Dear Eliza

I acknowledge receipt of your email received by this office on 28th May
2024.

Your request will now be dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act
2000 and has been allocated reference FOI24-185 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 25th June 2024.

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.

Finally, should you require the disclosure in an alternative format, e.g.
screen reader accessible, large print etc, please let us know as soon as
possible.

┌───────────────┬─┬──────────────┐
│Gwasanaeth Cais│ │Information │
│am Wybodaeth  │ │Request │
│ │ │Service, │
│Cydymffurfiaeth│ │Compliance & │
│a Risg  │ │Risk,  │
│ │ │ │
│Swyddfa │ │University │
│Ysgrifennydd y │ │Secretary’s │
│Brifysgol  │ │Office  │
├───────────────┼─┼──────────────┤
│Prifysgol │ │Cardiff │
│Caerdydd  │ │University  │
├───────────────┼─┼──────────────┤
│  │ │  │
├───────────────┼─┼──────────────┤
│Ebost: │ │Email: │
│[1][email │ │[2][email │
│address]  │ │address]  │
│ │ │ │
│  │ │  │
│ │ │ │
│Rydym yn │ │We welcome │
│croesawu │ │correspondence│
│gohebiaeth │ │in Welsh or │
│trwy’r Gymraeg │ │English  │
│neu’r Saesneg  │ │ │
└───────────────┴─┴──────────────┘

show quoted sections

Dear Eliza Johnston

I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information request dated 27
May 2024

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

under the Freedom of Information act, I would like to know for every
postgraduate programme (both taught and research) for the 2023/24, 2022/23
and 2021/22 admission cycles:

- the programme name,

Please see attached.

- the programme code,

- the number of applications,

- the number of offers made,

- the number of acceptances.

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 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.

The 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 information requested contains data that would give insight into the
University’s operational activities that would be likely to prejudice its
commercial interests. The University operates in a highly competitive
market in attracting students. To disclose this information into the
public domain would put the University at a commercial disadvantage by
exposing their recruitment and admissions strategy and key business
information to competitors, who could exploit that information for their
own competitive gain. Furthermore, sharing of commercially confidential
information between competitors is normally prohibited under the
Competition Act 1998 as this could have an adverse impact upon competition
in that 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:
[1]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. Email your request to [2][email address] where
it will be forwarded to the University’s Data Protection Officer who will
be responsible for overseeing the review.

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. Further information is available on their
website: [3]Make a complaint | ICO.

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 : [4][email address]   Email: [5][email address] 

Mae'r Brifysgol yn croesawu The University welcomes correspondence
gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg neu'n in Welsh or English.  Corresponding in
Saesneg.  Ni fydd gohebu yn Gymraeg Welsh will not lead to any delay.
yn creu unrhwy oedi.

References

Visible links
1. https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/pu...
2. mailto:[email%20address]
3. https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/
4. mailto:[email%20address]
5. mailto:[email%20address]