Nick Morgan admissions record to St Hugh's college, Oxford and Oxford University

The request was refused by St Hugh's College, Oxford.

Dear St Hugh’s College, Oxford,

On behalf of Cherwell, the independent student newspaper of Oxford University, I'm making an FOI request to obtain information regarding the admission of Nicky Morgan, the education secretary, to St Hugh's College, Oxford.

The information I'm requesting in descending order of importance is as follows:

-All notes and records the college holds relating to Ms. Morgan's application. At a minimum this would include a list of all candidates who were called for interview in 1990 and 1991. Of equal use would be a list of all candidates offered places following the interview process in 1990 and 1991.
-St Hugh's admissions policy in 1990 and 1991
-The name and contact information for the St Hugh's admissions tutor in 1990 and 1991
-Contact information for law tutors at St Hugh's 1990-1994
-Contact information for contemporaries of Ms.Morgan who studied law at St Hugh's

Ms. Morgan recently claimed in an interview with The Spectator that she won her place at St Hugh's through clearing. Rather than apply and go through the interview process, she claims to have phoned up the college post-A-level results and been awarded a place.

You can read the interview here:
http://new.spectator.co.uk/2015/10/nicky...

In the fifth paragraph Ms. Morgan states:

"Morgan’s own life was transformed by her unexpectedly good A-level results. ‘I was working at the time as an office junior in a solicitors’ firm in Surrey and I was going to go to Reading University and the guy I was working for said, “Look, you have got these really good A-level results, why don’t you just have a go for Oxford?” So I phoned up the admissions tutor, who was actually the law tutor, at St Hugh’s and slightly badgered her. What happened was somebody in the second year had dropped out so they moved the place down and offered it to me."

This story seems Oxford sounds highly unusual. Every candidate is required to come for an interview and there is no way to circumvent this. A current law tutor at St Hugh's, Joshua Getzler, has stated to us:

"I was appointed in 1993. My colleague in post at the time [who would have made the decision on Ms.Morgan's application] died some years ago, and indeed practically no fellows are left from 1990. Knowing my colleague I would find it very difficult to believe that an interview and tests were not administered before any admissions decision was taken. But I have no positive information."

We would like to uncover the truth relating to Ms.Morgan's application to St Hugh's.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Cherwell investigations.

Dear St Hugh’s College, Oxford,
I'm writing to enquire about your delayed response to my Freedom of Information request. By law a response was due on 2nd November.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Henry Shalders

Vicki Stott, St Hugh's College, Oxford

Dear Henry
I apologise for replying to you somewhat late.  Unfortunately, I have been
out of College for a few days.
We are unable to give you details of any current or former student, Fellow
or staff member under the terms of the Data Protection Act.  So I am very
sorry to be unable to help with your requests.
With best wishes
Vicki

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