BME attainment gap institutional KPI

The BME attainment gap has been a long-standing concern across the whole higher education sector. However, following a recommendation by the Vice-Chancellor and, with the endorsement of the University's Board of Governors on 4 March 2015, Kingston University will now play a key role in addressing this important national issue.

The University has introduced a range of initiatives that aim to ensure students from BME backgrounds get the very most out of their time at university, achieve their full potential, and improve their results and employability prospects.

Kingston's approach to reducing the attainment gap

Improve Institutional Process

• Steering Group
• Attainment Gap and Institutional KPI
• Value Added Score
• BME and diversity considered in Quality Assurance
• Inclusive curriculum training offered through UKPSF
• EDI as academic promotion criteria
• Connected access agreement milestone with student success and KPIs

Enhance Knowledge and Skills

• Workshops:
  • Inclusive curriculum
  • Equality essentials
  • Unconscious bias
• Course and faculty team meetings

Better support Students

• Measuring impact of initiatives
• Student co-creation training
• Student course rep training
• Student Union partnership

Why take action?

This positive action is based on a several key factors:

• Across the UK, data shows that BME students are less likely to achieve their potential when compared to white students, even where entry qualifications and subjects studied are identical.
• The University has a majority of BME students and wants to ensure all students realise their full potential. Degree outcomes are a major determinant of employability and acceptance on programmes of further study.
• There is a need to address a complex range of influences. Many factors relate to the way a Higher Education institution behaves, such as ensuring there is a climate which is welcoming to all students and a curriculum which is relevant to all students.

What are we doing?

As a result the University has now adopted:

1. The reduction of the BME attainment gap as an institutional KPI.
2. A Value Added score system as used in the Guardian league tables, as the key metric.
3. An Achievement Plan containing key initiatives that improve institutional evaluation processes, increase the knowledge and skills of staff, and raise student success.

The institutional KPI

To raise the BME Value Added score to 1.0 by the end of the 2018/19 academic year.

Student Diversity and Success at Kingston University