119 students who failed courses get group e-mail
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) - Due to an e-mail mistake by the University of Kansas, 119 students who failed all their classes during the last semester found out who shared their misfortune. The students were notified earlier this week that they were in jeopardy of having their financial aid revoked. The e-mail sent Monday by the Office of Student Financial Aid asked for additional information to determine if they were still eligible for aid.
The e-mail address list included the names of all 119 students, with the result that everyone on it could see the names of all the others.
Ref. https://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2005-06-...-students_x.htm
I would be so upset if a hundred plus kids in my college found out that I failed a course! This is going to come back to haunt the school in the end. That is a breach of privacy and can be potentially emotionally damaging to a student. It doesn't matter what the school says its going to do, there is nothing that can take back the email that was sent. I imagine the people who did it are going to be let go.
Just ten or fifteen years ago, grades were posted by professors on bulletin boards outside the lecture hall. Things have changed as we have become so oversensitive about personal information. Unfortunately, that sensitivity is justified. However, when it comes to failing a class, I would feel terrible already, but my peers would probably be the most understanding group. Professors and parents do not tend to understand failure like the 250 other stressed-out college kids who were falling asleep in that lecture hall with you.