Closing ethnicity awarding gaps 2022

Professor Sally Mapstone FRSE, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, University of St Andrews

• Baroness Valerie Amos, Master of University College, Oxford University

• Hillary Gyebi-Ababio, Vice President Higher Education, National Union of Students (NUS)

• Kaushika Patel, Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Deputy Dean, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, De Montfort University

Three years on from UUK’s  Closing the gap report with NUS, we have reviewed the sector’s progress and are hoping to galvanise and push forward the sector’s progress. In this session we will hear a sneak peek of the findings and recommendations from the upcoming ‘Closing the gap’ report drawing from the latest evidence and review.

• Becky Price, Director of Graduate Success, University of East Anglia
• Professor Dave Russell, Pro Vice Chancellor Student Experience & Resources, Leeds Art University

For many universities implementing a data dashboard has been key to building awareness and providing a key institutional metric, which informs action plans. In this session we will hear from two different universities, about the challenges that they have overcome to disaggregate and use intersectional data to be more transparent about awarding gaps and to consider the complexity of students’ lives.

• Dr Zainab Khan, Pro Vice-Chancellor Teaching & Learning, Director of the Centre for Equity & Inclusion, London Metropolitan University
• Denise Morrison, Officer for School of Social Sciences and Social Professions, London Metropolitan University and Incoming President, London Metropolitan Student’s Union
• Professor Martin Stringer, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education, Swansea University
• Liza Leibowitz, Welfare Officer, Swansea University Students’ Union

This session will highlight exemplar case studies of co-produced initiatives and approaches with students to aid in removing ethnicity awarding gaps. It’s important that staff should be supported to provide opportunities for students to have open and meaningful conversations about race, racism and awarding gaps and that we learn from their lived experiences.

Following on from each plenary presentation, please join a workshop session to discuss with speakers and delegates and the conference in more detail. These sessions will be interactive, and we encourage you to get involved in discussions. There will be an opportunity for you to meet and have conversations in small groups.

• Becky Price, Director of Graduate Success, University of East Anglia
• Professor Dave Russell, Pro Vice Chancellor Student Experience & Resources, Leeds Art University

Workshop led by:

• Dr Zainab Khan, Pro Vice-Chancellor Teaching & Learning, Director of the Centre for Equity & Inclusion, London Metropolitan University
• Denise Morrison, Officer for School of Social Sciences and Social Professions, London Metropolitan University and Incoming President, London Metropolitan Student’s Union
• Contributors from the Centre for Equity & Inclusion team, London Metropolitan University

Available for questions and joining the discussion:

• Professor Martin Stringer, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education, Swansea University
• Liza Leibowitz, Welfare Officer, Swansea University Students’ Union

• Joanna MacDonnell, Director of Education and Students, University of Brighton
• Professor Graham Gee, Head of School and Professor of Public Law, the University of Sheffield and Chair of Senate Academic Assurances Committee
• Chair: Professor Quintin McKellar CBE, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, University of Hertfordshire and Vice-President (England and Northern Ireland), Universities UK

Evaluation must be planned into approaches from the beginning to understand what works. In this session we will hear about what resources are on offer to universities and how the sector can work together to implement good practice in evaluating what works and what doesn’t.

• Dr Ada Adeghe, Associate Dean (Inclusivity) at University of Wolverhampton
• Tanya Mpofu, PhD Researcher, University of Wolverhampton
• Chair: Professor Quintin McKellar CBE, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, University of Hertfordshire and Vice-President (England and Northern Ireland), Universities UK

Although interventions have been made to increase access to postgraduate study for students from ethnic diverse backgrounds, it is clear that the academic pipeline for students of colour is broken. This session will focus on how universities should implement immediate action to improve the diversity of academic pipelines and how this should be addressed as a long-term strategy.

Following on from each plenary presentation, please join a workshop session to discuss with speakers and delegates and the conference in more detail. These sessions will be interactive, and we encourage you to get involved in discussions. There will be an opportunity for you to meet and have conversations in small groups.

• Joanna MacDonnell, Director of Education and Students, University of Brighton
• Professor Graham Gee, Head of School and Professor of Public Law, the University of Sheffield and Chair of Senate Academic Assurances Committee

• Dr Ada Adeghe, Associate Dean (Inclusivity) at University of Wolverhampton
• Tanya Mpofu, PhD Researcher, University of Wolverhampton

Professor Steve West CBE, Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive Officer, University of the West of England and President, Universities UK

• Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE, Principal, The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
• Ananya Jain, BAME Officer, University of St Andrews
• Dr Sal Jarvis, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education), University of Westminster

Providing strong leadership is essential and leaders must go further to remove ethnicity awarding gaps. What has been learnt and how do leaders ensure that progress is being made? We will hear about proactive approaches to create racially diverse and inclusive environments, how leaders plan to respond to the latest recommendations and how this can positively impact the student experience.

Professor Steve West CBE, Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive Officer, University of the West of England and President, Universities UK