15 May, 2008

Clumsy

Oh dear.  I suppose he was provoked, but I don't really see how this academic at a certain university could claim ignorance of one of the more extreme consequences of Data Protection rules.

It was repeatedly made extremely clear to me, both in my web publishing and College tutor roles, that staff cannot confirm whether an individual is a member of the University, even to that person's parents, without express permission.

I frequently receive requests for individuals' e-mail addresses, and can only volunteer to "forward the enquiry to someone who may be able to help" – I certainly can't reveal an address, but nor can I say I'll pass the message on to the named person, as that'd reveal whether there is such a person.

Still; it must be an extremely slow news day if the Guardian feels able to promote their rehash of the THES story via their home page's news 'ticker'. I suppose the sensationalist effect they intended was 'regulations gone mad', but I fully agree with the rules.

The student is an adult, and as such the institution's responsibility is to him, not to his mother.
This instance may have been relatively trivial, but the principle is a valid one: what if the student had been at university against his parents' wishes, or was deliberately estranged from his parents and did not wish them to know his whereabouts?

[Update 29/05/08: I suppose I should have been more sceptical: the THES is the Times Higher Education Supplement, so it's to be expected that the 'journalists' exaggerated the true situation. The professor received a standard letter reminding him of "the need for regard to student confidentiality", but no disciplinary action was even considered.]