Pat :
Some observations which may assist consideration of the problem
The list owner may well have a responsibility to modertate the list to
filter unsuitable materials.
I suspect you may have students from many different cultures and
backgrounds. Acceptable materials in one culture may be unacceptable in
another. Can images be posted in the list environment for example.
You clearly want the students to use the lists, presumably because its an
efficient manner to desemminate educational materials. If setting such a
condition on students then as list owner you are likely to have a vicarious
liability for the content being acceptable, non-offensive etc.
A list owner knows their communication tool can be used to distribute
libellious material for example so it would be prudent to implement
appropriate acceptable use policies and controls to protect themselves as
much as practicable.
Data Protection can come into play dependent on the personal data content in
the management of the list and whether marketing materials are being
distributed on it.
Not an area I have researched in great detail as to which laws apply to
'lists' in this context but as a 'list' is simply a communication and
publishing medium I can't see it would be totally exempt from the underlying
laws relating to Libel, Publishing, Copyright, IP etc. These are many and
varied.
If you have a responsibility to managing risks arising from running a 'list'
then Id suggest your lawyers should be asked for advice.
All individuals can exercise choice as their reading materials, can't see
you can force this.
In running courses you also would appear to have obligations to not
disadvantage students who may be blind/partially sighted so the list should
not be the only way of distributing materials which may assist students in
their course. ie what about Audio materials. Its possible other students
could seek access to such alternate resources also if they can form
reasonable objections about 'list' content which is used to distribute
academic materials necessary for their course.
Regards
David Wyatt
----- Original Message -----
From: "Pat Gannon-Leary" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2005 9:58 AM
Subject: [data-protection] Discussion lists for students and educational
purposes
> We have a discussion list for our Law students. One student has objected
> to
> receiving what he considers to be 'junk' e-mail on this and has asked to
> be
> removed from the list.
> Generally the postings to the list are academic in nature and should be
> considered part of the students' education.
> We could have the student in question removed from the list but he then
> may
> be disadvantaged by non receipt of other postings.
>
> Has anyone in HE or FE experienced similar issues? Does anyone have
> anything written in their student handbook or in their data protection
> statement about placement on a distribution list being part of their
> university/college education?
>
> I'd appreciate others' thoughts on this issue.
>
> Thanks in anticipation
>
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All archives of messages are stored permanently and are
available to the world wide web community at large at
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/data-protection.html
If you wish to leave this list please send the command
leave data-protection to [log in to unmask]
All user commands can be found at : -
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/help/commandref.htm
Any queries about sending or receiving message please send to the list owner
[log in to unmask]
(all commands go to [log in to unmask] not the list please)
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