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Clinical Psychology Doctorate Shortlisting Criteria

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Dear Cardiff University,

Please can you publish your most current selection and shortlist criteria for the above listed course.

Where personal statements are considered please detail how these were scored providing your marking structure/criteria.

Yours faithfully,

Thomas Riley

InfoRequest, Cardiff University

Dear Thomas Riley
I acknowledge receipt of your email received by this office on 1 May 2023.

Your request will now be dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and has been allocated reference FOI23-152 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 31 May 2023.

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.

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InfoRequest, Cardiff University

Dear Thomas Riley

Further to our email of 2nd May 2023, we are not able to respond to your freedom of information request by today’s date.

We are waiting on information to fulfil your request and will endeavour to respond in full as soon as possible.

Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

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.

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InfoRequest, Cardiff University

Dear Thomas Riley,

 

I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information request dated 2^nd
May 2023.

                                                                                                                                              

 

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

 

Please can you publish your most current selection and shortlist criteria
for the above listed course.

Where personal statements are considered please detail how these were
scored providing your marking structure/criteria

 

The university hosts the Clinical Psychology Doctorate, and the
shortlisting process is managed through Clearing House like all other
Clinical Psychology Doctorates within the UK. This is managed through a
detailed application process that are sifted for selection to interviews,
where the information on the applications is reviewed along with the
formal interview process. The criteria of the shortlisting is listed for
all courses as well as the South Wales Clinical Psychology Doctorate on
clearing house website and is publish for open access to all.

 

The link for the published information is below:

 

[1]Overview - | Clearing house (clearing-house.org.uk)

 

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.

 

The selection process for 2023 cohorts has not concluded yet so we are
unable to provide the shortlisting criteria and personal statement marking
structure in any more detail as this would provide a competitive advantage
to third parties. Whilst 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 for the current
admissions period 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 by
responding with different approaches to offer making, particularly in the
run up and during the confirmation and clearing period. 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 'For Our Future: the higher education
strategy plan for Wales' and in the Welsh Government Policy Statement on
Higher Education 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.

 

 

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.

 

 

If you remain dissatisfied following the outcome, 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

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

Swyddfa Ysgrifenydd y Brifysgol University Secretary’s Office

Prifysgol Caerdydd Cardiff University

Ebost : [3][email address] Email: [4][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

Visible links
1. https://www.clearing-house.org.uk/course...
2. https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/pu...
3. mailto:[email address]
4. mailto:[email address]

We don't know whether the most recent response to this request contains information or not – if you are Thomas Riley please sign in and let everyone know.