Privacy Protocol 1 – access to a student’s own personal information
A student wishing to inspect their official University student record should contact Student Business Services (Phone: (07) 3138 2000). Individual faculties may also hold some student records and a student should contact the relevant student services officer in their faculty.
Other areas of the University may also hold personal information on a student, such as the Health Service, Counselling Service or Disability Services. A client of these services may approach the relevant officer dealing with their file, for instance, their advisor, doctor or counsellor, and ask to peruse their file.
Staff guidelines for providing access for students to their student records
Prior to access, the file should be checked for any third party material or confidential matter. Any third party material should be removed before access is given to a student. Where records contain information of a confidential or contentious nature, the Freedom of Information Officer should be consulted. Occasionally, the FOI Officer may advise that access to the records should be sought under the Freedom of Information Act, rather than through use of this procedure.
Some form of identification should be provided by the student (eg student card or drivers licence) before access is given. The individual should be supervised during inspection and the records must not be marked, altered or re-ordered in any way. The records may not be removed or borrowed, but copies of records may be made and taken away.
No fees are charged for arranging access to personal files under this arrangement, however, the University reserves the right to charge for photocopies of documents where a large number of photocopies are requested. The FOI Officer should be consulted where charging is proposed to ensure consistency with the FOI Act.
Student academic transcripts
It is the responsibility of Student Business Services to provide students with a copy of their official University transcripts on request and payment of the appropriate fee. The student may also authorise the University to forward the transcript to another person or organisation.
Any other staff member who is asked to provide an academic record for a student should indicate that official transcripts are only available through Student Business Services.
Student access to results of assessment
Students may request and obtain their final marks in a unit and peruse their own examination scripts or written answers to examination questions or other forms of assessment (see MOPP E/6.6). A student who requests a copy of an examination script must pay the appropriate fee specified in Schedule 2 of the Student Rules.