Some of you may recall that I have been in consultation with the Data
Protection Registrar over the publication of examination results on the
Web. (I should make clear that the results that are published are not
marks but a class similar to that awarded for degrees at other
universities. At Cambridge we don't class degrees but the examinations
that qualify for admission to the degree). When initially we were advised
that we could not do this I asked for an official ruling. This was
basically because we currently publish our results in the University
Reporter, our official journal with newspaper status. The Reporter is now
also published on our web site so it was logical to include the results
that regularly appear in it on our site. The question was therefore raised
that if we were unable to publish on the web, were we able to publish at
all? If we were unable to publish results what about degree lists which
also appear in the Reporter?
After a long wait for a response, I have now received the following reply
from Mr Boyd of the Registrar's Office:
'As you know, advice has been given to schools not to publish examination
results of their pupils without consent. We certainly receive regular
complaints from school students who have been embarrassed at the
publication in the local press of disappointing results. As a result we
have advised those schools who have enquired that they ought first to
obtain the consent of students to publication. I see no reason to vary
this advice.
While intuitively one may feel that the position of school and university
students are different, logically, I see no reason why this should be the
case although I freely concede that there have been very few complaints in
this area. My advice to the Registrar, therefore, was that it is certainly
arguable that the University is in breach of the first data protection
principle in publishing examination results without prior notification.
However, in the absence of widespread complaints or evidence of damage to
the individuals affected, I have also advised that [she] should exercise
her discretion, as permitted by S.10 of the Act, not to take action at this
stage.
You will be pleased to learn that the Registrar concurred with this
advice.'
I have taken this to mean that we can continue to publish both on paper and
on the web until such time as the Registrar decides not to exercise her
discretion. I accept that other universities have informed me during my
consultations that they consider it inappropriate to publish results, but
there are also many that consider this important to preserving the
integrity of thier qualifications. It also enables us to continue to
publish graduation lists for congregations.
Dennis Barrington-Light
Head of Student Records and Statistics
University of Cambridge, 10 Peas Hill, Cambridge CB2 3PN
Tel: 01223-332303 (Direct line) Fax: 01223-331200
Email: [log in to unmask] or [log in to unmask]
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