Audio Recording | Glean

Notetaking technology that includes audio recording provides equal access to course content for students whose disabilities limit their ability to take detailed, handwritten notes in class. Often, barriers caused by their disabilities limit life activities related to learning, processing, vision, hearing, or manual actions. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 specifically states that we "may not impose upon [disabled] students other rules, such as the prohibition of tape recorders in classrooms or of dog guides in campus buildings, that have the effect of limiting the participation of [disabled] students in the recipient’s education program or activity" (emphasis added).

Accessibility Resources may recommend that a student with a qualifying disability be permitted to audio record class lectures as a form of academic accommodation. There are a few different ways a student may audio record a lecture. The main form of audio recording provided to students is Glean.

*To learn more about Glean, visit this page: here.

Use of the accommodation of audio recording class lectures is subject to the following conditions:

1. Recording of lectures is only for the student's personal use in study and preparation related to the class.
2. The student may not share recordings with any other person, whether or not that person is in their class.
3. The student acknowledges that the recordings are sources, the use of which in any academic work is governed by the rules of academic conduct.
4. The student agrees to destroy any recordings that were made when they are no longer needed for their academic work.

Some classes involve discussions of confidential material that is not appropriate for audio recording; a general rule of thumb is that if students are not allowed to take notes during something, then audio shouldn't be recorded. However, as this accommodation addresses equal access to course materials and notetaking, if other students can take notes generally students with this accommodation can record the audio.

Students who have been granted permission to audio record class lectures must agree to abide by each of these provisions. In addition, only students for whom you have received an accommodation notice that includes Audio Recording and/or Glean are allowed to do so. Eligible students must submit their accommodation requests through MavAccess, select which class(es) they intend to record, and sign an agreement form on MavAccess prior to using this accommodation. The content of this agreement can be found here: Audio Recording Agreement.