Hi,

 

I think this is an interesting debate and also links to whether we should refer to degree awarding or degree attainment.

 

Degree attainment can suggest a deficit approach whereby we need to offer remedial solutions to help those students improve, whereas degree awarding suggests the institution is failing to award those degree to students at the same rate, and therefore needs to change.

 

A small distinction perhaps, but one we're trying to include in our materials.

 

Claire

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Higher Education Race Action Group alerts and communications [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Rochelle Rowe
Sent: 22 February 2016 11:04
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: BME vs ethnicity attainment gap

 

Hi Dominic

 

I instinctively prefer ethnicity attainment gap as it does seem to go some way to neutralising the implied 'lack' as you say.

 

Best wishes

 

Rochelle

 

Dr Rochelle Rowe

 

Equality and Diversity Adviser

St Georges University of London

Cranmer Terrace

London

SW17 0RE

 

0208 725 0605

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All SGUL staff can get free, confidential, professional, help from Confidential Care, SGUL's Employee Assistance Provider, 24/7, by phone, email or via the web.  Click here to find out how to access the service.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----

From: Higher Education Race Action Group alerts and communications [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Dominik Jackson-Cole

Sent: 22 February 2016 10:51

To: [log in to unmask]

Subject: BME vs ethnicity attainment gap

 

Dear all,

 

I don't know if this issue has been raised before (I did a quick search on here and couldn't find anything though) but I was just wondering if it was worth looking into the names we give to the attainment gaps, and consider the possible shift in the name we use and potential implications?

 

So we use the words 'Gender attainment gap' - as opposed to boy's/men's attainment gap. This seems more neutral and doesn't implicitly suggest that there's something wrong with boys/men... the same applies to social class attainment gap - not 'working class' attainment gap.

 

Whereas we usually (not all the time, and I know my own institution is also guilty of it) say 'BME attainment gap' - which is not neutral and one might argue locates the issue within the BME students. Wouldn't it be more neutral/ better to start using the phrase 'Ethnicity attainment gap'? After all we all have/ can have an ethnicity that we identify as... or that people racialise us as, just as we have a gender identity (not necessarily in a binary sense of course!).

 

What would be the implications of this? Do you think it's a better name? (of course by this name I do not wish to distract anyone from working on the actual issues - which is the gap and which needs to be addressed) 

 

Kind Regards,

Dominik Jackson-Cole

EDI Senior Advisor

Kingston University