AUCSO
Dear Open University,
I would like to make a request under the Freedom of Information Act.
BACKGROUND
I understand your university is a member of the Association of University Chief Security Officers (AUCSO), which runs a Special Interest Group on Protest and Encampments/Protests and Assembly.
This FOI request will make reference to pro-Palestine protest activity, which I would like you to interpret as including but not limited to the following activities: encampments, chanting, gatherings and demonstrations, written or verbal comments and flyering.
QUESTIONS
Please provide:
1. Copies of all emails exchanged between your university staff*, AUCSO and other universities’ security teams since 1 October 2023 discussing Palestine protest activity on your campus, as well as copies of any documents/images attached to those emails or included in the body of the emails.
2. Copies of any and all guidance documents your university has received from AUSCO since 1 October 2023 in connection with pro-Palestine protest activity, including but not limited to anything addressing the following:
- Encampments
- Sharing data with police
- When to make Prevent referrals
- Sharing data with the Home Office
- Disciplinary action
3. A list of any and all meetings between AUCSO and any university staff* which have taken place at your university since 1 October 2023 to discuss Pro-Palestine protest activity.
4. For each of the meetings covered under the scope of question 3, please provide the:
A. The meeting agenda
B. The list of attendees and apologies
C. Meeting minutes
D. Any presentations shown at the meeting
E. Documents circulated during the meeting
5. Please provide copies of all emails sent and received by your university staff* and police since 17 May 2024 discussing Palestine protest activity on your campus, as well as copies of any documents/images attached to those emails or included in the body of the emails.
6. A list of any and all meetings between police and any university staff* which have taken place at your university since 17 May 2024 to discuss Pro-Palestine protest activity.
7. For each of the meetings covered under the scope of question 3, please provide the:
A. The meeting agenda
B. The list of attendees and apologies
C. Meeting minutes
D. Any presentations shown at the meeting
E. Documents circulated during the meeting
*A NOTE ON S12 COST EXEMPTION:
In regards to question 1-7 above, if it would exceed the cost limit to conduct searches for information held by all relevant university staff and departments who have emailed/met with police and AUCSO - then please restrict your searches to the systems/inboxes used by your university’s security team, the team responsible for student wellbeing/welfare and the senior leadership team including your Vice-Chancellor (or equivalent leadership position).
A NOTE ON S40 PERSONAL DATA EXEMPTION:
I understand some of the information covered under the scope of my request may need to be redacted for personal data. Please note that the domain addresses of the sender and recipients of all emails covered under the scope of my request (“@university.ac.uk” or “police.uk”) is not directly identifiable information and should be left unredacted so as to help promote an accurate understanding of who is the sender and recipient of each email (not their personal identity but which institution they represent).
In addition, the ICO has indicated that it is not appropriate for data controllers to redact the names of employees who perform “a role that involves decision-making for which the employee has accountability” (ICO Decision Notice FS50308752, 21 March 2011, at paras 52-57.) This would include all university staff (other than those performing a purely administrative role), and any public officials that they have been in correspondence with. I will, therefore, require your full written reasons in the event you consider you are entitled to redact the identifying information of any individuals, so that I may consider making a complaint to the Information Commissioner.
Yours faithfully,
Harriet Clugston
Dear Harriet,
I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your request for information under
the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Your reference for this request is
FOI2024/168.
Your request is receiving our attention and you will hear from us again
within 20 working days at the latest.
Yours sincerely
[1]The Open University logo
Danielle Pyper (she/her), Information Rights Manager
Information Rights Team, University Secretary’s Office
[2]open.ac.uk
The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, MK7 6AA
Dear Harriet,
Thank you for your request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
dated 8^th August 2024 relating to AUCSO.
Information Provided
I can confirm that the Open University partly holds the information which
constitutes information falling within the scope of your request. Please
see the response to your request highlighted below in blue:
1. Copies of all emails exchanged between your university staff*, AUCSO
and other universities’ security teams since 1 October 2023 discussing
Palestine protest activity on your campus, as well as copies of any
documents/images attached to those emails or included in the body of
the emails.
I confirm the University does not hold any emails within the scope of your
request relating to Palestine protest activity on the Open University
campus.
2. Copies of any and all guidance documents your university has received
from AUSCO since 1 October 2023 in connection with pro-Palestine protest
activity, including but not limited to anything addressing the following:
- Encampments
- Sharing data with police
- When to make Prevent referrals
- Sharing data with the Home Office
- Disciplinary action
I confirm the University does not hold any documents within the scope of
your request.
1. A list of any and all meetings between AUCSO and any university staff*
which have taken place at your university since 1 October 2023 to
discuss Pro-Palestine protest activity.
A meeting was held on the 8^th May 2024 at 2pm with AUCSO. This was a
virtual meeting and took place via Microsoft teams.
4. For each of the meetings covered under the scope of question 3, please
provide the:
A. The meeting agenda
B. The list of attendees and apologies
C. Meeting minutes
D. Any presentations shown at the meeting
E. Documents circulated during the meeting
I confirm the University does not hold any information or documents within
the scope of your request. The meeting was an informal talk which took
place online and there were no minutes or documents circulated. We also do
not hold any information in relation to attendees, this is most likely to
be held by AUCSO who organised the meeting.
5. Please provide copies of all emails sent and received by your
university staff* and police since 17 May 2024 discussing Palestine
protest activity on your campus, as well as copies of any documents/images
attached to those emails or included in the body of the emails.
I confirm the University does not hold any emails within the scope of your
request relating to Palestine protest activity on the Open University
campus.
6. A list of any and all meetings between police and any university staff*
which have taken place at your university since 17 May 2024 to discuss
Pro-Palestine protest activity.
I confirm no meetings took place within the scope of your request and
therefore this information is not held.
7. For each of the meetings covered under the scope of question 3, please
provide the:
A. The meeting agenda
B. The list of attendees and apologies
C. Meeting minutes
D. Any presentations shown at the meeting
E. Documents circulated during the meeting
Please see the response to Question 4 above.
Intellectual Property Rights
This information provided in response to the FOIA will be subject to
copyright protection. In most cases the copyright will be owned by the
Open University. The copyright in other information may be owned by
another person or organisation, and this will be indicated on the
information itself. You are free to use any information supplied for your
own non-commercial use or private study purposes. The information may
also be used for any other purpose allowed by a limitation or exception in
copyright law, such as news reporting. However, any other type of re-use,
for example by publishing the information in analogue or digital form,
including on an online format, will require the permission of the
copyright owner.
Review
If you have any concerns about the way the University has observed the
provisions of the Freedom of Information Act you may apply for your
request to be reviewed. Freedom of Information Reviews are considered by
the University Secretary or his delegate. Your request must be submitted
within 40 working days of receipt of this letter/email. Reviews should be
addressed to the above [1]inbox, entitled “FOIA Review”, and should set
out the reasons for the review.
If you are still dissatisfied after our internal review, you will have a
further right of appeal to the [2]Information Commissioner’s Office.
(ICO). The easiest way to lodge a complaint is through their website:
[3]www.ico.org.uk/foicomplaints
Yours sincerely,
Daniel Webb
Daniel Webb, Senior Manager Information Rights (he/him/his)
Information Rights Team, University Secretary’s Office
t: 01908 332871
e: [4][email address]
a: The Open University, Level 5, 217 Charles Pinfold Building, Walton
Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA
Dear Danielle,
Thank you very much for your helpful response.
May I just clarify - I note you are saying there was a meeting via Teams with AUCSO but no emails exchanged. How was is possible that a Teams meeting occurred without any email exchanges to confirm the time, purpose of the meeting and share a link to access it? I would appreciate if you could double check you've not accidentally failed to provide any such emails which would fall under the scope of my request.
Yours sincerely,
Harriet Clugston
Dear Harriet,
Thank you for your email.
Question 1 of your request asks for emails relating to Palestine protest
activity specifically on our campus. No emails have taken place relating
specifically to protest activity on our campus and therefore no
information is held in relation to this question of your request. The
meeting which took place was an informal talk as mentioned and was not
specific to the OU or specifically in relation to Palestine protest
activity on our campus. Therefore any emails about this would not fall
within the scope of Question 1 of your request.
It is our view that we have responded to your request correctly and have
responded to the questions as written.
Kind regards
[1]The Open University logo
Danielle Pyper (she/her), Information Rights Manager
Information Rights Team, University Secretary’s Office
[2]open.ac.uk
The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, MK7 6AA
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