Graduation Plans for 2020 and 2021 Students

The request was successful.

Dear Oxford Brookes University,

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.

I have an interest in how you have approached your graduation ceremonies during the Coronavirus pandemic. Please could you answer the following:

1) For your students who graduated in 2020, have they had an in-person graduation yet?

2) If no to question 1., are there plans to have an in-person graduation, when restrictions have been lifted? If so, will they be the same as previous cohorts (2019, 2018, etc.) and when are they currently planned for?

3) For your students who are due to graduate in 2021, will they have an in-person graduation? If no, what are your plans for these students?

Yours faithfully,

Kamran Ali

Vanna Leathart, Oxford Brookes University

Dear Kamran Ali,

Freedom of Information Act Request - our reference 2021-104.

Thank you for your email dated 10 May 2021 requesting information from
Oxford Brookes University about graduation plans.

The University will respond on or before 9 June 2021, the date on which
the 20 working day response period permitted by the Freedom of Information
Act ends.

I may need to contact you again if the request needs to be clarified; 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
Please note my normal working days are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Vanna Leathart, Oxford Brookes University

Dear Mr Ali,

Freedom of Information Act Request - our reference 2021-104.

Further to your email of 11 May 2021 asking for information from Oxford
Brookes University about graduation plans, I am able to provide the
following information in response to your request.

You asked:

1) For your students who graduated in 2020, have they had an in-person
graduation yet?

Answer:

No.  2020 graduates have not had a physical ceremony.

2) If no to question 1., are there plans to have an in-person
graduation, when restrictions have been lifted? If so, will they be the
same as previous cohorts (2019, 2018, etc.) and when are they currently
planned for?

Answer:

Yes, these graduates will be invited to a physical ceremony.  We haven't
planned any yet, nor do we know how many guests will be allowed per
graduate or how many graduates we can accommodate per ceremony.

3) For your students who are due to graduate in 2021, will they have an
in-person graduation? If no, what are your plans for these students?

Answer:

The 2021 graduates have been invited to virtual ceremonies this year and
will be invited to physical ceremonies once we are able to arrange
these.

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: [1][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: [2]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
Please note my normal working days are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

References

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1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.ico.gov.uk/