Manuscripts, Archives and Art CollectionsRetrieval System

College Regulations for Access to the Records of Past Students

1. The records of current students are subject to the policy andguidelines set out in the documents Confidentiality of StudentRecords of November 1992 (attached at Annexure I) and Disclosure of Information about Students of April 1994 (attached at Annexure II).
   
   
2. The following rules of procedure govern access to student files and records after they have left the College. Separate procedures govern access to other College and departmental records, including staff records, deposits of personal papers, committee papers andadministrative files.
   
   
3. When students have left the College their records will normallyremain confidential to the College for a period of 30 years fromthe official date of the termination of their leaving as recordedin the Registry.
   
   
4. After 30 years and up to 80 years from the official date of thestudent's leaving the College access to a student's records will begranted only at the discretion of the Registrar in respect of Registryrecords and of the Head of Department in respect of departmentalrecords.
   
   
5. Where individual researchers on serious scholarly projects enquire, in writing, after the expiry of the 30-year period about files andrecords relating to a former student of the College, the decision toallow access will rest with the Registrar in respect of Registryrecords or the Head of Department in respect of departmental records. Before granting access to the student's record, the Registrar orHead of Department will adopt the following procedure: he/she will:
   1. confirm the status of the enquiry;
      
      
   2. if the subject of the enquiry is still alive, seek permission,in writing, from the subject of the enquiry for papers to be madeavailable to the researcher; (it is to be noted that some papers ona student's file, e.g. references, are confidential to officers ofthe College);
      
      
   3. if the subject is recently deceased and the name of theexecutors/next of kin is known, seek permission as in b. above;
      
      
   4. if permission is granted, consider the contents of the records andmake a decision about sensitive material; (if a Head of Departmentis in doubt about the release of any material, he/she will consultthe Registrar);
      
      
   5. authorise the researcher to view the papers under the supervisionof an appropriate College officer;
      
      
   6. secure an undertaking from the researcher that the material willbe used only for the purposes of the research specified in theoriginal request (permission to examine records does not includepermission to publish, which must be applied for separately);
      
      
   7. retain all correspondence and approvals relating to therequest.
      
      
   The Registrar or Head of Department may delegate responsibilityfor some or all of the above tasks to an appropriate officer.
   
   
6. Where a student's file or record contains material already in the public domain (such as pass lists, award of prizes, exhibitioncatalogues) such material may normally be made freely availableto researchers and others to consult. Where the College Officer orArchivist is uncertain, the matter will normally be referred tothe Registrar or the Head of Department concerned, as appropriate,to determine.
   
   
7. At the expiry of a period of 80 years from the official date of the student having left the College, records may normally be madeavailable to researchers by the Records Manager or an authoriseddepartmental officer without the prior consent of the Registraror Head of Department, subject only to the Registrar's or Head ofDepartment's discretion, as appropriate, to restrict certain itemsin exceptional circumstances and after appropriate consulatation.
   
   
8. In event of any dispute or query over the interpretation orimplementation of these procedures, the matter will be referred tothe Registrar.

September 1996

ANNEXURE 1

Confidentiality of Student Records

1. The persons to be granted access to students' personal files andrecords, including student addressses, held in either the Registrar'sdivision or the Records Office are:
   
   
   1. Members of the Registrar's Division (including temporary membersof staff), who shall be warned of the confidential nature of theinformation held therein.
      
      
   2. Members of the academic staff of the department or departments in which a student works and their departmental secretaries.
      
      
   3. The Dean of Students, Senior Tutor and the relevant FacultyTutors and their secretaries or Faculty Clerks.
      
      
   4. The Provost, Vice-Provosts, Heads of administrative divisionsof the College or members of their division authorised by them tohave such access.
      
      
   5. The Occupational Health Physician, the Student Counsellor or members of their staff authorised by them to have such access.
      
      
   6. The Residence Officer, the Librarian and the Director of theAlumnus Office or members of their staff authorised by them to havesuch access.
      
      
2. Addresses of students or information of a personal nature recordedin students' files shall not be communicated by the Registrar to anyperson or body other than those set out in 1. above or to theAuthorities of the University of London (in respect of internal,external, extra-mural or associate students), or to a member of thePolice Force or the Criminal Investigation Department upon theproduction of a warrant card. At the discretion of the Registrar,however, insofar as the pressure of work permits, the addresses of freshers may be given to Secretaries of Departmental Societies, theelected sabbatical officers of University College London Union and thePresident of the University of London Union, on the clear understandingthat it is not their intention to transmit this information to otherpersons or authorities.
   
   
3. Where, however, in the opinion of a senior member of staff of the Registrar's Division, it is absolutely necessary for a person or body to be put in contact with a student, an undertaking may be made to accept a written message.
   
   
4. Where, in order to pursue a particular project, it may be necessary for a research worker, whether or not he/she is a member of staff ofthe College or the University of London, to have access to students'personal files, the records may be opened to such persons exceptionally,and solely with the consent of the Registrar of the College, on theunderstanding that (i) anonymity will be preserved at all stages and (ii) all research work will be carried out under the supervision ofthe Records Office. The Registrar will secure a written undertakingto this effect from the research worker in question.
   
   
5. Records that are classified as "purely" archival and no longer of any administrative value, i.e. where a minimum of at least eightyyears separates the initial date of the file and the current day, maybe opened to a research worker at the discretion of the RecordsManager, without the prior consent of the Registrar.

The Data Protection Act [1984]

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