University and student leaders are today [Wednesday 6 June 2018]
launching a major drive to improve the attainment and university
experience of black and minority ethnic (BME) students across the
UK.
Baroness Valerie Amos, Director of SOAS, and Amatey Doku, Vice
President for Higher Education at the National Union of Students
(NUS), will lead the joint initiative between
Universities UK (UUK) and the NUS to help universities tackle the
BME attainment gap.
There was an almost 50% increase in the number of BME
undergraduates in England between 2007 and 2016. There is,
however, disparity in the attainment of students from BME
backgrounds once they get to university. While 78% of white
students who graduated last year ended up qualifying with a first
or a 2:1, 66% of Asian students achieved the same, and just 53%
of black students.
Data also shows that qualifications before attending university,
although a key factor in degree outcomes, do not explain the
differences between ethnic groups.
In many universities, university leaders, staff and
students have been working together on initiatives to
address the issue for some time, but progress has been
inconsistent across the sector.
UUK and NUS are launching a nationwide call for evidence
from university staff, students and their representatives to
identify best practice so that universities can close these gaps
in attainment. A series of evidence gathering sessions and
online survey data from students and staff will inform the
recommendations which will be made later this year.
This work aims to:
-
· Increase
understanding of the barriers to BME student success
-
· Identify
initiatives that
have been successful in addressing this
- · Share
experiences and best practice of what works in narrowing the BME
attainment gap
The outcome of the work will be published in December to help
inform policy and decision making within universities, as well as
government officials and parliamentarians.
Baroness Valerie Amos, Director of
SOAS, said:
“This is a pressing problem. Too many students from BME
backgrounds who get into university have a challenging
experience. Many drop out and all the evidence points to an
attainment gap. We need to understand the barriers to BME
student success so we can eliminate these gaps.
“We are asking students and staff to tell us about their
experiences and what has worked and not worked. We need to
identify any gaps in our understanding and practice so that we
can improve the performance and university experience of black
and minority ethnic students.
“We must ensure that students from all backgrounds can
succeed.”
Amatey Doku, NUS Vice President (Higher
Education), said:
“Attainment for black students at higher education institutions
continues to be an area where there is racial inequality, with
non-white students overall less likely to receive higher
classifications for their degrees. The gap starkly demonstrates
that universities are complicit in the perpetuation of structural
inequalities.
“NUS has been instrumental in pushing for change and I’m
delighted that finally we will begin to see real action. The
findings of the audit will be invaluable when informing the
recommendations later this year, with institutions and student
representatives able to address the issue more
systematically and collaboratively. The time for action is
now and the call for evidence today is a step in the right
direction, towards eradicating the gap that exists between white
and non-white graduates and ensuring institutions take race
equality seriously.”
