9 April 2024
By email
: [FYI request #26032 email]
Tēnā koe SJ
I refer to your information request dated 8 March 2024 made under the Official Information Act 1982
(the Act). You have requested the mark and grade distributions for the following papers offered by the
University of Otago in Semester 1 and Semester 2 2020 – 2023, and in Summer School 2022 – 2024:
Summer School Papers:
• BIOA201
• FORB201
• PHSI170
Semester 1 Papers:
• BIOA301
• CHEM206
• FORS201
• PSYC111
• PSYC210
• PSYC212
• PSYC325
Semester 2 Papers:
• CHEM306
• FORS301
• PSYC112
• PSYC211
• STAT115
Subject to the following comments, please see attached the information you have requested. Please
note that there are five pages in the attached document (one for each year from 2020 – 2023, and
one for all of the Summer School papers).
• the data is correct as at 13 March 2024.
• on occasions where fewer than five students have failed a paper (i.e. received a grade of Fail
D, Fail E or Failed Terms), 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.
• please note that not all papers were offered each year, therefore we have only provided mark
and grade breakdowns for the years that the papers were offered.
• please note that all final grades for papers completed in Semester 1 2020 were increased by 5
marks to account for disruptions created by COVID-19. In Semester 2 2020, final grades of 47,
48 or 49 were bumped up to 50 (pass).
• in the attached grade and mark distributions, we note that students who withdrew from the
papers or received an Aegrotat Pass (not a grade or 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
Kelsey Kennard
Official Information and Compliance Coordinator
Office of the Registrar