Oxford email gaffe names and shames students who failed exams

OXFORD University’s medical school accidentally emailed the names of undergraduates required to sit extra exams to around 150 first-year students.

An ‘administrative error’ led to the identification of borderline students who had to return to the elite institution for further assessments.

The exam timetable was meant to identify them by their candidate number, but a document, labelled ‘for tutors’, revealed a list of full names instead.

Medics are asked to return to oxford after Prelims to attend verbal ‘viva voce’ exams if they have fallen just below the pass level in a particular topic.

They are questioned more closely on the subject and can be awarded a pass if they perform well.

A University of oxford spokesman said yesterday: ‘An apology was sent to all affected students as soon as the mistake came to light. The Medical School is taking steps to make sure this type of incident does not happen again.’

oxford Medical Students’ Society said: ‘We have become aware of what appears to be an honest mistake on the part of the medical school, with regards the viva list for first-year examinations, which may have some distressing consequences for some students.

‘oxford MedSoc is not involved in the setting or marking of any medical school examinations, nor any other part of the medical course at oxford, but would encourage anyone affected by this to contact our dedicated welfare reps in full confidence.’

Student newspaper, Cherwell, said the medical school had blamed the viva mistake on providing students with ‘the maximum amount of notice’.

But a first-year medical student told the newspaper: ‘I am disappointed by their blaming of the mistake on our requirement for knowing about vivas as soon as possible, when checking the attachment on an email takes three seconds. But ultimately it was just a mistake.’

Another medical student said the error was ‘dumb’ and ‘mean’.

Last october, oxford University apologised for an IT blunder which revealed the names of all the students receiving a hardship bursary.

Administration staff accidentally leaked a confidential list of nearly 500 students who were enrolled on the Moritz-heyman scholarship scheme. Students had been CC’d, not BCC’d, into a group email.

And last January, hertford College, oxford, accidentally sent rejected potential undergraduates details of their fellow unsuccessful applicants on emails. The college sent out rejection emails, including copies of letters with the names, addresses and subjects of all the failed candidates.