- Conference
- 2014 National Black Members' Conference
- Date
- 1 October 2013
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes that Higher Education has expanded in the past decade with a 28% increase in the number of students from all domiciles (Universities UK, 2011). The expansion is partly the result of a greater number of students from ethnic backgrounds going to university.
Yet in spite of the increase in Higher Education Initial Participation Rate (HEIPR), Black graduates are less likely to possess a good degree leaving university, and more than three times as likely to be unemployed after graduation as compared to White UK and Irish students.
English white students are more likely to do better than English Black students in terms of attainment, progression and graduate destinations (HEFCE, 2012).
Black students are more than three times less likely to be awarded a first-class university degree than their white classmates. Only 37% of the Black students achieved a first or a 2.1, compared with 62% of the white students. For mature students only 25% of black student’s achieved a first or 2.1 compared with 61% of white students (HEFCE, 2010)
Conference also notes that 66.4% of White students studying first degrees received a first class or second class honours qualification, compared to 48.1% of ethnic students overall and only 37.7% of Black students (Equality Challenge Unit, 2009).
A higher proportion of lower second class degrees were awarded to Black, Pakistani and Bangladeshi graduates than upper seconds (National Equality Panel, 2010).
In 2008-09, 68 per cent of white UK-domiciled first degree students achieved a first or upper second class honours degree. This is 19 percentage points higher than the 49 per cent achieved by all UK domiciled black students and 30 percentage points higher than the 38 per cent achieved by black UK-domiciled students, the ethnic group with the lowest proportion (HEFCE, 2012).
The National Student Survey reports 2006-2009 reveal the level of satisfaction varied significantly depending on students’ ethnic background. For example, the survey report noted that the differences in satisfaction score for Teaching and Learning were significantly different for White and Black students. Only white students showed an overall positive satisfaction with teaching and learning experience at university and all other minority ethnic groups (namely African, Caribbean and Asian students) showed a negative level of satisfaction (NSS, 2010).
Conference believes that by ensuring the curriculum is inclusive and diversity is promoted throughout the learning experience, this could tackle some of the problems black students face.
Conference therefore calls upon the National Black Members Committee to work with the National Executive Council and Higher Education Service Group to:
1)Approach the Higher Education Academy (HEA), Runneymede Trust and Equalities Challenge Unit (ECU) to establish joint working to achieve and maintain an appropriately diverse student body therefore reducing inequalities of student opportunities and outcomes
2)Seek to provide advice to Careers Advice Services in Universities where there is a high percentage of Black students to provide the guidance that young people need in order to access a wide range of what universities and the labour market on graduation have to offer
3)Work with the National Union of Students to increase the number of Black Students Officer in every University and encourage Black students to join societies
4)Work with the sector in developing/expanding industry-wide, corporate funded diversity mentoring schemes.