What is changing in Zoom?
Due to privacy concerns, the University of Utah will adjust campus-wide Zoom meeting functions. The university requires all participants to digitally consent to being recorded during live online lectures, discussions and meetings.
When will the change happen?
Starting March 15, 2021, the Zoom software’s built-in consent to recording feature will be activated for all Zoom events. That means all members of the campus community will be asked to consent when Zoom meetings or webinars are recorded.
How will Zoom recording consent work?
Before joining a recorded session, or if a recording is started during the session, participants will be presented with the Zoom recording consent window. Participants will have three options:
- Consent to be recorded with their camera on and their name on the screen
- Consent to be recorded with their camera off and name appearing on the recording, or
- Decline consent, leave the session, and watch the recording later
The disclaimer that will appear to meeting participants is pictured below.
Participants can tap Continue to join the meeting and be recorded, or Leave Meeting to opt out and leave the session.
Those who do not wish to be recorded can still consent and join sessions without their cameras on, or opt out and watch the recordings later. FERPA permits Zoom recordings to be used only during the current semester for class purposes. Any recording should only be used in a secure environment, such as Canvas, that is limited by login to just the current class participants. Posting recordings to YouTube or other distribution services is not allowed without consent from all participants. Any usage for other purposes, including distributing the recording in subsequent semesters or other classes, requires written distribution consent, separate from the Zoom recording consent, from each participant. Alternately, a recording can be edited to exclude student identifiers (images, audio, photos, names, etc.).
Other Frequently Asked Questions
Can instructors allow students to turn off camera and rename themselves on Zoom if they want privacy?
Yes, students have been told they can consent to join the recorded session with their camera turned off, but still be identified as a participant in the class. This allows students to protect their environmental privacy (ie. their home environment) while not needing participation privacy (not being seen as a participant in the class). In most cases students do not need participation privacy as they are enrolled in the class and everyone in the class can see the roster in Canvas just as if all students are in a classroom and can see who is in class that day. It’s up to you if you want to allow students to rename themselves, although there’s not a compelling reason to allow this as long as the class is locked down to only students enrolled for the current semester. The recorded session should NOT be used beyond the current semester or with any other audience.
Are instructors allowed to require class participation in real time?
No, you cannot compel students to consent to be recorded by requiring class participation in a recorded session. Think carefully about whether an event needs to be recorded. If you do record the event, it’s important to let students know that if they decline to be recorded and instead only watch the recorded session, they may not get the full value from the learning activity by choosing not to participate in the live interaction. Choosing not to participate may impact their ability to perform on projects and assessments and, ultimately, their grade. They need to make an informed choice. This may be a good topic for a Canvas announcement to the class to show that you have important live interaction activities coming up on the class schedule.
Also, for exam proctoring, they need their full name on Zoom and camera on. The entire exam time is recorded but never posted. This is allowed correct?
It is possible to proctor an exam in real time via Zoom video with out recording. However, if you do record the exam session, students will still need to consent to join the session.