Student Demand Forecasts

The request was refused by Oxford Brookes University.

Dear Oxford Brookes University,

Could you please provide your projections for the number of full-time students expected to attend the institution over the next 5 years, or as far forward as you have projections for?

Where possible can this be split by full-time undergraduates and full-time postgraduates per campus.

For example:
2018: X full-time undergraduates and X full-time postgraduates
2019: X full-time undergraduates and X full-time postgraduates:
etc

Yours faithfully,

Steve Blunn

Vanna Leathart, Oxford Brookes University

Dear Mr Blunn,

Freedom of Information Act Request - our reference 2018-171.

Thank you for your email dated 4 September 2018 requesting information
from Oxford Brookes University about student demand forecasts.

The University will respond on or before 2 October 2018, 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
Tel: +44 (0)1865 484046
Please note my normal working days are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Vanna Leathart, Oxford Brookes University

Dear Mr Blunn,

Freedom of Information Act Request - our reference 2018-171.

Further to your email of 4 September 2018 asking for information from
Oxford Brookes University about forecasts of student numbers, I am able to
provide the following information in response to your request.

You asked:

Could you please provide your projections for the number of full-time
students expected to attend the institution over the next 5 years, or as
far forward as you have projections for?

Where possible can this be split by full-time undergraduates and
full-time postgraduates per campus.

For example: 
2018: X full-time undergraduates and X full-time postgraduates 
2019: X full-time undergraduates and X full-time postgraduates: 
etc 

Our response:

 
Oxford Brookes University holds this information, but we are withholding
it as we believe that section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000
applies.  Section 43 (2) states that information is exempt if it's
disclosure would be likely to prejudive the commercial interests of any
person.  We believe this for three reasons:

* Sharing long-term plans on student recruitment would constitute an
exchange of confidential, strategic information that would lead
competitors to understand our recruitment ambitions and would
adversely affect the free competition between institutions. 
* The University operates in an extremely competitive environment in
relation to student admissions and that disclosure of projected
student recruitment numbers could be damaging to the University. 

* Even the release of projected domestic/international recruitment
numbers would provide competitors with the insight to match and
potentially exceed the University’s ambitions.

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
Tel: +44 (0)1865 484046
Please note my normal working days are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

References

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