Our Stance: Cameras in classrooms are a step too far

By: Kevin Waltz

Editor-in-Chief

The controversy over classroom surveillance cameras at Hudson Valley Community College is symptomatic of the alarming trend of valuing security over privacy over the past several decades.

Both are important. Both should be protected. However, by no means should security take precedence over anyone’s right to privacy.

As a society, we have made vast sacrifices in terms of privacy for the sake of security in recent years. We have grown comfortable being filmed at almost all times in public places. There are hundreds of security cameras on our campus that can track our every move.

We need to ask ourselves as a college: when is it too much?

For us, too much is when cameras are installed in our learning space.

There are legitimate concerns to be made about security, especially with the cost of some of the equipment in the Science Center, but there are also legitimate concerns about the privacy of both faculty and students.

First, under no circumstance should measures to increase security be taken that are illegal. 

It doesn’t matter whether the installations are for malicious purposes or not, if it violates any faculty contract or FERPA, then it is unacceptable.

 Second, if there is no written policy for how the cameras are to be used, then there, in turn, should not be cameras. 

One of the purposes of written policy is to prevent misuse. If there is no written policy regulating its use, then there is nothing preventing its misuse. Most other colleges have written policies regulating how and when surveillance cameras may be used on campus. If these colleges have policies, then ours should too. 

We do not rely on law enforcement to conduct searches in a fair and reasonable manner by good faith. Instead we have the fourth amendment that requires they get search warrants approved by a judge. Similarly, we should not count on the cameras to not be misused based on good faith alone.

Third, a line needs to be drawn.

A threat to academic freedom anywhere is a threat to academic freedom everywhere. If it is deemed acceptable to record students in a science class, then in what other classes is it acceptable to record students? Would it be acceptable to record in a history class? A politics class? Any class where there is a need for the free exchange of ideas and opinions? What about the recording of audio, since there is no written policy ruling it out? 

Just because science classes are less likely to require the discussion and debate of ideas does not mean they should be hindered of the ability.

Lastly, total security is not worth total exposure.

We understand the college’s concern in regards to protecting its equipment and students in labs. Nobody wants accidents and thefts. But people do want their privacy. 

It is important for the college to remember that, as the saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Installing cameras inside classrooms is just another step down that road.