Media Services Policies

• Class Recording Policy
• Equipment Responsibility
• Submitting Requests for Media Services
• Large Event Planning
• Video Conferencing
• Web Casting

Please note that 3 business days notice is required to ensure proper staffing and equipment is on hand to accommodate requests. Any requests made less than 3 business days prior to event start time will be accommodated on a case-by-case basis, and service and/or equipment is not guaranteed.

Class Recording Policy

The following is the HLS policy regarding audio and video recordings for class and non-class events, conferences, and symposia at Harvard Law School. Requests for tapings must be submitted 3 days in advance of the event. Requests made fewer than 3 business days prior to class or event start time will be accommodated on a case-by-case basis. Service and/or equipment for requests submitted fewer than three days in advance of the class or event cannot be guaranteed.

A. Class Recordings:

Media Services will record classes for Faculty for pedagogical reasons as well as make-up classes that fall outside the make-up class time block, classes for students with disabilities, classes for students on major religious holidays as well as classes for students during clerkship interviews.
1. Faculty requests for taping: Faculty may request that their classes be audio or video taped for pedagogical reasons or special events. Faculty should not request classes to be taped based on student requests.
2. Make-up classes: The Law School’s make -up class period is 3-5 p.m. on Friday afternoons. All faculty are encouraged to use this period for make-up classes. Make-up classes scheduled during this time will not be recorded. Make-up classes at times outside this class period may be recorded only at the faculty member’s request.
3. Student disability: All recording requests because of a disability must be submitted by the Dean of Students Office. Classes may be recorded only in cases of a documented disability (for which class recording is an approved accommodation; please see disability accommodations for more information) http://www.law.harvard.edu/current/student-services/disability.html

4. Major religious holidays: Classes taking place on major religious holidays are not automatically recorded. Faculty and/or students may request that a class be audio taped on a major religious holiday through the Registrar’s Office (495-4612). If a student has requested a taping, the Registrar’s Office will notify the professor about the request. The Law School’s Media Services Department will not tape for travel days surrounding religious holidays.
5. Clerkship interviews: Each year, the School will designate two days during which students interviewing for clerkships may request to have their classes be audio recorded. The days will coincide with the first two days of the judicial clerkship interview period when absences because of clerkship interviews are expected to be in the greatest number. All requests for taping because of clerkship interviews should be submitted to the Registrar’s Office (495-4612). If a student has requested a taping, the Registrar’s Office will notify the professor about the request.
6. Students may have classes audio recorded by a fellow classmate.
The procedure for students to ‘self record’ classes are as follows:
• The absent student asks a classmate to record a class for them
• The classmate would come to Media Services located in Pound 205 and sign out a recording device. Here, the classmate would fill out a Recorder Loan Form in Media Services. By signing this form the student accepts responsibility for the equipment, its return and agrees that the resultant file will not be shared, edited, altered or redistributed in any way.
• The classmate would also be given a form for the professor to fill out granting them permission to record the class. If permission is not granted, the class should not be recorded.
• The classmate will be shown how to operate the equipment.
• The classmate would use the recording device in class (if permission is granted by the faculty member).
• The file from the recorder will be downloaded by the classmate and transferred to the absent student.
• The recorder and signed permission form will be returned to Media Services.
• Any files on the recorders will be erased upon their return to Media Services.

B. Non-Class Recordings

1. Requests: HLS Faculty and staff may request to have non-class events recorded. These requests can be made directly to Media Services via the on-line forms.
2. Cost: Non-class recordings do incur charges; please see the A/V Equipment and Services Pricing on our website for exact pricing.

C. Publication

1. Class recordings for students with disabilities are generally made available only to the student requesting the taping. Links to these private recordings will be removed after two weeks from the posting date. Class recordings due to religious holidays and clerkship interviews are made public to the entire class. Please note that faculty members reserve the right to remove any links from course websites at any time.
2. It generally takes three business days excluding Saturdays and Sundays for the Media Services Department to process and post links for media streaming from the Harvard Law School Media Server. All class-related digital audio and video recordings will be posted in the associated department or course web sites. Generally the postings will remain on the department or course website for the duration of the semester. The administrators of the sites retain the right to add or remove links from the websites at any time. All postings will be removed from streaming access (HLS server) and backed up after three academic years from the academic year of creation. The Media Services Department must be notified at the time a request is submitted if there is any reason that digital audio and video streaming media will require linking for longer than three years. Instances requiring media storage longer then the default lifespan will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and may incur additional hosting costs to the requesting department or organization. The Media Services Department is not responsible for hardship encountered with expired audio and video links, if adequate lifespan consideration was not made at the time of the recording request.

Equipment Responsibility

At a scheduled event the user or group is responsible for the equipment between the beginning and ending times, even if our technicians deliver and take it away. If your event takes place outside the hours of operation, you are responsible for all equipment. You will be billed for all damages or theft not covered by insurance. If equipment is picked up at our office, an agreement is signed transferring responsibility to the borrower until equipment is returned. You will be billed for all damages or theft not covered by insurance. Rented equipment is to be used on the HLS campus only. Back to top Billing All required class activities are not charged for A/V equipment and services. All other requests for A/V equipment are billed based on our *pricing structure*. Class is defined as anything required in order to receive a grade. Typically, if your room was assigned by the registrar's office it is considered a class. If you need assistance determining whether your event is considered a class, please call 5-4840. Student Organizations officially recognized by the Dean of Students Office are eligible for a 50% discount on equipment only. Labor fees are not subject to a discount. For pricing and polices associated with audiovisual equipment, including web casting and video conferencing, please see A/V Equipment and Services Pricing. For internal groups, the billing code provided at the time of request will be charged for all equipment and services used. After your event, you will receive an invoice and the charges will be submitted to the Financial Office for processing. If after you receive your invoice you wish to change your billing code, contact the Financial Office. If you believe there is a discrepancy with charges contact Media Services.

Submitting Requests for Media Services

Please note that 3 business days' notice is required to ensure proper staffing and equipment is on hand to accommodate requests. Any requests made less than 3 business days prior to event start time will be accommodated on a case-by-case basis, and service and/or equipment is NOT GUARANTEED. Although HLS makes every effort to ensure the security of recordings, any recording made by Media Services could potentially be downloaded, copied, manipulated and/or redistributed. All requests for media services should be made via one of the three online forms. To view all A/V request forms, please visit the ITS forms page. Please note: a "class" is defined as any occurrence for which the faculty member requires attendance, the student receives a grade, or typically, if your room was assigned by the registrar's office. Use the single class request form for non-recurring, "one time" AV requests. Use the repeating class request form to request the same AV service for multiple occurrences of the same class. Use the non-class request form to submit requests for AV service for events, meetings, basic conferences, etc. For large conferences, please call the events office at 5-3129. Typically, if the Events Office assigned your space your event is not a class. If you need AV services for your non-class event and do not require the assignment of space by the Event's Office (either the Event's Office has already assigned you space or you control the usage of this space, e.g., a private office), please use the non-class request form. If you need to modify a request, please e-mail av@law.harvard.edu. In the e-mail note you have previously submitted a request and are requesting changes, in the subject line of the e-mail, please include the date on which the service is needed and the name of the event. If you have any questions or would like help in determining the appropriate audiovisual needs for your event or class please e-mail av@law.harvard.edu.

Large Event Planning

If you have a conference or a large event coming up, please include Media Services in the pre-planning so they can guide you to the best rooms and services they have to meet your event needs. If you have an event that requires a computer and Media Services is not providing the computer, please inform them at least one week prior so they can help you register the computer on the HLS network.

Video Conferencing

What you Need to Know Before Scheduling a Video Conference: If you would like to schedule a Video Conference at Harvard Law School you need to schedule a space with the Events Office (617-495-3129) and schedule the call with Media Services (617-495-4840) at least ONE WEEK in advance of the actual video conference. BEFORE you schedule the room and video conference call there is some information you need to have. You will need to know the following: Contact name and number for whoever will be handling the call at the far end Whether the call will be IP or ISDN (see below for description) Who will be initiating the call (will we be calling them or will they be calling us) And how many people will be involved in the video conference on both ends of the call Media Services needs ONE WEEK notice before the video conference is to happen. This time allows us to get in touch with the technicians on the far end and perform a test call. Often these calls are overseas and a week’s notice is necessary to coordinate with those in other time zones or to alleviate any technical difficulties that arise in the test call. There are two types of Video Conferences; IP and ISDN. IP and ISDN determine how the signal will be sent. The quality will be better with ISDN but the cost is significantly more and Harvard Law School can only perform ISDN based Video Conferences in the classrooms and courtrooms of Austin Hall where the built in equipment is based. If cost is a concern and you want a more intimate setting, IP is more appropriate, IP based video conferences are far less expensive and can be conducted in any classroom and conference room on campus with portable video conferencing units. Please note if your video conference involves calling a courthouse, these locations tend to ONLY allow ISDN calls. Once the contact information is received and you know the type of video conference call you will require, you may proceed with scheduling the call with the Events office and Media Services.

Web Casting

Web casting requires a high-level of coordination and involves many pieces of equipment. To provide proper and appropriate planning, please provide at least one week notice. Back to top Teleconferencing Teleconferencing services are limited to one line. For help with multiple lines please contact ATT conferencing at 5-5575 (please include details such as; number of people involved, whether you are calling in or out and whether it will be an international call).