>Is it legal to store details about plagiarism cases on a computer
so that they can be referenced at a future date in case the same student is
caught plagiarising again?
>I've been told that the Data Protection Act prohibits this and
computers have to be wiped clean each year.
> >Is that true?
>
It cannot be correct unless it is also the case that all other records would
have to be wiped (finance, results, outstanding library books, references
etc). The HEI is under an obligation to tell student data subjects what
records are kept which are covered by the DPA, and I would expect it to have
a published policy that allows it to keep academic records and disciplinary
records in student files. A procedure may specify in what circumstances
records will be destroyed after a short time. A student handbook might well
say that if the student is found to have committed an offence in an academic
context a record will be kept and a subsequent offence will be treated more
harshly. It might also say that the records will be destroyed if students
are not found guilty or for guilty students after graduation. Although the
DPA is a bit hard to understand at the moment, I think keeping a record
would be legal even on the strictest interpretation.
Of course if the institution has a policy that says student personal data on
computers will be wiped at the end of each academic year, that's what should
happen, but I cannot imagine any institution has such a policy.
Paul
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