FOI request: Number of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller students

The request was partially successful.

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to make an open government request for all the information to which I am entitled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. In order to assist you with this request, I am outlining my enquiry as specifically as possible. If however this request is too wide or unclear, I would be grateful if you would contact me as I understand that under the Act, you are required to advise and assist requesters.

I would like to find out the number of people who define their ethnicity as Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (or equivalent) who are accepted to study at the university each academic year. I would also like to discover whether these figures have changed over the past 10 years.

As such, could the following information please be made available:

a) The number of people who define their ethnicity as Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (or equivalent) who applied to study at the university each year for entry in the academic years 2008/2009, 2009/2010, 2010/2011, 2011/2012, 2012/2013, 2013/2014, 2014/2015, 2015/2016, 2016/2017, 2017/2018, 2018/2019.

b) The overall number of people who applied to study at the university each year for entry in the academic years 2008/2009, 2009/2010, 2010/2011, 2011/2012, 2012/2013, 2013/2014, 2014/2015, 2015/2016, 2016/2017, 2017/2018, 2018/2019. I would like these figures broken down by ethnicity.

c) The number of people who define their ethnicity as Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (or equivalent) who were accepted to study at the university each year for entry in the academic years 2008/2009, 2009/2010, 2010/2011, 2011/2012, 2012/2013, 2013/2014, 2014/2015, 2015/2016, 2016/2017, 2017/2018, 2018/2019.

d) b) The overall number of people accepted to study at the university each year for entry in the academic years 2008/2009, 2009/2010, 2010/2011, 2011/2012, 2012/2013, 2013/2014, 2014/2015, 2015/2016, 2016/2017, 2017/2018, 2018/2019. I would like these figures broken down by ethnicity.

Where possible, I would like all application/ acceptance figures to be broken down by undergraduate/ postgraduate study.

I understand that under the Act, I should be entitled to a response within 20 working days. I would be grateful if you would confirm in writing that you have received this request.

Yours faithfully,

Jasmin Gray

Vanna Leathart, Oxford Brookes University

Freedom of Information Act Request - our reference 2018-156.

Thank you for your email dated 9 August 2018 requesting information from
Oxford Brookes University about numbers of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller
students.

Before we start to gather the information for you, I need to ask for
clarification on one point.  The Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires
that you provide a name before we can answer a request.  However, this
request seems to have two names, that Basia Cummings and Jasmin Gray. 
Could you let me know who is making the request?  Once I have your answer,
I will confirm the date by which we will respond, and proceed with the
request.

I may need to contact you again if the request needs to be clarified
further; this is to ensure that we provide you with the information you
require.

Please note that in certain cases some information you have requested may
not be provided to you; this will only be information that can be withheld
by law. In these cases the reasons will be explained to you along with
your copy of any information that can be released to you.

Yours Sincerely

Vanna Leathart
-- 
Vanna Leathart
University Records Manager
IT Services
Oxford Brookes University
Tel: +44 (0)1865 484046
Please note my normal working days are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Good afternoon Vanna,

Sorry - our system automatically puts in Basia's name. The request is for Jasmin Gray.

Yours sincerely,

Jasmin Gray

Vanna Leathart, Oxford Brookes University

Thank you Jasmin.  I will update our records accordingly and reply to you
on or before 12 September 2018.
Kind Regards
Vanna

show quoted sections

Vanna Leathart, Oxford Brookes University

Dear Ms Gray,

Freedom of Information Act Request - our reference 2018-156.

Further to your email of 9 August 2018 asking for information from Oxford
Brookes University about Gypsy/Roma/Traveller students, I am able to
provide the following information in response to your request.

You asked for:

a) The number of people who define their ethnicity as Gypsy, Roma and
Traveller (or equivalent) who applied to study at the university each
year for entry in the academic years 2008/2009, 2009/2010, 2010/2011,
2011/2012, 2012/2013, 2013/2014, 2014/2015, 2015/2016, 2016/2017,
2017/2018, 2018/2019. 

Answer:

Unfortunately we do not hold this information.  The ethnicity of an
applicants would be transferred to us from UCAS.  The UCAS list of
ethnicity does not include this as a separate entry, so such applicants
would be included under "other ethnic background"

b) The overall number of people who applied to study at the university
each year for entry in the academic years 2008/2009, 2009/2010,
2010/2011, 2011/2012, 2012/2013, 2013/2014, 2014/2015, 2015/2016,
2016/2017, 2017/2018, 2018/2019. I would like these figures broken down
by ethnicity.  

Answer:

Again, this is not information that we hold.  The ethnicity of
applicants in not retained.

c) The number of people who define their ethnicity as Gypsy, Roma and
Traveller (or equivalent) who were accepted to study at the university
each year for entry in the academic years 2008/2009, 2009/2010,
2010/2011, 2011/2012, 2012/2013, 2013/2014, 2014/2015, 2015/2016,
2016/2017, 2017/2018, 2018/2019. 

Answer:

 We are withholding this information because we believe section 40 of
the Act applies.
Section 40, by virtue of section 40 (3) (a) (i) stipulates that personal
data should not be disclosed if it breaches any of the data protection
principles as set out in the Data Protection Act 1998. Due to the low
numbers returned by this search, breaking the data down by year would
mean that individuals could be identified, and therefore would breach
Principle 1 (Personal data should be processed lawfully, fairly and in a
transparent manner).  The individuals concerned would have a reasonable
expectation that the University would not publish their personal data. 
 However, section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 explains
that we have a duty to assist and advise.  Therefore I can tell you that
the total number of enrolled students identifying as Gypsy or Traveller
for the period you requested was 9, and that they were all
undergraduates.

d) b) The overall number of people accepted to study at the university
each year for entry in the academic years 2008/2009, 2009/2010,
2010/2011, 2011/2012, 2012/2013, 2013/2014, 2014/2015, 2015/2016,
2016/2017, 2017/2018, 2018/2019. I would like these figures broken down
by ethnicity.  

Answer:

We are also withholding this information as we believe that section 21
of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 applies here.  Section 21 refers
to information that is already publicly available.  Our student
admission numbers are published annually, along with those of every
other University by the Higher Education Statistics Agency on their
website here: [1]https://www.hesa.ac.uk/
 

Where possible, I would like all application/ acceptance figures to be
broken down by undergraduate/ postgraduate study. 

If this information does not address your requirements under the Freedom
of Information Act or you wish to complain about any aspect of the
handling of this request, then you should contact the undersigned in the
first instance. Should you remain dissatisfied, then you may apply for an
internal review by contacting the Director of Marketing and Communications
at Oxford Brookes University, Headington Campus, Gipsy Lane, Oxford OX3
OBP (email: [2][email address] ).  Your request for internal
review should be submitted to us within 40 working days of receipt by you
of this response. 

During the independent review the handling of your information request
will be reassessed by staff who were not involved in providing you with
this response. If you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your
request or complaint, you have a right to appeal to the Information
Commissioner at The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House,
Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF. Further contact information and
details of the role and powers of the Information Commissioner can be
found on the Commissioner's website: [3]http://www.ico.org.uk/ 

Please note that the Information Commissioner is unlikely to investigate
your case until the University’s internal review process has been
completed.

Yours sincerely

Vanna Leathart

--
Vanna Leathart
University Records Manager
IT Services
Oxford Brookes University
Tel: +44 (0)1865 484046
Please note my normal working days are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

References

Visible links
1. https://www.hesa.ac.uk/
2. mailto:[email address]
3. http://www.ico.gov.uk/