{"id":210,"date":"2022-10-18T10:21:12","date_gmt":"2022-10-18T09:21:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/welspgr\/?p=210"},"modified":"2022-09-09T16:55:37","modified_gmt":"2022-09-09T15:55:37","slug":"closing-the-gap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/welspgr\/index.php\/2022\/10\/18\/closing-the-gap\/","title":{"rendered":"Closing the gap!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo by Miki Czetti: https:\/\/www.pexels.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Racial inequality is becoming widely recognised in H.E. as a significant factor that affects attainment, employability and the earning potential of students who are from diverse backgrounds. The gaps in the awarding of \u2018good\u2019 degrees (a First or Higher Second) between White students and Black, some Asian and minoritized groups is a specific example of racial inequality in the Academy. This gap persists even when all other variables such as age, gender and prior attainment are controlled. In 2019, <\/span>The Office for Students (OfS), the regulatory body for H.E, reported a 22pp gap between White and Black students and 10.5pp between White and Asian students. <\/span>The causes are complex, exacerbated by how language and terminology is used, acronyms which homogenise diverse groups of people, and issues relating to participation and representation all underpinned by structural and institutional racism. The solutions require dismantling the Academy.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Language and terminology impact how gaps are perceived and the way people are described. Initially the awarding gap was referred to as an \u2018attainment gap\u2019 with the <\/span>blame focused on the individual for academic weakness, making the wrong course choices or having a lack of ability known as a deficit model. Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) or Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME, used by the sector) are broad terms which classify a range of marginalised groups. These terms have become politicised and are reductionist. \u2018Minority\u2019 suggests they are \u2018marginal\u2019 or less important. More Black and Asian students participate in H.E, in 2018-2019, 17.7% of university students were from Black, Asian, or mixed backgrounds. Although Black and Asian students are more likely to attend H.E they are awarded fewer \u2018good\u2019 degrees. Black and Asian people are underrepresented in senior and managerial positions in academic (the number of Black Professors in the UK for example, is only 1%) and professional services.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The causes of the awarding gaps are a combination of complicated factors:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n