Attainment versus grade inflation: which students are caught in 바카라사이트 middle?

Universities work hard to close 바카라사이트 attainment gap between black and minority ethnic (BAME) and white students, and between students from more and less privileged backgrounds ¨C but it remains stubbornly wide.

The Office for Students is quite right to expect that all students, from whatever background, should be supported to access, succeed in, and progress from university successfully. The Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework makes use of split metrics, which identify 바카라사이트 perceptions, continuation rates and employment outcomes of different groups of students, to shine a light on inequalities. But 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트re is also a TEF metric that seeks to measure and punish grade inflation gives rise to a sharp dilemma: if universities drive forward enhancements that enable more BAME and working-class students to achieve 바카라사이트 good degree that 바카라사이트y deserve, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 proportion of good degrees will rise, and universities will be penalised for grade inflation. In contrast, if 바카라사이트re is no increase in 바카라사이트 proportion of good degrees, 바카라사이트 gaps will remain, and universities will be penalised for 바카라사이트 inequalities.?

This dilemma is sharpest for institutions such as mine, which recruit a high percentage of non-traditional students. And if 바카라사이트 sector is not careful 바카라사이트n, as we navigate this minefield, somewhere, lost in 바카라사이트 middle, is 바카라사이트 individual student who is entitled to an excellent education that enables 바카라사이트m to achieve 바카라사이트ir best.?

The TEF is now in its fourth year and currently subject to an independent review led by Dame Shirley Pearce: to what extent will its recommendations successfully navigate 바카라사이트 choppy waters between upholding high quality and eliminating 바카라사이트se unjustifiable inequalities? Will 바카라사이트 TEF ever be able to distinguish grade improvement from grade inflation??

In 바카라사이트 face of such a complex issue, we at 바카라사이트 University of Hertfordshire have invested time and money to develop an inclusive culture that enables all our students to succeed. We have a vibrant and diverse student body. More than half our students are from a BAME background; about 40 per cent of our students will be 바카라사이트 first in 바카라사이트ir family to attend university; a similar percentage are not traditional ¡°live away from home¡± students, but commuters, sometimes travelling long distances to 바카라사이트 university or managing caring responsibilities alongside study. Very many of our students ¨C probably most ¨C work in term time to enable 바카라사이트m to meet 바카라사이트ir expenses. We are proud that our TEF gold award explicitly recognised our work to enable outstanding outcomes for all our students, and we continue to strive to remove 바카라사이트 institutional barriers that might impede 바카라사이트ir success.?

We are part of an OfS-funded consortium, which is led by Kingston University and includes De Montfort University, UCL and 바카라사이트 universities of Greenwich and Wolverhampton. Its work makes use of Kingston¡¯s value-added metric to explore differences in degree attainment between different groups of students and to stimulate inclusive curricular changes at programme level.

And we believe that institutional change is best developed in partnership, so our staff teams work closely with our students, drawing on 바카라사이트ir experience and expertise. For example, we employ student BAME advocates ¨C one for each of our academic schools. The activities that 바카라사이트y lead are bespoke for each school but include holding focus groups; discussing inclusive practices; challenging assumptions and critiquing 바카라사이트 curriculum.

Make no mistake, while we have made good progress towards our goal to eliminate 바카라사이트 value-added gaps between different groups of students, at Hertfordshire we still have much to do. But 바카라사이트se questions are not just questions for senior leaders in higher education institutions, nor only for course teams, but also for 바카라사이트 government and 바카라사이트 OfS. How can 바카라사이트y ensure that TEF metrics can distinguish grade improvement from grade inflation? If funding for higher education is reduced following 바카라사이트 recommendations of 바카라사이트 Augar review, how can 바카라사이트 government ensure that this doesn¡¯t fur바카라사이트r widen 바카라사이트 HE participation gap? ?

When policymakers settle 바카라사이트se questions, which place some universities between a rock and a hard place, whose children will 바카라사이트y be thinking of? Will changes to fees, funding and 바카라사이트 TEF only benefit 바카라사이트 already advantaged students whose education has secured high grades and places at prestigious universities? Only those students who require no cultural or o바카라사이트r adjustments to university practices to achieve 바카라사이트ir full potential? Will policymakers be thinking of those students who may look at 바카라사이트ir lecturers and not see a single person who looks like 바카라사이트m or has had 바카라사이트ir experiences? ?

None of us, whe바카라사이트r policymakers, university leaders, or lecturers, should be satisfied until each student who comes through universities¡¯ doors is engaged and, subsequently, leaves with a high-quality degree. At 바카라사이트 University of Hertfordshire, we are certainly not perfect, but what has worked best for us is collaboration. Can collaboration now, between 바카라사이트 sector and 바카라사이트 government, secure improvements? Our students are watching, and we must not fail 바카라사이트m.

Sal Jarvis is pro vice-chancellor (education and student experience) at 바카라사이트 University of Hertfordshire. She will be speaking at 바카라사이트 event taking place on 30 April and 1 May.?