Statistics on student retention in the Mathematics Department
Elliot Marshall made this Official Information request to University of Otago
The request was successful.
From: Elliot Marshall
Dear University of Otago,
I would like to make an OIA request regarding student retention in the mathematics department.
In particular:
What was the total number of students eligible to enter honours from each maths major cohort between 2010 and 2022?
How many students studying a maths major continued on to an honours degree in Mathematics after finishing their undergraduate studies each year between 2010 and 2022?
How many students studying a maths major continued on to a masters degree in Mathematics after finishing their undergraduate studies each year between 2010 and 2022?
How many of these honours students successfully completed their honours year and continued to study a PhD or Masters degree in the maths department at Otago?
Of the students who did complete their honours in maths at Otago what was the distribution of final grades (i.e. how many 1st class, 2nd Class etc. honours degrees were awarded each year)?
Of the students who did continue on to a PhD or Masters at Otago how many completed their degree?
I appreciate you taking the time to consider this request.
Yours faithfully,
Elliot Marshall
From: UoO - Official Information Act
University of Otago
Kia ora Elliot
I refer to your information request dated 3 May 2022 and made under the
Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).
Your request in its current form is very complex and will take our staff
extensive time to research and collate the information. Our staff have
advised that because of all the specific details you have requested, it
would take them several hours to research and collate. We do not currently
hold the information in the format that you have requested and it will
take us extensive manual time to provide the information you have
requested.
Typically, when processing requests such as yours, we are likely to
consider either proposing a charge or declining the request pursuant to
section 18(f) of the Act on the basis that the request requires
substantial collation or research.
In light of this, would you be willing to reconsider the scope of your
request to assist with making it more practically manageable to process?
As one example, we could provide you, at no cost, the total (not limited
to students who had specifically studied a Mathematics major previously)
number of students studying an Honours or Masters’ degree in Mathematics
each year between 2010 and 2022. Alternatively, if you were able to
provide some additional clarity of the information you are after, our
analysts may be able to identify data that will be more manageable to
collate.
We will wait to hear back from you before we continue to process your
request.
Ngâ mihi
Kelsey
Kelsey Kennard
Official Information and Compliance Coordinator
Office of the Registrar | Te Tari o Te Pouroki me te Kaituhi ki te
Kaunihera
University of Otago | Te Whare Wânanga o Otâgo
New Zealand | Aotearoa
Email | Îmera [1][University of Otago request email]
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From: Elliot Marshall
Dear Kelsey,
Thanks for the response.
It would be sufficient if you could provide the total number of students who studied an honours and/or masters degree in maths between 2010 and 2022. Would it also be possible to include the number of PhD students who started in the maths department between these years?
If possible I would also like to know how many of these honours/masters students went on to study a PhD at Otago, but if this would require too much research it isn't necessary.
Thanks,
Elliot Marshall
From: UoO - Official Information Act
University of Otago
Kia ora Elliot
Thank you for your email and for agreeing to reconsider the scope of your Official Information Act request. Our analysts have advised that part one of your request ("total number of students who studied an honours and/or masters degree in maths between 2010 and 2022", and "the number of PhD students who started in the maths department between these years") is manageable to complete. They have also advised that part two of your request ("how many of these honours/masters students went on to study a PhD at Otago") should be manageable to complete, however I will get back in touch if they run into any difficulties collating this part of your request.
We will seek to respond to your request as soon as practicable and no later than 20 working days after the date your request was clarified (by 7 June 2022). If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will notify you of an extension of this timeframe.
Ngā mihi
Kelsey
Kelsey Kennard
Official Information and Compliance Coordinator
Office of the Registrar | Te Tari o Te Pouroki me te Kaituhi ki te Kaunihera
University of Otago | Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo
New Zealand | Aotearoa
Email | Īmera [University of Otago request email]
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From: UoO - Official Information Act
University of Otago
Kia ora Elliot
Please see attached our response to your Official Information Act request dated 3 May 2022 (clarified 9 May 2022).
Ngā mihi
Kelsey
Kelsey Kennard
Official Information and Compliance Coordinator
Office of the Registrar | Te Tari o Te Pouroki me te Kaituhi ki te Kaunihera
University of Otago | Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo
New Zealand | Aotearoa
Email | Īmera [University of Otago request email]
show quoted sections
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