2023.
Since this time, we have attempted to re-engage the university in discussion about the implementation and implications of the new opt-out policy. As we indicated in our November email to members, we have raised concerns about several things:
- How the new policy has been communicated.
- Inconsistencies between what the policy says, and how it is being interpreted and implemented by managers.
- Rationales being presented for automated recording, and the pedagogical issues involved.
- The ongoing technical issues related to both the recording and editing of timetabled lectures.
We have also challenged the decision before Christmas to use centralised (and limited/partial) data on released recordings as a performance and ranking metric for Schools. We have met with the senior managers responsible for the policy, and the PVC for student experience, and they are unwilling to discuss anything more than their commitment to implement the policy (without discussion of the inconsistencies involved in implementation) and to improve NSS scores through the provision of lecture recordings.
It is unfortunate the University has chosen to paint UCU as an obstruction to more inclusive teaching and learning practices, rather than acknowledge the issues with their own short-sighted and simplistic approaches to inclusive practice. We have pressed and will continue to press them for meaningful pedagogical discussions around:
- How recorded content can be created and used to better support student learning outcomes.
- How staff can be better supported to deliver more effective and inclusive teaching.
- How inclusivity in teaching and learning relates to staff as well as students.
Following member consultation, we have provided concrete examples of colleagues’ concerns and experiences, including where managers are making unreasonable demands that are not supported by the policy itself. We will continue to do this, and to keep this important area of our work on the agenda. We also encourage members to continue to share all/any concerns they have, and/or to report issues related to tech or timetabling. As with much of our union work, persistence is key!