LECTURE RECORDINGS

In 2018, the LLSN conducted an online survey of 134 JD students to ascertain their experiences of and feelings about MLS' class recording policy. The findings were staggering, with 30% of students saying they never caught up after missing an unrecorded class, 18% of students saying reporting that the methods they employed to catch up on material was actually harmful to their learning, and 91% of students admitting they attended university while sick so they wouldn't have to miss class.  

Read the full report here.

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In 2016 the Later Law Students' Network began a conversation with our members about the problematic nature of the strict "no recording" policy at MLS.
 

We took our members' issues to the Student Equity and Wellbeing Committee and proposed several ideas to faculty about how the preferred teaching methods could be balanced with the needs of the cohort, particularly parents, carers, those with mental health conditions, working students, students with chronic illnesses, and students experiencing family violence.

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The current MLS lecture recording policy, as announced in March 2019, allows students to apply for lecture recordings once they have missed a minimum of 5 business days of class, within a two-week period. This is considerably more generous than the previous 10-day requirement.

The ongoing effort of student advocates deserves credit for such a major change; however, it remains unclear what was the driver for reducing the required days missed by half.

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We understand and appreciate this decision would not have been taken lightly, and hopefully students in 2019 will have an easier time accessing recordings for core subject lectures they are unable to attend. 

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