[nabs-l] Recording Lectures... Not allowed?

[Corbb O'Connor]

I'm no expert on the legal side of this. But what I've found works  
well is to tell the professor about how you need to ascertain  
information in different ways than other students. With these  
alternative techniques, you have access to the same information as  
your sighted classmates. Then assure the professor that you won't use  
the taped lectures in any way except for yourself--to learn. If you  
encounter resistance, you should follow the bureaucracy--in some  
schools that means going to Student Services and letting their  
Director make the contact, or by going to the director of the  
department in which the professor teaches.

Best of luck, and keep us posted.
Corbb


-----
Corbb O'Connor
The George Washington University '10
B.A. Political Communication & Economics

On Jan 23, 2009, at 1:14 AM, Jamie Principato wrote:

Hi there.

I know I spend more time reading this list than I do posting to it,  
but I
encountered a little issue in my Psychology class this morning, and I  
think
this is the place to find the best input.

I attend a small state college. Student services isn't great here  
(there are
other issues that only just got resolved, but not the point here) but  
they
get the job done. One accommodation we talked about when I first  
enrolled
was recording class lectures. I was told by Student Services that I  
would be
allowed to do this in any class that I needed to as long as doing so
wouldn't disrupt the class (which we determined it wouldn't as I am only
recording on my laptop as I type notes). One of the main reasons I do  
this
is because a lot of the time the professors have diagrams, drawings,  
visual
aids, or written information on the board that needs to be copied into
notes, and I rely on the descriptions given in the lecture to make  
sure I
have all the information I need. For me, this is more efficient than a  
note
taker because I get the information I need right away and don't have  
to wait
on Student Services and end up behind in the class.

Today however, my professor stopped me and asked me if that was a  
microphone
plugged into my laptop. I told him it was, and I politely asked if it  
was
okay for me to record the class. In retrospect this was bad self  
advocacy. I
should have told him just as politely that Student Services arranged  
for me
to record my lectures to make up for any visual information I would
otherwise miss. Anyway, in short he told me no, I could not record any  
part
of his class. He was rather intimidating about it, and I'm rather  
sensitive,
so again I made a self advocacy error and simply said okay and  
unplugged the
little mic. I want to confront him on this because I do feel as though  
I am
missing a lot by not recording, and I was already told that it was a
reasonable accommodation and that I could do it... I'm still a little
intimidated though and I don't want to confront him if I don't have a  
leg to
stand on.

Do I have a leg to stand on? Is there any legal backing for this? Can  
he do
this?

Please help,

Thank you,

-Jamie
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