Western Sydney University mistakenly offers places in Bachelor of Health Science degree

Updated

A Sydney university is in damage control after offering hundreds of prospective students early entry to one of its courses — including many who had never even applied.

Key points: Some university staff members and current students also received email offers

The university apologised and said it was contacting those affected

It said the error appeared to be in the email recipient list and not a data breach

Western Sydney University sent the offers via email and text message on Thursday morning, telling prospective students they had been accepted to study a Bachelor of Health Science degree.

The ABC understands the email offers were sent to students as young as 15 years old who had attended the university's Open Day.

Staff currently teaching at the university and students in their second and third years were also mistakenly emailed.

"Congratulations. Welcome to Western," the email said.

"We can't wait for your to join us."

Year 12 student Amelia Oliver had placed the health science degree as her third preference and was over the moon when she received the offer.

Michelle Oliver said her daughter had been excited to receive an early offer as it took some pressure off her ahead of the HSC.

"There was 30 minutes of euphoria in our house," she said.

"I rang my mother and my husband and my sister. My mum said to my daughter, 'I'm so proud of you, you're going to look amazing in a cap and gown'."

Mrs Oliver said her daughter first realised something was wrong when lots of other students who had not even applied for the health science degree began posting about their offers to a Facebook HSC support page.

Their fears were confirmed when they called a university hotline which acknowledged the mistake via a recorded message.

"I know human error occurs but this is messing with vulnerable kids that are already stressed to the max," she said.

"I was very late to work today because I was trying to calm her down."

'Poor form guys'

Western Sydney University apologised in a Facebook post, which received more than 2,000 comments.

"This morning, we sent out some email & SMS offers to study with us. Unfortunately, this email was also sent to some people in error," the Facebook post said.

"The cause of this issue is currently being investigated and at this stage there is no evidence to suggest this was a data breach or hack, but instead an error in the email recipient list."

Legitimate offers included proper student ID numbers, while those sent in error had a student ID number of zero, the university said.

"Poor form guys, really poor form," one user replied.

"There are some shattered kids out there who had thought they'd gotten an offer and were over the moon … thanks for adding extra stress and unnecessary distress to an already hard time."

"As a father of a year 12 student that actually applied to get into this course and sent me the link to say she was in and it was the happiest I think I have heard her in ages," said another.

"Wow, how I wish you can feel the utter disappointment and flatness these kids will feel leading into the most major time of there [sic] life."

Others saw the lighter side.

"I think for compensation I should get an offer for a law course, thank you."

Western Sydney University told the ABC it was, "communicating with everyone impacted by the error".

Topics: education, university-and-further-education, information-and-communication, wireless-communication, penrith-2750

First posted