28 April 2021
Alice Mander
By email: [FYI request #15009 email]
Tēnā koe Alice
Official information request regarding disabled students at VUW Law School
I refer to your request for information under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act)
dated 28 March 2021:
1. What percentage of students in Laws121 self-identified as having a disability
over the past five years?
2. What percentage of students in Laws121 were enrolled in disability services
over the past five years?
3. What percentage of graduates of law self-identified as having a disability over
the past five years?
4. What percentage of graduates of law were enrolled in disability services over
the past five years?
5. What percentage of people enrolled in laws 121 graduate with an LLB, over
the last five years?
6. How many students over the past five years have been granted extensions for
assignments in a compulsory law course (Laws121, Laws122, Laws123, Laws211,
Laws214, Laws213, Laws 212, Laws301)?
7. How many students over the past five years have been granted special
assessment conditions in Laws121 and Laws301?
8. What is the percentage of students in Laws301 who self-identify as having a
disability over the past five years?
9. What is the percentage of students in Laws301 who are enrolled in disability
services over the past five years?
10. What percentage of Law Honours students have identified as having a
disability over the past five years?
11. What percentage of Law Honours students are enrolled with disability
services over the past five years?
Each of your requests, and the University’s response, is set out below.
1. What percentage of students in Laws121 self-identified as having a
disability over the past five years?
LAWS121
Year
Total students
Self-identified as
enrol ed
having a disability
Percentage
2021
732
40
5.46
2020
712
31
4.35
2019
757
21
2.77
2018
832
34
4.09
2017
913
30
3.29
Total
3946
156
3.95
This data refers to students who were registered in the course for at least 2 weeks from
course start date and had declared a disability during the year they were enrolled in the
course.
2. What percentage of students in Laws121 were enrolled in disability
services over the past five years?
LAWS121
Year
Total students
Students registered
enrol ed
with DS
Percentage
2021
732
65
8.88
2020
712
65
9.13
2019
757
59
12.55
2018
832
86
8.17
2017
913
71
7.78
Total
3946
346
8.77
3. What percentage of graduates of law self-identified as having a disability
over the past five years?
LLB graduates who
Year
Number of graduates
identified as having a
Percentage
disability
2017
210
8
3.81
2018
193
10
5.18
2019
215
7
3.26
2020
236
17
7.2
2021
174
9
5.17
This data refers to students with graduation status as ‘Qualification Granted’ or
‘Qualification to be Granted’ in the applicable year who declared disability at any year
before their graduation year.
4. What percentage of graduates of law were enrolled in disability services
over the past five years?
Compiling the information required to provide a response to this question would involve
substantial research and collation. Therefore this aspect of your request is refused in
accordance with Section 18(f) of the Act.
5. What percentage of people enrolled in laws 121 graduate with an LLB, over
the last five years?
Year
Number of students
Number of students who
enrol ed
graduated with LLB
Percentage
2010
807
234
29.00
2011
788
245
31.09
2012
767
224
29.20
2013
703
257
36.56
2014
713
235
32.96
2015
726
231
31.82
2016
812
193
23.77*
2017
913
29
3.18*
2018
832
0
0.00*
2019
757
0
0.00*
2020
712
0
0.00*
* likely to increase with graduations still to come
Please note, the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) is a four-year degree. However most students
take it as part of a conjoint degree which usually requires 5-6 years of study. We have
provided data from 2010 onwards as most students who enrolled in LAWS 121 in the last
five years will not have completed their requirements.
This data includes all students enrolled in LAWS 121, not just those taking it for the LLB.
Therefore, some students may be taking it to count towards another qualification. The
data does not include information on whether students went on to graduate with another
degree. Due to the varying timeframes of the degree, students do not graduate as a cohort
relative to their initial year of enrolment. Additionally, some students may enrol in LAWS
121 more than once in order to obtain the grade required for selection to second year
LAWS courses.
6. How many students over the past five years have been granted extensions
for assignments in a compulsory law course (Laws121, Laws122, Laws123,
Laws211, Laws214, Laws213, Laws 212, Laws301)?
Number of extensions granted
Course
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
LAWS 121
18
1
1
0
0
LAWS 122
6
7
3
0
0
LAWS 123
8
8
9
5
5
LAWS 211
N/A*
N/A*
N/A*
N/A*
31
LAWS 212
0
0
0
0
0
LAWS 213
9
36
18
37
31
LAWS 214
0
4
0
0
3
LAWS 297
32
48
40
39
148
LAWS 301
4
0
12
0
66
* Assessements in these years consisted of tests or exams so not applicable for extensions.
7. How many students over the past five years have been granted special
assessment conditions in Laws121 and Laws301?
LAWS121 Students registered with DS
Year
Number
Accessible Test
Accessible Exam
Arrangements
Arrangements
2021
65
22
10
2020
65
36
25
2019
59
26
27
2018
86
40
40
2017
71
21
22
Total
346
145
124
LAWS301 Students registered with DS
Year
Number
Accessible Test
Accessible Exam
Arrangements
Arrangements
2021
45
28
22
2020
42
23
23
2019
51
28
29
2018
41
28
25
2017
31
8
5
Total
210
115
104
8. What is the percentage of students in Laws301 who self-identify as having
a disability over the past five years?
LAWS301
Year
Total students
Self-identified as
enrol ed
having a disability
Percentage
2021
304
23
7.57
2020
284
16
5.63
2019
303
20
6.60
2018
294
15
5.10
2017
265
9
3.40
Total
1450
83
5.72
This data refers to students who were registered in the course for at least 2 weeks from
course start date and had declared a disability during the year they were enrolled in the
course.
9. What is the percentage of students in Laws301 who are enrolled in
disability services over the past five years?
LAWS301
Year
Total students
Students registered
enrol ed
with DS
Percentage
2021
304
45
14.80
2020
284
42
14.78
2019
303
51
16.83
2018
294
41
13.95
2017
265
31
11.70
Total
1450
210
14.48
10. What percentage of Law Honours students have identified as having a
disability over the past five years?
LLBHON
Year
Total students
Self-identified as
enrol ed
having a disability
Percentage
2021
89
8
8.99
2020
91
2
2.20
2019
85
1
1.18
2018
84
3
3.57
2017
83
5
6.02
Total
432
19
4.40
This data refers to students who were enrolled in LLBHON in the year and declared a
disability in the same year
11. What percentage of Law Honours students are enrolled with disability
services over the past five years?
Compiling the information required to provide a response to this question would involve
substantial research and collation. Therefore this aspect of your request is refused in
accordance with Section 18(f) of the Act.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this
decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
If you wish to discuss this decision with us, please feel free to contact me at
[VUW request email]. Ngā mihi nui
Blair Doherty
Senior Advisor, Official Information and Privacy
Legal Services
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
