Dear Matt Watson

I acknowledge receipt of your email received by this office on 18 October 2022.
Your request will now be dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and has been allocated reference FOI22-380 which should be quoted in all correspondence. We will respond to your request within 20 working days starting the next working day after receipt, therefore you can expect to receive a response no later than 15 November 2022
In some circumstances a fee may be payable and, if that is the case, we will let you know. A fees notice will be issued to you, and you will be required to pay before we will proceed to deal with your request.
Yours sincerely

Swyddfa Ysgrifenydd y Brifysgol
Prifysgol Caerdydd
Ebost : [email address]

Mae'r Brifysgol yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg neu'n Saesneg. Ni fydd gohebu yn Gymraeg yn creu unrhwy oedi.

University Secretary's Office
Cardiff University
Email: [email address]

The University welcomes correspondence in Welsh or English. Corresponding in Welsh will not lead to any delay.

show quoted sections

Dear Matt,

I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information request dated 18
October 2022

For ease of reference, I have reproduced your questions below and set out
our corresponding responses.

I am asking to see the following statistics for the academic year
2021/2022:

 

 1. Number of total applications

 

 

The information that you have requested is already in the public domain
for undergraduate applications and is available at [1]2021 entry
provider-level end of cycle data resources | Undergraduate | UCAS .

Accordingly this information is reasonably accessible to you by other
means and is exempt from disclosure under section 21 of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 .

 

Whilst the University holds this information for Postgraduate
applications, we consider this information exempt from disclosure under
S43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act entitled “Commercial Interests”.
In particular, section 43(2) states that information is exempt if its
disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to, prejudice the
commercial interests of any person (including the public authority holding
it).

 

In relation to postgraduate, recruitment of Masters’ students is a very
competitive environment where UK universities face competition not just
from each other but also from other institutions around the world. Many
students are mobile and have wide choices over where they may study.The
release of information on offers into the public domain would be highly
likely to prejudice the University’s commercial interests, by allowing
competitor institutions to undermine the University’s recruitment activity
and by responding with different approaches to their postgraduate taught
portfolio and offer making. We further consider that releasing this
information would be likely to influence admissions practices of
individual applicants, and this would be likely to impact on recruitment
offers and outcomes and potentially disrupt the admissions processes
across the sector and undermine the principles of competition law.

 

Disclosure of this information would reveal details of the outcome of the
University’s recruitment activities and strategy and to release this
information into the public domain would enable our competitors to benefit
by adapting their offer making strategies and altering their behaviour in
the run up and during confirmation and clearing; as well as benefitting by
copying our strategy or programmes. In so doing this will affect the
University’s ability to distinguish itself from its competitors in a
highly competitive market.

 

Any loss of market share and reduction in enrolled student numbers would
have a significant impact on the University’s student fee income and would
further impact the University’s long term financial sustainability. As
public funding sources for higher education have declined, student fee
income has become an increasingly important source of income and is a key
factor in ensuring the University’s long term financial sustainability.
The ability for the universities in general, and Cardiff University in
particular as a major research intensive university in Wales, to compete
effectively in a global market is an important strategic objective as set
out by the Welsh Government in Post-Compulsory Education and Training
(PCET) Principles for Change which is available at 
[2]principles-for-change-post-compulsory-education-and-training.pdf
(gov.wales). It is also important that Cardiff University is able to
continue competing on an equal footing with similar large,
research-intensive institutions in the UK and overseas.

 

Based on the above it is considered that the commercial interest of the
University would be likely to be prejudiced by release and as such the
Section 43(2) exemption is engaged.

 

In applying the Section 43 exemption the University has taken account of
the public interest as required by the Act. The University has reviewed
the arguments in favour of disclosing the information (openness and
transparency in public life) and found them to be outweighed by the
greater general public interest in protection of the University's
competitive edge and market positioning.

 

The University must consider the public interest test when applying this
exemption and this is considered below.

 

Public Interest Test

 

Factors in Favour of Disclosure

It is in the public interest to release information that provides a
greater public understanding of the way the University operates and its
provisions for future delivery of its services.

 

Factors in Favour of Non-disclosure

It is not in the public interest to release information that would be
likely to damage the commercial interests of the University by undermining
its ability to compete in the marketplace.

 

It is not in the public interest to release information that would reduce
the efficiency and effectiveness of the University by having the effect of
damaging the ability of the University to pursue its recruitment
strategies on an equal footing to other public and privately funded
education institutions.

 

On balance it is considered that it would not be in the public interest to
release this information and therefore the information will not be
released at this time.

 

 

 2. Number of accepted offers

 

 

For undergraduate courses, the information that you have requested on
acceptances is already in the public domain and is available at [3]2021
entry provider-level end of cycle data resources | Undergraduate | UCAS.
Accordingly this information is reasonably accessible to you by other
means and is exempt from disclosure under section 21 of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000.

 

For postgraduate offers, please see our response to question 1.

 

 

 3. Number of students given any kind of offer to attend the university

 

The University holds information on the number of students given any kind
of offer for undergraduate and postgraduate but we consider that this
information is exempt from disclosure. Please see our response to question
1 above..

 

 

 4. Number students given unconditional offers to attend the university

 

Information regarding undergraduate offers is available at
[4]Provider-level End of Cycle data resources and unconditional offer
reports | Undergraduate | UCAS. Accordingly this information is reasonably
accessible to you by other means and is exempt from disclosure under
section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000

 

For postgraduate offers, please see our response to question 1.

 

 

 5. Number of foreign students given any kind of offer

 

The University holds this information however we consider this information
exempt from disclosure under S43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act
entitled “Commercial Interests”. In particular, section 43(2) states that
information is exempt if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be
likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any person (including the
public authority holding it).

 

The release of information on applications and offers to international
students into the public domain would be highly likely to prejudice the
University’s commercial interests, by allowing competitor institutions to
undermine the University’s recruitment activity. Disclosure of this
information would reveal details of the outcome of the University’s
recruitment strategy and to release this information into the public
domain would enable our competitors to benefit by copying our strategy or
programmes. In so doing this will affect the University’s ability to
distinguish itself from its competitors in a highly competitive market.

 

Any loss of market share and reduction in enrolled student numbers would
have a significant impact on the University’s student fee income and would
further impact the University’s long term financial sustainability. As
public funding sources for higher education have declined, student fee
income has become an increasingly important source of income and is a key
factor in ensuring the University’s long term financial sustainability.
The ability for the universities in general, and Cardiff University in
particular as a major research intensive university in Wales, to compete
effectively in a global market is an important strategic objective as set
out by the Welsh Government in 'For Our Future: the higher education
strategy plan for Wales' and in the Welsh Government Policy Statement on
Higher Education which is available at:
[5]http://wales.gov.uk/docs/dcells/publicat....
It is also important that Cardiff University is able to continue competing
on an equal footing with similar large, research intensive institutions in
the UK and overseas.

 

Based on the above it is considered that the commercial interest of the
University would be likely to be prejudiced by release and as such the
Section 43(2) exemption is engaged.

 

In applying the Section 43 exemption the University has taken account of
the public interest as required by the Act. The University has reviewed
the arguments in favour of disclosing the information (openness and
transparency in public life) and found them to be outweighed by the
greater general public interest in protection of the University's
competitive edge and market positioning.

 

The University must consider the public interest test when applying this
exemption and this is considered below.

 

Public Interest Test

 

Factors in Favour of Disclosure

It is in the public interest to release information that provides a
greater public understanding of the way the University operates and its
provisions for future delivery of its services.

 

Factors in Favour of Non-disclosure

It is not in the public interest to release information that would be
likely to damage the commercial interests of the University by undermining
its ability to compete in the marketplace.

           

It is not in the public interest to release information that would reduce
the efficiency and effectiveness of the University by having the effect of
damaging the ability of the University to pursue its recruitment
strategies on an equal footing to other public and privately funded
education institutions.

 

On balance it is considered that it would not be in the public interest to
release this information and therefore the information will not be
released at this time.

 

 

 

 6. Number of Foreign Student accepted offers

 

Please see our response to question 5.

 

 

 7. Which course received the most applications?

 

The Medicine (MBBCh) course received the most applications.

 

 

 8. Which course received the least applications?

 

Please see our response to question 1.

 

I trust this information satisfies your enquiry. Should you feel
dissatisfied with this response or the way in which your request was
handled you can request an Internal Review. This should be made in writing
within 40 working days of the date of this email. Please provide your
unique reference number of your request, information on why you are
dissatisfied and any detail you would like us to consider as part of the
Internal Review process. Email your request to
[6][email address] where it will be forwarded to the Head of
Compliance and Risk who will be responsible for overseeing the review.

 

If you remain dissatisfied following the outcome of your complaint, you
have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for
consideration. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at the
following address: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House,
Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in
Cardiff University. If you require further assistance please feel free to
contact me.

Kind regards

 

Swyddfa Ysgrifenydd y Brifysgol University Secretary’s Office

Prifysgol Caerdydd Cardiff University

Ebost : [7][email address] Email: [8][email address] 
 
 
 
The University welcomes
Mae'r Brifysgol yn croesawu correspondence in Welsh or English. 
gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg neu'n Saesneg.  Corresponding in Welsh will not lead
Ni fydd gohebu yn Gymraeg yn creu to any delay.
unrhwy oedi.

 

References

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