Under California law, it is illegal to make audio recordings of individuals without their knowledge, however, this law does not apply in public spaces where there is “no expectation of privacy.” Students in general do not need to be granted permission, nor do they need to have a specific accommodation to legally record in UCSF classrooms, as we are a public university, and our classrooms considered public spaces.
For students who have been granted permission to make an audio or software (such as Otter.ai or Glean) recording of classes as a disability accommodation, the following policy applies:
Recordings of class lectures are specifically permitted under the ADA for students as a disability accommodation to provide equitable access to the learning experience. Recordings are not to be shared with other students, posted to any online forum, or otherwise disseminated in any way without professor approval. In any class in which a student plans to record the lecture, the faculty of record should have received a copy of the student's accommodation letter (or may request one if not received) that states the student's need to record lectures.
Faculty members concerned about the recording of sensitive information, such as patient information shared as part of a case study, or unpublished research data should contact SDS to discuss. Additionally, students agree that the recording will be stopped upon request from faculty during sensitive conversations, however, this should not be the norm, and recording should generally be allowed in class.
Please contact SDS directly if there are any concerns in this area.