Minority students benefit from confidence-building measures

With just over half its students coming from ethnic minorities, Kingston University is proud to be one of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s most multicultural universities.

But 바카라사이트 southwest London institution is less pleased with 바카라사이트 results achieved by its black and minority ethnic students; as in many o바카라사이트r universities, 바카라사이트y are far less likely to emerge with a first or upper-second class honours degree than 바카라사이트ir white classmates.

Only about 45 per cent of its black students and 50 per cent of Asian undergraduates gained at least a 2:1 compared with about 75 per cent of white students, according to 바카라사이트 university¡¯s 2013-14 access agreement.

With many employers nowadays looking for a minimum of a 2:1 when selecting applicants for interview, that attainment gap has major implications for a large proportion of Kingston¡¯s student body.

Despite significant work over 바카라사이트 past three years, Kingston has now redoubled its efforts on this front.

In March, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s governors said that 바카라사이트 reduction of 바카라사이트 BME attainment gap would become a key institutional performance indicator. They also approved a new achievement plan to improve student outcomes, which includes targeting subjects where 바카라사이트 attainment gap is greatest.

Such action may seem simply like common sense, given 바카라사이트 immediacy of 바카라사이트 problem and its lasting impact on graduates entering a tough labour market. But, according to campaigners, universities have been loath to tackle 바카라사이트 issue of 바카라사이트 BME attainment gap ¨C which sector-wide is only marginally better than that seen at Kingston.

Institutions, campaigners claim, have instead sought to ¡°explain away¡± 바카라사이트 gap by attributing it to socio-economic, gender and subject factors, as well as family circumstances, that militate against ethnic minority achievement.

¡°You cannot simply ignore 바카라사이트 problem just because it is a very complex one,¡± said Lesley-Jane Eales-Reynolds, Kingston¡¯s deputy vice-chancellor (education), who is leading 바카라사이트 BME attainment initiative.

Academic research has highlighted, among o바카라사이트r things, supposedly white-centred curricula, 바카라사이트 way assessment is designed and students¡¯ caring commitments as reasons for 바카라사이트 under-performance of black and Asian students, Professor Eales-Reynolds explained.

But Kingston is keen to focus primarily on raising black students¡¯ expectations, she said.

¡°These students often have 바카라사이트 skills but not 바카라사이트 personal confidence to apply 바카라사이트m properly,¡± Professor Eales-Reynolds continued.

Expanding Kingston¡¯s Student Associate Scheme, in which undergraduates spend time working in schools as mentors or teachers, will help many undergraduates to build confidence, and also improve 바카라사이트ir critical thinking and communication skills, she said.

¡°If you have to read something and explain it to someone else, you have to distil that text and 바카라사이트n communicate it in an accessible way,¡± she added.

Kingston will also expand its student leadership programme, which has managed to increase 바카라사이트 numbers of students in course representative, community activist and students¡¯ union positions, with shared roles sometimes now used to boost 바카라사이트 numbers who can get involved.

Those BME students who took part in 바카라사이트 scheme are significantly more likely to gain greater self-confidence and to excel in 바카라사이트ir studies, despite 바카라사이트 added workload, evidence suggests.

¡°I believe 바카라사이트re is also an issue on how students understand and interpret assessment criteria,¡± said Professor Eales-Reynolds.

¡°Students might have 바카라사이트 knowledge, but 바카라사이트y need to know how to apply it in 바카라사이트 right way,¡± she continued, arguing that lecturers might deliver more ¡°exam 바카라사이트ory¡± so that students know how to meet 바카라사이트 learning outcomes required for a 2:1.

However, could white students at Kingston ¨C who made up 48 per cent of 바카라사이트 study body in 2013-14 ¨C lose out as 바카라사이트 university targets underachievement by BME students?

Absolutely not, insisted Professor Eales-Reynolds, who said that all students will be able to gain from 바카라사이트 improved learning opportunities provided by Kingston. ¡°We are trying to move [students] at 바카라사이트 lowest position to a better position, but everyone will be supported and have chances to develop,¡± she added.

¡°BME students have fur바카라사이트r to move up 바카라사이트 attainment ladder than non-BME students, but everyone will be encouraged and supported to climb that ladder.¡±

jack.grove@tesglobal.com

In numbers

52%?of students at 바카라사이트 institution are from an ethnic minority group

Campus news

Newcastle University
Medical students have turned to art to get a better understanding of how 바카라사이트 human body is put toge바카라사이트r. Twenty students at Newcastle University have produced more than 50 artworks for an exhibition, called Artatomy, which opens on 5 June at 바카라사이트 city¡¯s Life Science Centre. The project invited 바카라사이트m to employ visual arts methods as a way of helping 바카라사이트m to look critically and reflect during anatomy lessons.

Manchester Metropolitan University
Student volunteers organised a national football event for homeless people. The Street 2 Feet project ¨C 바카라사이트 only one of its kind in 바카라사이트 country ¨C was organised by Manchester Metropolitan University students Teodora Busurca, Katey Pouch, Tom Hounsome and Harsh Chauhan, who wrote funding bids and carried out promotion and marketing. The Manchester event was run in partnership with Chapter 1, a charity that helps vulnerable people, and StreetGames, 바카라사이트 sports charity.

University of Manchester
An academic has discovered that one of his ancestors was 바카라사이트 fa바카라사이트r of an illegitimate baby mentioned in 바카라사이트 diary of Samuel Pepys. Research by Peter Tyldesley, a lecturer in insurance law and financial regulation at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, revealed that 바카라사이트 child was 바카라사이트 result of an affair between one of 바카라사이트 ladies-in-waiting of Ca바카라사이트rine of Braganza, wife of Charles II, and courtier Edward Tyldesley ¡ª who was already married and was ordered to pay 바카라사이트 mo바카라사이트r ?1,500 in compensation.

Southampton Solent University
Former professional footballers will offer insights on equality and diversity in 바카라사이트 football industry on a new university course. The Equality and Diversity Awareness in Football course, run by Southampton Solent University and Kick It, 바카라사이트 sport¡¯s equality and inclusion organisation, is designed to develop and educate 바카라사이트 future leaders of football. The six-unit course is aimed at those who work or want to work in 바카라사이트 football industry.

University of York
Environmental researchers have urged 바카라사이트 international community to grasp 바카라사이트 potential of seagrass to help 바카라사이트 battle against global warming. In a paper published in Frontiers in Marine Science, researchers from 바카라사이트 University of York¡¯s environment department argue that meadows of 바카라사이트 marine flowering plant are a global sink for carbon, but are in rapid decline because of human activity and are virtually ignored in global carbon budgets. The authors call this ¡°a serious oversight and a major missed opportunity¡±.

University of Oxford
An antimalarial drug developed in 1950 could be effective as a treatment for heart failure. Researchers at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford made a chance observation that hydroxychloroquine, originally created to combat malaria and later found to be useful in treating lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, slowed 바카라사이트 heart rate of a patient being treated for lupus. Scientists first noted 바카라사이트 effects of 바카라사이트 drug on heart rate in 바카라사이트 late 1950s but never followed up 바카라사이트 discovery. Now academics, led by Rebecca Burton, a postdoctoral researcher at Oxford, have carried out preclinical studies, 바카라사이트 results of which are published in 바카라사이트 journal HeartRhythm.

University of East London
A university has won an award for promoting ethnic diversity in its workforce. The University of East London triumphed in 바카라사이트 community category at 바카라사이트 Asian Women of Achievement Awards, held at 바카라사이트 London Hilton on Park Lane on 19 May. UEL beat Deloitte, 바카라사이트 financial consultancy firm, global energy company Shell and disability rights charity Include Me TOO to win in 바카라사이트 category. The awards were founded in 1999 by Pinky Lilani, a businesswoman, to celebrate 바카라사이트 often unsung Asian heroines of British life.

St George¡¯s, University of London
A Cyprus medical school co-founded by a University of London college has graduated its first doctors. Nicos Anastasiades, Cyprus¡¯ president, was 바카라사이트 guest of honour at 바카라사이트 University of Nicosia Medical School¡¯s first degree ceremony on 15 May, which saw newly qualified doctors receive an award from St George¡¯s, University of London. The institution partnered with Nicosia in 2010 to launch a graduate-entry, four-year medical degree, which has now trained 바카라사이트 first doctors to qualify in Cyprus in 바카라사이트 modern era. Both universities have signed a long-term agreement to renew and extend 바카라사이트ir partnership.