Dear Mr Cole,

 

I refer to your request of 22 September 2021. The University’s response
follows:

“1. What is the net annual income in 2020 and 2021 (thus far) to the
University Of Auckland resulting from the monetisation of aegrotat and
compassionate consideration applications?”

The University’s gross income from aegrotat and compassionate
consideration application fees for 2020 was $66,320 (inclusive GST). The
University’s gross income from aegrotat and compassionate consideration
application fees from 1 January 2021 until 14 October 2021 was $54,000
(inclusive GST).

 

The University does not set aegrotat and compassionate consideration
application fees on a profit or break-even basis: the cost of
administering and processing these applications greatly exceeds the
application fees charged. A description of the work involved in processing
these applications follows.

 

The aegrotat and compassionate consideration process is robust and for
every application, an independent moderator considers the application and
makes a recommendation on the level of impairment experienced. A panel of
moderators also checks the recommendations on each application to ensure
consistency is achieved across all applications. Moderators are typically
GPs or Psychologists within the UHCS and the time applied to consider each
application, make a recommendation, and review recommendations via the
panel of moderators, is significant. This work is required regardless of
whether the application is successful or not. Once an application is
accepted evidentially, academic staff at the faculty level assess the
application academically and then in the case of exam applications,
independent representatives of Senate (experienced academic staff) review
the academic recommendation to ensure a fair, reasonable and consistent
outcome is given. 

 

The University does not have specific figures for the total annual cost of
providing exam and test aegrotats, and so cannot provide net figures. This
constitutes a refusal of your request under section 18(g) of the Official
Information Act 1982.

2. Please provide any written correspondence surrounding the decision to
choose $10 per test application and $30 per exam application for these
administration fees.

 

These fees are set by the University’s Council under the Fees Statute
2021. At this stage, we have established that the $10 fee for test
applications first came into effect in 2016, and that the $30 fee for exam
applications was increased from $25 in either 2011 or 2012. Written
correspondence “surrounding the decision” cannot be provided as the
official information requested has not been specified with due
particularity; in other words, the scope of this request is unclear. The
University can, however, provide the relevant material about these
decisions from Council’s minutes. Please advise if you wish to request
this information.

 

You have the right to make a complaint to an Ombudsman if you are
dissatisfied with this response.

Yours sincerely

Rebecca Ewert

General Counsel

University of Auckland

 

From: Mr Cole <[1][FOI #16842 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, 22 September 2021 5:29 PM
To: legal <[2][email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Annual Income from Aegrotat
Applications

 

Dear University of Auckland,

When you apply for an Aegrotat or Compassionate consideration with the
University Of Auckland, there is a cost of $10 per test application and
$30 per exam application (to a maximum of $50 if you apply for multiple
exams at once).

1. What is the net annual income in 2020 and 2021 (thus far) to the
University Of Auckland resulting from the monetisation of aegrotat and
compassionate consideration applications?

I do note that in Semester 2020, 1444 administration fees were waived as
they were related to covid-19. Please exclude these from the calculation.

2. Please provide any written correspondence surrounding the decision to
choose $10 per test application and $30 per exam application for these
administration fees.

Yours faithfully,

Mr Cole

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