I faced a similar query in a previous job. An academic was contacted by
concerned parents who had not heard from their daughter in some time and
wanted to check that she was attending classes and, therefore, OK.
It was felt that we could not release such information to the parents
(especially as the contact was made by phone and we had no proof as to who
the enquirers actually were). We passed the message on to the student and
left it to her to decide whether or not to contact her parents.
Ali.
-----Original Message-----
From: This list is for those interested in Data Protection issues
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Lloyd M J B (ISeLS)
Sent: 05 October 2004 14:57
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Quite an amusing one!
No we would not give out that information. Moreover, we would be careful not
even to confirm whether the student was at our institution.
Our procedure with telephone calls is that we take down the message and will
pass it on if, on checking, the student is at our institution, or if not we
bin the message.
We would treat this all as personal data.
Mike
> From: Paula Owen <[log in to unmask]>
> Reply-To: Paula Owen <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Tue, 5 Oct 2004 14:15:36 +0100
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Quite an amusing one!
>
> Hi all
>
> Quite a funny one from my partner who happens to be a university lecturer,
> I quote:
>
> "A father of a student just rang to ask if his son was attending
> lectures...am I allowed to tell him? This after all is not a
> molly-coddling school where parents are able to check up on their
> offspring."
>
> My view on this is that first he would have to prove the identity of the
> father (after all he could be this student's stalker wanting to find out
> where this student would be at any one time), then he would have to ask
the
> student whether he was happy to consent to this disclosure to a '3rd
party'.
>
> But then, after Durant, I began wondering whether attendance at a lecture
> or not was actually personal data at all (similar to attendance at a
> meeting).
>
> Any views??
>
> Imagine this son's embarrassment when he finds out about this!!??
>
> Paula
>
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