2 August 2023
By email
: [FYI request #23383 email]
Kia ora
I refer to your information request dated 5 July 2023 made under the Official Information Act 1982
(the Act). You have requested mark and grade distributions for all PHIL papers offered by the
University of Otago in Semester 1, 2023.
Subject to the following comments, please see attached the information you have requested. Please
note that there are three pages in the attached spreadsheet (one for each level).
• On occasions where fewer than five students have failed a paper (i.e. received a grade of Fail
D or Fail E), we have determined that it is necessary to withhold the marks and specific grades
for these students to protect their privacy and wellbeing. We consider that withholding this
information is necessary to protect against the identity of these students being determined or
inferred, and their personal information (i.e. their marks) could be disclosed. We therefore
withhold this information pursuant to section 9(2)(a) of the Act.
• On occasions where fewer than ten students are enrolled in a paper, we determine that it is
necessary to withhold the mark and grade distributions for these papers. As there were fewer
than ten enrolments in PHIL333, PHIL406, PHIL414 and PHIL480, we have withheld the mark
and grade distribution for these papers to protect students’ privacy and wellbeing. We
consider that withholding this information is necessary to protect against the identity of these
students being determined or inferred, and their personal information (i.e., their marks and
grades) could be disclosed. We therefore withhold this information pursuant to section 9(2)(a)
of the Act.
• In the attached grade and mark distributions, we note that students who withdrew from the
papers or received an Aegrotat Pass grade (not a mark) are excluded from the data.
I trust that this information will be helpful.
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
Jenny Shaw
Official Information and Compliance Coordinator
Office of the Registrar
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