Mind the Gap: BME and higher education
Thursday, 15 November 2018
RUSU will host Mind the Gap: an evening of discussion around the BME attainment gap 18:15-20:00 Thursday 27 November 2018. The Mind the Gap panel is open to all staff and students and is a chance for people to talk about their experiences of this gap and for us to find out more about what the University of Reading and the NUS are already doing to tackle it and if the university are on track to meet their target.
We will hear from 4 panelists:
- Professor Ellie Highwood (Dean of Diversity and Inclusion, University of Reading)
- Marc Jacobs (Lecturer in Mathematics Education, University of Reading)
- Somisola Soyombo (BME Students’ Part-Time Officer, RUSU)
- Ilyas Nagdee (Black Students’ Officer, NUS)
There will also be the chance for you to ask the panel any questions you may have. Please pre-submit your questions here (note that you will need to login if you wish to submit questions - if you do not have a login you will need to create a guest login).
The event is free but you’ll need to book here.
In 2016 the NUS found that the Attainment Gap affects students with ethnic differences differently although the largest gap was among black African students. These students were 27.4% less likely to receive a first or a 2:1 at undergraduate level. As part of its commitment to address this gap the University has set a target for a “Reduction of the attainment gap (proportion of first and upper second class degrees achieved) between BAME and white undergraduate students from 16.5 percentage points (2014/15) to 12 points by 2020. Aiming for <10 percentage points by 2026”.
We are hoping that there will be some really good discussion about the effects of the BME Attainment Gap but also some suggestions of solutions. Come prepared to really get into the topic!
Please note: any form of racist or offensive comments will not be tolerated.