Exclusive: Cambridge will give students full and simple class lists opt-out
The saga of the class lists may soon come to an end, after the University Council backed a proposal to allow students to have their names easily removed from result lists
Students will soon have the choice to remove their names from the class lists both in print and online through a simple tick-box option, Varsity can exclusively report.
A proposal was passed yesterday morning by the University Council, which is chaired by vice-chancellor Stephen Toope. If approved by Regent House, it will end doubts over whether the publication of the lists could legally continue, and mean students graduating this summer will have the option of easily opting-out from class lists.
In a statement, Graham Virgo, pro-vice-chancellor for education, told Varsity: “Following a recommendation by the General Board, at a meeting of the Council on 11 December it was agreed that, in future, any student will be able to opt out from having their name published in a class list outside the Senate House and in the Reporter, without needing to disclose reasons for the opt out.”
The proposal now only needs to pass through Regent House, which will likely happen at the end of Lent Term. No vote will be held unless there are objections from enough members of Regent House, the sovereign University body comprised of academics and senior staff.
“It is anticipated that this new opt out process will be available for the main examination period (commencing 21 May 2018), once systems have been updated,” Virgo said.
Last year’s referendum on class lists mandated CUSU to campaign to keep class lists, but to lobby for an easier opt-out process. If passed by Regent House, the new proposal will reflect the demands of that vote.
Speaking to Varsity, Martha Krish, CUSU education officer, said: “I am so pleased that this issue that CUSU has been campaigning on for many years, in many forms, is finally one step away from being resolved.”
It is the latest twist saga lasting over two years, which divided the student body and led to a vote overturning both CUSU and University policy. During the past year, incoming data protection regulation has forced the University to seek legal advice over the continued publication of class lists.
Yesterday, Varsity revealed the University’s administration was close to a decision, having narrowed down its options for continued publication of the lists to four options. The University has settled upon the second option, a full simplified opt-out.
The proposed changes mean that student simply tick a box on CamSIS to opt-out from both the Senate House and Reporter lists. No medical evidence or permission from academic or pastoral staff will be required.
If a student has won a prize but has opted-out, they will be contacted to ask if they would then like to be included. If there is no response or a negative response is received, their name will remain omitted.
Under the current system, students have been required to undergo a lengthy process to opt out. Applications are currently only considered in “exceptional circumstances” with medical evidence that publication “would be likely seriously to endanger a student’s health or mental well-being.”
This opt-out has also only ever applied to the printed lists outside the Senate House, and never to the lists published in the Cambridge University Reporter, which is accessible online to any member of the University with a Raven login.
Krish insisted that resolving the class lists issue would boost student welfare, saying, “The history of students appearing on both physical lists and in the University Reporter without an accessible opt out option has caused distress and harm to countless students.
“The proposed change is a massive improvement on the previous system where the ability to opt-out was in theory available for anyone with a 'genuine need' but in reality the bureaucracy involved meant that this was not the case.
“This is a fantastic victory for all of the CUSU sabbs and students who have fought hard for student choice and the ability to make the decision that is right for them, no matter the reason behind it. It has been long anticipated and I am so proud to have sat on the committees and been involved in the conversations that finally brought about the change that students demanded.”
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