Deputy vice-chancellor academic Prof Stuart Brock, who approved the policy, says it would have measures in place to ensure student attendance at lectures did not dwindle.
The proposal, which could be debated before the university’s academic senate in September, has been sponsored by Prof Brock and the Otago University Students’ Association.
OUSA academic representative Stella Lynch said this had been "a long time coming".
"To me it’s just common sense, and showing some respect for our students that we provide them with learning materials when they can’t turn up to class."
Ms Lynch said making it mandatory had received some push-back from the academic community, who were worried it would lead to a drop in people attending lectures.
"We can’t always turn up ... we’ve got students who work multiple part-time jobs, or are sick because they live in cold, damp flats.
"Something’s got to give and that’s often our education, so some staff are concerned that with a lack of attendance, there’s going to be a lack of engagement with content - but if we give students rich recordings, that’s just another avenue or mode for students to engage with their learning in a way that suits them."
Prof Brock sent a memorandum to university staff last month, asking for responses.
It said the recording of lectures and other teaching activities policy was last reviewed in 2016, and since then there had been many changes in teaching and recording practices at the university, particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic and the adoption of the disability action plan last year.
"It is noted there are strong views from both sides of the lecture recording conversation and while the revised policy proposes making lecture recordings compulsory, we recognise the importance of encouraging in-person attendance whenever possible, and other work is being undertaken to support this."
Prof Brock later told the Otago Daily Times any policy would acknowledge the importance of in-person attendance for a full academic experience.
"If lecture recordings become compulsory, the university will also develop strategies to promote lecture attendance and engagement.
"Recordings are intended to complement - not replace - attendance, providing support for revision or for students with valid reasons for being absent.
"Lecture recordings would not be used as a substitute for regular lecture attendance.
"The proposed policy sets out what exceptions and mitigations need to be in place to manage various risks including student attendance."
Professors the ODT spoke to about the policy had mixed views.
School of Biomedical Sciences Prof Peter Dearden said "we need to record lectures to make sure that if something goes wrong, we can provide them the information".
"But I also think we need just to find ways to ensure that that doesn’t mean that students sit in their hall rooms and never come to lectures.
"We can’t record labs. We just try to make sure that students come to labs and we do our best to interact with them and make sure that lab work is an interesting experience.
"I kind of think that that’s where we need to go with lectures. They need to be much more interactive ..."
Ms Lynch hoped the policy would be adopted.
"We’ve been talking about it for 18 months. Now it’s been really a part of the conversations and socialised for so long that students are just, they’re waiting, they’re anticipating the policy to go through.
"I don’t think the university realises quite the shock and disappointment that it will be if we don’t get this."
Prof Brock said a second round of consultation would close later next month.
A process will then follow whereby a revised policy would go through several formal committees before proceeding to the university’s senior academic committee, senate and then to council for final approval.
