Depending on how the recordings are created or edited, they may constitute educational records that are protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) -- the federal student privacy law.
For more information about FERPA, please visit our FERPA information page. This section explains acceptable practices for utilizing video and audio recordings in the classroom setting.
Note: Content on this page was adapted from UMassAmherst.
Is a recorded lecture (audio or video) a protected student record?
If a recording includes only the instructor, it is not a student record and FERPA does not limit its use.
If the recording includes students asking questions, making presentations, or leading a class, and it is possible to identify the student, then the portions containing recordings of the student do constitute protected educational records. Educational records can only be used as permitted by FERPA or in a manner allowed by a written consent from the student if the content is to be viewed by a third-party audience.
May a recording that includes student participation be posted for other class members to view or listen to?
Yes. If access is limited to other students in the class, such as when a lecture is recorded by Echo360 and viewed through Moodle, FERPA does not limit or prevent its use.This allows students in a class to watch or re-watch past class sessions recorded within the current semester.
We recommend adding text to the syllabus. Instructors must inform students in writing and/or verbally when class sessions are recorded.
What is the easiest way to comply with FERPA if I am recording my class sessions and wish to share them with a third-party audience?
Plan the recordings so that they do not show students who are asking questions, don’t refer to the students by name, and avoid repeating the student’s name in the recording. De-identifying the students removes the need for a specific consent from each student depicted.
Because student presentations make it more difficult to de-identify the student, the instructor should obtain a FERPA consent from the student making a presentation if you intend to show the recording to a third-party audience.
Can the instructor show recordings from last year’s class to the current class?
Under FERPA, this situation must be treated as if the recordings were being shown to a third-party audience which requires FERPA compliance through use of written consents or de-identification of any students depicted.
Please use the Classroom Recording Release Form provided in this section if you wish to reuse recorded classroom content for a third-party audience.
Can an instructor allow individuals outside of a class to access a video of that class that includes student participation?
Maybe. There are several ways to use recordings that include student participation:
- The instructor may obtain individualized FERPA consents from the students in the recording which allow use of this portion of the recordings.
- Recordings can be edited to either omit any student who has not consented to the use of their voice or image, or be edited to de-identify the student in the recording.
- Recordings can also be planned so that students are not shown in the video or referred to by name.