Taping of seminars and lectures guidelines in postgraduate law programs
Guidelines approved by JD Studies and Graduate Studies Sub-Committees in June 2013.
Taping is not permitted in postgraduate classes for both pedagogical and privacy reasons:
- Classes are small and are run primarily in a seminar style, to allow for frank and open discussion between lecturers and students of issues which may be sometimes controversial. The taping of classes would hinder the ability for full and frank discussions. Further, the non-taping of classes increases the attendance rate which, in turn, benefits class discussion.
- The taking of notes as an accurate record is an important skill. Members of the profession complain that junior lawyers are unable to perform this task adequately and with accuracy. It is the desire of the faculty to foster students’ ability to take notes during class as well as participate in the class rather than rely on listening to a recorded version of the class.
- Were taping permitted, students could make the electronic recordings of classes available publicly by placing the recordings on the internet. This raises issues of copyright, privacy and misinterpretation of comments that may be made by either staff or students in class.
Nonetheless, lecturers may permit taping on behalf of individual students in exceptional circumstances. Students who are registered with the Disability Liaison Unit (DLU) who require classes to be recorded should contact Postgraduate Student Services staff and not approach individual staff members requesting the classes be recorded. The manager of Postgraduate Student Services will check the DLU documentation and put in place appropriate conditions of use, as reflected in the provisions above.
It should be noted that the facilities for the university to manage the recording of lectures are not available at Monash University Law Chambers (MULC).
Contact information
General enquiries phone 1800 MONASH (1800 666 274)
International +61 3 9903 4788
Location - Postgraduate Student Services Office
Monash University Law City Campus
Level 1, 555 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Office hours
Semester
8:30am - 5:30 pm (Monday - Thursday)
8:30am - 5pm (Friday)
Non-Semester
9am - 5pm (Monday - Friday)