Dear T Hayden,

 

I refer to your request of 10 October 2024. The University’s response
follows.

 

“"I am writing to request any internal regulations for the creation of
unique public identifiers (UPIs) at the University of Auckland. For
example, is the general rule of UPI creation that the initial of a
person's first name is combined with the first three letters of their
surname alongside three random numbers? E.g., 'John Smith' might produce
the UPI 'jsmi123'.

 

If this is the general rule used, are there any exceptions? For example,
if one's name was 'Finlay Uckman' would the UPI 'fuck123' be a possible
UPI?”

 

If not, I would like to request a list of letter combinations that are
avoided by the University of Auckland's system for producing UPIs. If this
is too burdensome, then I would like to request a list of words whose
spelling - whether verbatim or phonetic - is avoided by the University of
Auckland's system for producing UPIs."

The University does not have internal regulations for the creation of
unique public identifiers (UPIs). Your inferences are correct that, under
the University’s process, UPIs are created from the initial of a person’s
first name, the first three letters of their surname and a random
three-digit number, and that there are four-letter combinations that
aren’t permitted in UPIs.

 

“For example, if one's name was 'Finlay Uckman' would the UPI 'fuck123' be
a possible UPI?”

 

If not, I would like to request a list of letter combinations that are
avoided by the University of Auckland's system for producing UPIs. If this
is too burdensome, then I would like to request a list of words whose
spelling - whether verbatim or phonetic - is avoided by the University of
Auckland's system for producing UPIs."

 

The University doesn’t hold a document listing the letter combinations
which are not permitted in UPIs; they are part of the code which runs for
the relevant process. This constitutes a refusal of your request under
section 18(e) on the basis that the document requested does not exist –
consulting with you would not remove the reason for this refusal.

 

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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