Academic told: 'Don't tell mum'

The university says the professor is not facing disciplinary action

A professor has been told he breached data protection laws because of the way he replied to a complaint from a concerned parent.

Jackie Gardner emailed her son's professor at Lancaster University to say he was drinking and smoking too much and not receiving enough tuition.

Economics professor Geraint Johnes replied, giving details of the student's time-table.

The student complained that information had been given without his consent.

The university's data protection officer looked into the matter and agreed Professor Johnes had breached the Data Protection Act because he gave out information personal to the student.

Mrs Gardner, from Newcastle, had complained that her son, a first-year economics student, said he was receiving only three hours of lectures a week.

She wrote: "I, very wrongly it seems, assumed that he would be fully engaged. He is now quite addicted to alcohol, smokes and has spent a great deal of time over the last nine months asleep".

After the student complained to the university, Professor Johnes was told he should have gained consent before giving personal details to his mother or should have answered Mrs Gardner's complaint in only generic terms.

'No disciplinary action'

A statement from Lancaster University said: "The head of the economics department at Lancaster wrote to a mother of one of his students to reassure her that the department offers students a high standard of teaching and to bring her attention to the university's policy on contact time.

"The letter defended the department against criticism considered by the university to be baseless and was mainly generic, but made some minor references to the student, which were found to be against the data protection act.

"Professor Johnes is not facing any disciplinary action from the university."

The student, Christian Gardner told Times Higher Education: "I had spoken to the head of my college earlier about data protection and had been advised that the university could not confirm whether individuals were members of the university.

"Other parents had telephoned and had been told the university could not say whether a student was alive or dead. So I was very surprised that a full list of my courses was disclosed to my mother without contacting me first."