Tēnā koe B. Melvin

I acknowledge receipt of your Official Information Act request.

If we have any questions or need to seek clarification on any points we will be in touch soon. Otherwise, we will seek to respond to your request as soon as practicable and no later than 20 working days after the date your request was received (by 29 August 2024). If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will notify you of an extension of this timeframe.

Ngā mihi
Kelsey

Kelsey Kennard (she/her)
Official Information and Compliance Coordinator | Kaituitui Pārongo Ōkawa me te Tautukunga

University of Otago | Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka
Office of the Registrar and Secretary to the Council | Te Tari o Te Pouroki me te Kaituhi ki te Kaunihera

Tēnā koe B. Melvin

I refer to your information request dated 1 August 2024 made under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).

The Act requires that we advise you of our decision on your request no later than 20 working days after the date your request was received. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to meet that time limit. We are therefore writing to notify you, pursuant to section 15A of the Act, of a short extension of the time to make our decision in respect of your request, by a further five working days - to 5 September 2024.

This extension is necessary to allow for consultations necessary to make a decision on your request. We thank you for your patience - we will endeavour to provide our response sooner if possible.

If you are not satisfied with our extension of time, you have the right to make a complaint to the Ombudsman under section 28(3) of the Act. However, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss any concerns with you first.

Ngā mihi
Kelsey

Kelsey Kennard (she/her)
Official Information and Compliance Coordinator | Kaituitui Pārongo Ōkawa me te Tautukunga

University of Otago | Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka
Office of the Registrar and Secretary to the Council | Te Tari o Te Pouroki me te Kaituhi ki te Kaunihera

Tēnā koe B. Melvin

I refer to your information request dated 1 August 2024 made under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act). You have requested information in relation to "occurrences in the last three years where any medical student (ELM2 to ALM4) has behaved inappropriately or committed any level of misconduct in relation to any human remains or cadaveric material".

It is the University's standard practice to not report on information where it relates to fewer than five individuals and we consider that such disclosure could affect an individual's privacy and wellbeing. Where the numbers are very low, there is a risk that the identity of these individuals could be determined or inferred, and that their personal information could be revealed. Accordingly, as there were fewer than five incidents, we decline to provide any details.

The wider context is that in the three-year period 1800 students have attended Otago Medical School ELM, and in all but a handful of cases there have not been any incidents of inappropriate conduct in relation to any human remains or cadaveric material. It is worth noting too that the training within the Medical School includes appropriate and respectful protocols for dealing with human remains and cadaveric material.

In the above cases, we consider that good reasons exist for withholding information, and this is not outweighed by other considerations which would make it desirable, in the public interest, to make the information available. If you are not satisfied with our response to your information request, section 28(3) of the Act provides you with the right to ask an Ombudsman to investigate and review this response. However, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss any concerns with you first.

Ngā mihi
Kelsey

Kelsey Kennard (she/her)
Official Information and Compliance Coordinator | Kaituitui Pārongo Ōkawa me te Tautukunga

University of Otago | Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka
Office of the Registrar and Secretary to the Council | Te Tari o Te Pouroki me te Kaituhi ki te Kaunihera