Student and staff data: use of data analytics and machine learning

The request was partially successful.

Dear St George’s University of London,

I am making a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

Please can you provide information pertaining to any data analytics software used by the university using personal data about your students and staff, since 2012.

1a). Whether you are using any data analytics software at all:
1b) if so, which ones?
1c) what date this data analytics processing began?
1d) indicate whether in the past and ended, or still in current use

2a). Any predictive analytics software such as used in but not only, Blackboard, Xray and JISC supported Civitas.
2b) if so, which ones?
2c) what date this analytics processing began for predictive purposes?

3. If the answer to Q1a or Q2a is yes, please provide a copy of any contract terms on using the data by the provider company including
a) the data items feedling analytics, any profiling, and/or used in prediction
b) what the prediction purposes / aims are
c) training the software (such as AI and machine learning) by the provider using the data provided via your organisation.

4. Whether the University is using its own student or staff population data for machine learning for purposes not included in 1-3 above? (ie but not only, within the university computing department for any project or with another third-party)

5. From which time periods were the student or staff data collected which are processed in any of the above (ie not only, retrospective student data from the last ten years / only current intake which began in autumn term 2018)?

6. How many people/user accounts have access to the whole population student data in any of the above in this calendar year?

Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,

Jen Persson

Freedom of Information, St George's University of London

Dear Jen

Further to your Freedom of Information request. We are still working on providing the information you require but due to the deadline for our response being over the Christmas period, we will not be able to respond by the due date. The university will be closed from tomorrow, 21st December until 2nd January; however, we will endeavour to respond to you as soon as possible after the Christmas break.

Thank you for your patience.

Kind regards

Maggi Lowe I Governance Officer
Governance Legal and Assurance Services
St George’s, University of London
Cranmer Terrace | Tooting | London | SW17 0RE
+44 (0)20 8725 0679
[email address]

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Freedom of Information, St George's University of London

1 Attachment

Dear Jen

With many apologies for the delay, please find attached our response to your FOI request below.

Kind regards

Maggi Lowe I Governance Officer
Governance Legal and Assurance Services
St George’s, University of London
Cranmer Terrace | Tooting | London | SW17 0RE
+44 (0)20 8725 0679
[email address]

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