Guidelines for Closed Captioning

In keeping with Accessibility Law and University policy, you should use closed captions or subtitles:  

1. When you have instructional content and video recorded and hosted in Online Learning Platforms (Distance Education, MOOCs, blended and flipped classes, etc.); 
2. For classroom lectures that are video recorded for student use (including classroom lecture capture, streamed capture, personal faculty capture);
3. For video or film-based content presented in, required for or recorded in class (assigned videos or films, student-made videos or films presented in class);
4. When your class involves communication between student and faculty via digital tools such as live discussions, chat, or live to video conference;
5. For videos hosted on academic and non-academic websites on the bu.edu domain (those viewable within the BU community as well as by the general public);
6. For library reserve material, for a course, that is video or film (including current purchases and archived films and videos); 
7. For training films, videos, etc. used in Human Resources, classrooms, labs, and/or departments;
8. For promotional videos and marketing tools; or,
9. When you have additional media required or requested for use by a user with a disability.

Caption instructional material and media according to the following list (in order of priority):  

1. Material for use by students, faculty or staff with disabilities
2. Material which is in public-facing courses and/or webpages
3. Material that will be used multiple times or over an extended period of time (will be used for more than one class or semester) 
4. Material that will be re-used in new courses 

Captioning of captured classrooms may be considered a lower priority if it is a review of a face-to-face class, is to be used only one semester, is not needed by a student with a disability. 

For more information, contact Dr. Lorraine Wolf, Director, lwolf@bu.edu

Also see our resources page for Faculty and Staff.