Victoria University reviewing access to online lectures

A policy stopping some second-year law students from getting access to recorded lectures is under review. Photo / Ross Setford

Victoria University is reviewing access to online lectures, after making it compulsory for second-year law students to attend class in person.

In October it was announced law students in their second year at the Wellington University wouldn’t be able to view some recorded lectures unless they had a hardship exemption.

The move was criticised by some as being narrow-minded and regressive, and saw a petition launched to try and stop the policy.

Faculty of Law Dean, Professor Lee Godden, said the policy supports an expectation that students will attend on-campus classes, especially in the core compulsory 200-level and 300-level courses.

In order to ensure equity of access to lectures, students who require access to lecture recordings are able to apply for a hardship exemption, Godden said.

She said the scope of that hardship exemption is now under review to ensure it’s operating effectively.

“The review will consider whether a consistent Faculty-wide policy is necessary. Student representatives will be involved in the review of the policy, as they have been in previous reviews.”

She said at the moment individual course co-ordinators in the Faculty are able to make their own decisions around the availability of lecture recordings.

Victoria University Students’ Association [VUWSA] education officer and second year Law student Kayla Allen called the policy misguided, and said it was based on an assumption students weren’t coming to class because they had access to recordings.

“It’s that very old-fashioned rhetoric that uni is your full-time job, you’re only a student - which is not possible anymore due to cost of living and other commitments.”

VUWSA Academic Vice President Willa Aitken raised similar concerns.

“A significant amount of students are working up to 15 to 20 hours a week now and so it’s just not possible to have fully in-person subjects anymore.”

Aitken said a positive to the policy has been that hardship exemptions have been granted to most people who have applied, but that the exemptions have created extra work for staff.

“Because such a significant number of students have applied for hardship it has been a really massive workload for the student success teams – which is something Faculty has recognised is not sustainable for the future.”

Allen said she was able to access the grant easily – which was a big help for her.

“I have unpredictable health flare-ups which means that on those days that I couldn’t get out of bed I’d be able to watch the recordings online and still keep on top of my course work.”

Aitken told the Herald they’ve been working with the Victoria University Law Students Society on what the policies next year will look like but that the current policy will stay in place until at least the end of this year.

She also said VUWSA is currently drafting a lecture recording policy with senior leadership which she hopes will be enforced across Faculties.

Godden said student representatives will be involved in the review of the lecture recording policy.

Nick James is a Newstalk ZB reporter based in Wellington with a focus on the environment, infrastructure, social and Wellington issues. He joined Newstalk ZB in 2021.