Admission rates for Manchester CS

The request was refused by University of Manchester.

Dear UoM,

Please could I have the number of applicants, the number of offers and the number of enrolments 2015-2022 for the courses, Computer science BSc & Computer science & mathematics BSc? If possible I'd also request for the most common A level predicted grades from applicants for this course, IF AVAILABLE.

Yours faithfully,

Jabir Haque

MTRS FOIA, University of Manchester

Dear Jabir,

I am writing to acknowledge your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 received by The University of Manchester on today, our reference as per the subject line.

The University will respond to your request within 20 working days.

Kind regards

Sharon

Sharon Glen | Information Officer | Information Governance Office | Directorate of Compliance and Risk |Professional Services | G7 Christie Building | The University of Manchester | Oxford Road | Manchester | M13 9PL | Tel +44(0) 161 306 7549| www.manchester.ac.uk

Please contact me on Teams or email as I may not be working in the office to take your call.

We are all responsible for protecting personal data held by the University, including who we share that data with. Stop and think before you send your email.  For further guidance see: www.dataprotection.manchester.ac.uk

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MTRS FOIA, University of Manchester

Dear Jabir,

 

Thank you for your request for information received by The University of
Manchester on 3 June 2022 which was as follows:

 

Please could I have the number of applicants, the number of offers and the
number of enrolments 2015-2022 for the courses, Computer science BSc &
Computer science & mathematics BSc? If possible I'd also request for the
most common A level predicted grades from applicants for this course, IF
AVAILABLE.

 

The University has now considered your request and unfortunately the
information you are seeking cannot be provided at this time. This is
because it is deemed to be exempt from disclosure by virtue of the listed
exemption at Section 43 (2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 –
Commercial Interests. Further details of this follow in the refusal notice
below.

 

Refusal Notice

This Refusal Notice has been issued under Section 17 (1) of the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA). Under Section 1 (1) of the FOIA The University of
Manchester confirms that the information requested is held but we are
refusing to provide it in response to your request for the reasons set out
below.

 

Section 43 (2) – Commercial Interests

Information is exempt information 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).

 

We are applying Section 43 (2) as a prejudice-based exemption. We may rely
on this exemption if the disclosure would prejudice someone’s commercial
interests (including the University’s own). Commercial interests may be
prejudiced where a disclosure would be likely to:

 

· Damage its business reputation or the confidence that customers,
suppliers or investors may have in it

· Have a detrimental impact on its commercial revenue or threaten its
ability to obtain supplies or secure finance

· Weaken its position in a competitive environment by revealing market
sensitive information or information of potential usefulness to its
competitors.

 

It is the latter of these three points that The University of Manchester
feels is relevant to this request. To determine where the public interest
lies with regard to this exemption, we have previously liaised extensively
with relevant staff in the University regarding requests of this nature,
including the Director of Student Recruitment & International Development,
the Heads of Teaching, Learning and the Student Experience in Faculties as
well as the University’s Head of Student Data, Analysis and Records.

 

All felt that releasing information of the type requested at course level
would impact on the University’s competitive advantage and would therefore
prejudice our commercial interests. Providing information on the level of
applications and offers at course level would give a new or existing
competitor key information about our programmes. This could enable them to
either start a new course themselves (by identifying a perceived gap in
the market which could then impact on our numbers of applications, offers
and/or enrolements) or to more aggressively compete with us/poach from us
(as they identify they could be able to gain a bigger share of the market
which could then impact on our numbers of applications, offers and/or
enrolements). Any disclosure under the FOIA is considered as a disclosure
to the world, so whereas it may not be your intention to use the
information in this way, it must be an important factor in our
considerations.

 

Public Interest Test

As Section 43(2) is a qualified exemption we are required to carry out a
public interest test to determine if the commercial interest is overridden
by the public interest from a release of the information concerned.

 

Factors in Favour of Disclosure

There is public interest in disclosing applications and offer data. To do
so would ensure that members of the public can be satisfied that the
University of Manchester is open and transparent. It may also assist
public debate with regard to the issue of student recruitment and offer
making.

 

Factors Against Disclosure

Universities operate in an ever and increasingly competitive environment
and as such, the University would not wish to disclose information that
would be likely to prejudice our commercial interests and our position
within this environment.

 

Therefore, we believe that for the reasons outlined above, the balance
lies in maintaining the exemption at this time.

 

I’m sorry that we were unable to assist with your request on this
occasion.

 

Kind regards

 

Paula

 

Paula Egerton| Information Officer | Information Governance Office |
Directorate of Compliance and Risk |Professional Services | G.007 Christie
Building | The University of Manchester | Oxford Road | Manchester | M13
9PL | www.manchester.ac.uk

I am currently unavailable by telephone but happy to speak via Teams.

 

My usual working days are full days Monday Tuesday and Thursday mornings. 
I job-share with Polly Smith who usually works Wednesday morning, Thursday
and Friday.

 

 

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