Kia ora Kate

We refer to your information request dated 2 March 2021 made under the Official Information Act 1982 (Act).

We do not have the data you have requested readily available and it will take some work for us to collate this. This is because our central student management system records the marks for papers and not percentage grades - i.e. it records the number of students who obtained each mark. In order to calculate the average grades in percentages for the second year law papers, our analysts will need to spend some time obtaining raw data from the system's back office. Further, it will take our analysts some time to create the bell curve that you have requested.

Accordingly, given the resource involved in supply of this information we would have to fix a charge for supply of the information you have requested pursuant to clause 15(1A) of the Act. Having consulted with our analysts, we have estimated it will take a minimum of three hours of staff time to produce the information requested. In accordance with general guidance available from the Office of the Ombudsman, we have thus fixed a charge for supply of this information at $152 (calculated at $38 per half hour with the first hour free).

Before we proceed further with your request, please confirm your agreement to pay the charge in full in advance. We will then advise on how to provide this payment. Once payment is received, we expect to be able to provide you with the requested information within 15 working days. Should collation and checking of the information requested take fewer than three hours, we will refund you for unused time at the rate stated above.

Alternatively, we would be happy to provide you, at no charge, the marks for the second year law papers - the number of students who obtained each mark. Please note however, that for privacy reasons the University's standard practice is not to report on numbers where those numbers are below 5. Where the numbers of the candidates are very low, we consider there is a risk that the identity of those candidates could be determined/inferred.

Please let us know how you would like us to proceed. We look forward to your response so that we can continue to process your information request.

I note your right to seek a review of this decision via complaint to an Ombudsman. However, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss any concerns with you first.

Ngâ mihi
Mayhaka

Mayhaka Mendis • Manager, Policy and Compliance, Office of the Registrar • Deputy Privacy Officer • Te Whare Wânanga o Ôtâkou, University of Otago • P.O Box 56, Dunedin • Tel +64 3 479 8993

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