(1) In this Policy: (2) Student records and assessment items are confidential. Subject to the legal obligations of the University, a student's record, or parts thereof, will be released only to that student and to authorised University staff. (3) If instructed in writing by a student, the University will release his/her student records, or assessment items to another person or to an organisation. (4) Where information from student records or assessment items is disclosed other than in accordance with clauses 2 and 3, that information must be published in such a way that the student cannot be identified from that information. (5) The University Secretary will publish a 'Schedule of Student Records retained within the University. The Schedule will contain a description of all the information held; the form in which it is stored; the Division or Faculty in which it is stored and the period for which it is stored prior to destruction. (6) The following staff are authorised to access student records* as detailed: (7) Students who wish to peruse their computerised academic record or paper record retained by the Division of Student Administration will be permitted to do so during office hours. Supervised access will be allowed only within the precincts of the Division of Student Administration, upon presentation of their Student Identification card to staff of the Division of Student Administration. (8) Records to which access has been given under clause 7 may not be removed from the Division of Student Administration. (9) Students permitted access to their student records may take notes of information appearing on their records. (10) Students who require copies of information from their student records should request the staff of the Division of Student Administration to make the copies for them. Payment at the specified rate per copied page will be required. (11) The number of copies requested must be limited to a reasonable amount (i.e. the workload required for production will not unreasonably interfere with the operations of the University), with a maximum limit of 20 copied pages. The Executive Director, Division of Student Administration may decline requests considered to be above a reasonable amount, in which case any payment made will be refunded. (12) Where the copying of information cannot be done immediately, the copies will be provided within 21 days of the request being received. (13) Some details may be deleted from the copies provided to conform with privacy requirements. (14) Students who wish to access information relating to themselves which is not contained within their computerised academic record or Division of Student Administration file should contact the Freedom of Information Officer. (15) Whenever a student accesses his/her Division of Student Administration file, that student must sign a Record of Access form. (16) Access to student records under this policy will be free, except where a student requires copies of materials kept on the University's records. (17) Applicable fees will be published in the University's Schedule of Fees and Charges . (18) A student may apply to the Executive Director, Division of Student Administration to have placed on that student's record a note, comment or explanation in relation to any document contained in that record. (19) A student may apply to the Executive Director, Division of Student Administration for amendment of that student's record on the grounds that it is incomplete, incorrect, out of date or misleading. (20) The Executive Director, Division of Student Administration shall be the final determiner of all such applications under this Policy. (21) Students should also consult the Assessment Policy and the Progress, Supervision and Assessment: Theses and Other Examinable Research Works Regulations. (22) Feedback on all assessment items completed during a session, whether they are submitted in hard copy or electronically, other than examinations will be returned to students with a mark or grade. While individual grades or marks will be treated as personal information, Subject Coordinators may provide information on the distribution of results in assessment items so that students can gauge their own performance against those of the other students in the subject. After one year assessment items that have been submitted through EASTS or have not been collected by students in person (refer Assessment Policy clauses 118-119) will be destroyed except as provided for in clause 24 below. (23) To ensure the confidentiality of marked assessment items such items must be returned directly to students in person or by mail and must not be left for collection by students from boxes in public areas or be returned to them in other unsupervised ways. (24) Assessment items which are the subject of or are relevant to disciplinary proceedings within the University will be retained by the University Secretary or their delegate in accordance with General Disposal Authority 23 as set by State Records NSW. (25) Examination answer booklets will not be returned to students and will be retained for a period of not less than one year after the date of the examination, during which period students will have the right of access to their answer booklets, to consult Subject Coordinators on their performances, or to obtain a copy of their answer booklets subject to the payment of the appropriate fee (see clause 6 above). After one year the answer booklets will be destroyed except as provided for in clause 27. (26) The right of access does not extend to answer booklets or other assessment items which need to be kept confidential (e.g. questions which form part of a bank to be re-used in later examinations). In such cases arrangements shall be made for students to receive advice on their performances with reference to their own examination answers in a manner that does not compromise the examination mode. (27) Examination scripts which are the subject of or are relevant to disciplinary proceedings within the University will be retained by the University Secretary or their delegate in accordance with General Disposal Authority 23 as set by State Records NSW. (28) As each situation may require different levels of attention, no specific limit is to be placed on the number of consultations between students and lecturers regarding access to student records and assessment items (AS 93/246 on 14.12.93). (29) In the case of the examination of higher degree theses, the examiners' reports shall be released to the student in the manner determined by the Board of Graduate Studies following determination of the result. (30) The following staff are authorised to access assessment items as detailed: (31) The University, as a public authority, is subject to the NSW Freedom of Information Act and the NSW Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act . Any application made under the policy detailed above does not preclude a student's right to make an application under these Acts.Records Management Policy - Student Records and Assessment Items Access
This document is rescinded from 9 November 2023. It is replaced by Records Management Procedure - Access to University Records.
Section 1 - Glossary
Top of PageSection 2 - Confidentiality
Section 3 - Schedule of Student Records
Section 4 - Access to Student Records by Staff
Staff authorised to access all student records:
Staff authorised to access the records of students in their Faculties:
Staff authorised to access the records of students as indicated:
Top of PageSection 5 - Requests for Student Records
Section 6 - Fees
Section 7 - Amendment of Records
Section 8 - Access to Assessment Items and Information
Section 9 - Access to Assessment Items by Staff
Staff authorised to access the assessment items of all students:
Staff authorised to access the assessment items of students enrolled in courses of their Faculty or enrolled in subjects taught by their Faculty.
Top of PageSection 10 - Freedom of Information Act and Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act
View Current
This is not a current document. It has been repealed and is no longer in force.
*Note: Student records held by counselling services, Accessibility and Inclusion Support, misconduct staff or other support services can only be accessed by staff who are authorised to do so in the discharge of their duties in accordance with the rules, policies, professional code of practice or legislation that apply to that area.