Dear Harold,

I refer to your request of 3 August 2024 for average grades, and grade distributions, for all taught courses offered by the University in 2018. The purpose of this email is to consult with you about that request.

The University does not hold the average grade information requested. We cannot provide the requested grade distribution data for all taught courses for 2018 without substantial collation or research - this grade distribution information is only readily available for the last five years - i.e. from 2019 onwards. Please advise by 23 August whether you wish to narrow your request to grade distributions for specified courses offered in 2018 and, if so, provide a list of the courses you are interested in. If you are unwilling to narrow your request, it is likely that the University will refuse your request for the reasons cited above.

Yours sincerely,

Landon Watt
Legal Advisor
Office of the Vice-Chancellor
Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland  

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Dear Harold,

I refer to your OIA request of 3 August 2024, as amended on 23 August. The University's response follows.

On 3 August 2024, you requested grade information for all 2018 taught courses. On 20 August, I responded to you by email to consult with you about your request. Specifically, I advised that grade distribution information was only readily available from 2019 onwards and invited you to narrow your request to grade distributions for specific 2018 courses. On 23 August, you amended your request to seek grade distributions for nine specified 2018 courses.

I have made further enquiries with our staff about providing the grade distribution information requested for the specified 2018 courses. They advise that the difficulty in collating grade distribution information for 2018 courses is not due to the number of courses involved, but because all such information from the 2018 dataset is not readily available on our current system and substantial staff time would be required to bring a now non-standard dataset into use. Unfortunately, this means that we cannot provide the information requested for the specific 2018 courses without substantial collation or research. Your request is refused under section 18(f) of the OIA. Neither fixing a charge nor extending the time limit for the University's response would enable your request to be granted.

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

Yours sincerely,

Landon Watt
Legal Advisor
Office of the Vice-Chancellor
Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland  

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