By email only:
Ref: FOI 619
14thNovember2013
Dear Mr Kakkar,
I am writing in response to your recent request for information regarding Dentistry admissions (Ref FOI 619).
The response to your request is as follows:
(1)Please can you provide a copy of the interview form that is used in the MMIs for the dentistry course to assess candidates. This request is applicable to 2013 entry. I would kindly like to request a copy of the form used in each of the MMI stations.
The broad criteria which are assessed are as follows: communication skills, work experience, manual dexterity, motivation, logic, reasoning and decision making, teamwork experience and ethics.
We are unable to provide copies of the interviews forms we use because the information is exempt from disclosure under section 43(2) Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) because its disclosure into the public domain is likely to prejudice the University’s commercial interests. The form used to assess interview performance contains questions and methods of assessment which are designed by us to reflect the University’s interests and requirements. The University believes that the publication of the information would be likely to benefit our competitors and enable them to adjust their processes or criteria to gain an advantage. Accordingly, we believe that although there is a public interest in the University being transparent and demonstrating that it has appropriate selection and assessment methods in place, the public interest in universities being able to compete effectively to attract the best students outweighs this. As such, the public interest lies in maintaining the exemption and withholding the information.
In addition to the above, the information is also exempt from disclosure under section 43(1) FOIA because it constitutes a trade secret. The form used to assess interview performance contains questions and methods of assessment which are designed by the University using the specific knowledge and expertise of its employees to reflect the University’s methods of testing candidates to determine their ability, aptitude and overall suitability for the course.Although there is a public interest in the University being transparent and demonstrating that it has appropriate selection and assessment methods in place, publication of the information would be likely to enable candidates to manipulate the assessment process to gain an unfair advantage and hence their scores may not necessarily reflect their abilities. This could lead to unsuitable candidates (who may then drop out) gaining places on the course in place of those who are more suitable and could progress well. It is in the public interest for universities to be able to attract the best students for their courses and ensure that applicants do not have an unfair advantage.On this basis, we maintain that the public interest in maintaining the exemption and withholding the information outweighs the public interest factors in favour of disclosure.
(2)Please can you provide the criteria used to select candidates suitability for the 4 year BDS dentistry course. If any form is used to determine/assess this, I would kindly like to request a copy of this.
The broad criteria which are assessed are as follows: communication skills, work experience, manual dexterity, motivation, logic, reasoning and decision making, teamwork experience and ethics. The MMI forms themselves cannot be provided for the reasons set out above; however we are happy to provide copies of our cover sheet for interview selection and the course entry requirements, which are attached.
If you are unhappy with the way we have handled your request for information, you are entitled to ask for an internal review; however you must do so within 40 working days of the date of this response. Any internal review will be carried out by a senior member of staff who was not involved with your original request. To ask for an internal review, contact in the first instance.
If you are unhappy with the outcome of any internal review, you are entitled to complain to the Information Commissioner. To do so, contact:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
01625 545 745
Yours sincerely,
Information Governance Officer
University of Central Lancashire
Email:
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