Message from Chris Godden, Associate Dean for Teaching, Learning and Students

31 May 2024

This week Chris discusses the University’s Access and Participation Plan, and the work taking place across our Faculty to support it.

Dear colleagues, 

We are now at that point in the academic calendar when students are busy submitting final assessments and graduation ceremonies are fast approaching. The finishing line – hopefully for many of us – will soon be visible on the horizon. 

In these past weeks, students have not been alone in this rush to complete and submit important assessments. Over the same time, academic and PS colleagues from across the institution have been working hard to complete one very specific piece of work – the University’s new Access and Participation Plan (APP). The deadline for submitting this to the ‘marker’ – in this case, the Office for Students – is today, Friday, 31 May. 

I have spent some time over the past semester discussing the APP at School teaching and learning committees. This has been very rewarding, but I am aware that many colleagues are still unfamiliar with various APP matters. I’d therefore like to take this opportunity to provide a brief outline of what the APP is, what some of the APP data shows for Humanities (particularly around awarding gaps), and what the Faculty has put in place to support APP activities. 

In a nutshell, the APP sets out an institution-wide strategy to improve equality of opportunities for under-represented home undergraduate student groups. This involves addressing both the under-representation of home students from specific backgrounds within the student body, and the differential experiences and outcomes of home students from specific backgrounds whilst at university. 

I am aware that I have used the acronym ‘APP’ several times already in this short piece (and there is more to come!). New acronyms seem to land on higher education almost every day, and another important one to be aware of here is EORR. Not to be confused with the grumbling donkey from Winnie the Pooh, EORR is the Equality of Opportunity Risk Register and sets out twelve separate risks for under-represented groups across the student lifecycle under three headings: 

1. Access (risks that impact on students’ ability to enter higher education); 
2. Success (risks that prevent students from completing their course or obtaining a good degree); and 
3. Progression (risks that prevent students from undertaking postgraduate study or employment opportunities). 

Preparations for the APP submission have involved lengthy discussions and evaluations of the impact of these EORR risks on home undergraduates, and the University’s strategies to mitigate these. I can’t, in the space available, cover the University’s full APP submission, but three areas to highlight, which are key objectives for Humanities, include: 

• working to increase the proportion of undergraduate students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, building on the existing Widening Participation (WP) agenda; 
• working to address the under-representation of ethnic minority groups, especially black students; and
• working to reduce the awarding gap between ethnic minority groups and white students.

The awarding gap is an important issue. In my presentations to School teaching and learning committees, I have seen repeatedly how the awarding gap data has surprised (not to say alarmed) some colleagues, while also serving as a springboard for positive discussions. Again, just to briefly share some headline details here, the awarding gap is the percentage point difference between all students achieving a ‘good degree’ (defined as a 2.1 or 1st) and those from specified student groups. 

Linking this back to EORR, awarding gaps fall under the ‘Success’ category. In 2022/23, just over 90% of Humanities students were awarded a good degree. However, once we dig into the Humanities APP data we see consistently high gaps in good degree outcomes between ethnic minority groups and white students. Across Humanities in 2022/23, almost 93% of white students were awarded a good degree against 80% of black students and 78% of Asian students. 

These awarding gaps apply to each of our four Schools, and I know some excellent work is now under way in different parts of the Faculty, linking both teaching and learning, and equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), to try to address these issues. Although smaller than the awarding gaps between ethnic minority groups and white students, it is important to note that gaps also exist between the degree outcomes for socio-economically disadvantaged students and their peers, and between students with registered disabilities and students with no registered disabilities. 

Given all of this, what is the Faculty doing to support the APP agenda? A new Humanities Access, Success and Progression (ASP) committee, the first of its kind across the University, was established last June with academic and PS representation from all four Schools. I am grateful to all colleagues who have contributed to this ASP work, including the completion of an overview of existing School activities designed for, and targeted at, students from under-represented groups. In addition, colleagues have delivered diversity, entrepreneurship and professional careers events; undertaken focus groups with commuter students and black heritage students; and delivered, in collaboration with the Social Responsibility team and Creative Manchester, the ‘Curriculum Diversity in the Humanities’ event last February. 

More is still to come, including strategies and initiatives to supporting attainment and reducing awarding gaps; the introduction of some Humanities ASP student partners/champions; data analytics and possibilities for targeted support activities; and University discussions around bursaries, scholarships and financial support. It has also become very clear how the APP is not exclusive to teaching and learning, but something that overlaps with other Faculty agendas. It has been a great pleasure over the past year to have had the opportunity to work with many colleagues in Social Responsibility, EDI, and the Students’ Union. 

Once the University’s APP is approved by the OfS, it will be published on the website and will be effective from 2025/26 through to 2029/30. Yes, the APP can be seen as another regulatory requirement. But what lies at the heart of this work – diversity and inclusion – must not be seen as just buzzwords. The APP is focused on supporting under-represented home undergraduates, but we also continue our work on better meeting the needs of international students.

I very much believe that the objectives and content of the APP resonate with the views of colleagues across the Faculty, and throws a spotlight on the importance of equitable access to higher education, activities and support mechanisms focused on eliminating barriers, and an inclusive learning environment for all our students. 

This academic year is drawing to a close, but the APP agenda is just beginning. Watch this space! 

Best wishes, 

Chris