Lund University has made a general decision not to allow recordings at lecturers. However, the decision could have been different, because recordings were allowed until the Education Board interfered.
Lundgård wrote in an article in the spring of 2011 that no policy existed regarding recordings at lectures. At that time the rules were ambiguous. Some lecturers refused the students to use recording devices, while others allowed them.
This was changed in September when Lund University made the decision that recordings, taking pictures and video recordings would not be allowed at lectures. The decision, made by the Vice-Chancellor at Lund University, Per Eriksson, supported by the Education Board, is criticized by Jacob Dexe, vice president of the Social Science Union.
“It is unfortunate when Lund University make it a problem how students learn. They make it a standard to prohibit recordings.”
When the university started an investigation about the issue in 2011 the idea was to allow recordings. But when several bodies to which the proposed measure were submitted for consideration made objections, the Education Board of Lund University during the spring of 2012 chose to follow another course.
“The proposition was seriously critisized when it was under consideration”, says Susanne Kristensson, head of the University Administration.
Pro Vice-Chancellor Eva Wiberg, president of the Education Board, was not available before publishing to answer questions about why they chose to change the proposition. But Cecilia Lundberg, representing the Faculty of Medicine at the Education Board, participated in the meeting on May 14 when the decision was made. She explains why her faculty was against recordings.
“An important issue for us at the Faculty of Medicine is to be close to our present cases, that is, our patients. We have a commitment towards the Official Secrets Act. We may omit the personification, but if recordings are made we will not be sure if the Official Secrets Act is kept.”
In the decision about unauthorized recordings it is said that exceptions can be made. One example of an exception is students with disabilities another when both the lecturer and the students allow recordings.
Lunds universitets studentkårer, Lus, generally considers recordings to be allowed, with some exceptions in ’special cases’, says Tora Törnqvist, Lus’ president.
“The university’s choice was to not consider our point of view regarding this issue. Nevertheless, their decision will be evaluated within a year, giving us the opportunity to promote a change if the students want this.”
[poll id=”7″]Translation: Lars Jansson
Text: Jessica Pamp
