Black attainment gap

Call for evidence: students, representatives and students’ unions.

 

National Union of Students (NUS) and Universities UK (UUK) are seeking feedback from institutions and student representatives across the UK to explore what attainment gaps exist between students of different ethnicities and how this can be addressed more systematically.

 

This survey from NUS seeks to understand what projects or initiatives students, student representatives and unions are aware of working on race equity at their institutions. This includes how their institutions talk about differences in outcomes for students relating to race, what work students are aware of, and how students are able to lead on these areas.

 

This will help inform further work that NUS will undertake in the academic year 2018-19 and beyond, including helping us understand how best to make change at institutions and nationally, including how to support our member unions.

 

Please bear in mind that all information respondents can give us will help to inform further work, even if you are unclear about the full extent of work at your institution. The survey will close on Friday 29 June 2018.

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* What is your institution (university or college)?

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* What is your name?

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* What is your email address? (Please note this survey is an audit of good practice in the sector, and we may follow up individually in order to ask what works at your institution and where we can improve support for unions to tackle the attainment gap.)

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* Are you:

NUS’ Black Students Campaign represents students as one of the liberation campaigns at NUS. In this context ‘Black’ at NUS represents students of African, Arab, Asian and Caribbean heritage. For more information please see here https://www.nusconnect.org.uk/liberation/black-students  

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* As a student or elected representative, would you self-define into this campaign? Please note, we invite responses from all ethnicities; we are asking for this demographic information to help us understand where knowledge and understanding of these issues may be communicated more effectively.

What you know about the Black attainment gap

National data on university attainment tells us that the likelihood of students achieving a 2:1 or first in their undergraduate study relates to their ethnicity. White students have been more likely to achieve a 2:1 or a first (15% more likely than students of non-white ethnicities completing their studies in 2016 according to the Equality Challenge Unit.) NUS calls this the Black attainment gap; Universities UK and some institutions call this the BME or BAME attainment gap. Different ethnicities experience the attainment gap at different levels when examined nationally and annually.

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* Are you aware of the existence of the attainment gap?

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* Has your institution told you about this attainment gap? If so, how have they communicated on the attainment gap with you?

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* If you have heard of the attainment gap via other sources (for example, from the National Union of Students, or national media and newspapers) where did you hear about it?

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* If you raised it with someone at your institution, either formally or informally, how did you raise it and how did that conversation proceed?

Contributing factors to the attainment gap

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* There has been research into the contributory factors to the attainment gap. Which of the following do you believe are relevant contributing factors to the attainment gap at your institution? Please select all that apply.

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* These may not be all of the contributing factors to the attainment gap your institution. Please provide any more factors you feel are relevant, and expand on any of the above if you would like to clarify further.

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* What initiatives, schemes or interventions are you aware of at your institution which may be designed to address the attainment gap? Please be specific if you are aware that these are aimed at students of specific ethnicities or backgrounds

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* How have students been asked for feedback on those initiatives, schemes or interventions?

Making change

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* How are students involved in making change on the attainment gap? Please include any initiatives, schemes or interventions from your students’ union.

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* How do you believe should students be leading work on the attainment gap?

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* If you have done work on the attainment gap, what barriers have you experienced in making change?

Large scale research has shown that the attainment gap persists, if reduced, after factors relating to the student are removed. This includes prior attainment, information and guidance prior to starting university, first generation entry into university, age, gender. According to this research the attainment gap exists outside of individual students and should therefore be reduced by the institution.

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* This research has been reflected in discussions at my institution on the attainment gap.

Thank you for taking part in this survey, your answers will help us understand the national picture around initiatives to address the Black attainment gap. You can submit your responses by clicking done.
If you have any further questions or would like to give feedback on anything not covered in the survey directly, please contact Amatey Doku, Vice-President Higher Education (amatey.doku@nus.org.uk) or Richard Stewart, Policy Officer (richard.stewart@nus.org.uk).

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