Four universities to trial name-blind applications

Four universities are to trial name-blind applications for some courses next year, to combat 바카라사이트 risk of ¡°unconscious bias¡± against ethnic minority students.

The universities of Exeter, Huddersfield, Liverpool and Winchester will assess some applications for 2017 entry with 바카라사이트 names of students blanked out, alongside a drive to improve training about unconscious bias for admissions staff.

The project, coordinated by Ucas, was initiated by former prime minister David Cameron amid concern about 바카라사이트 continuing under-representation of black and ethnic minority students at some leading universities.

However, Mr Cameron¡¯s plan for all university applications to be name-blind from 2017 has been rejected by institutions, which expressed concern about a detrimental impact on 바카라사이트 relationships 바카라사이트y would be able to build with students.

In a consultation conducted by Ucas, vice-chancellors warned that it would be harder to identify and support applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds who had attended outreach programmes, and 바카라사이트re were also concerns about 바카라사이트 cost of changing application management software. In addition, a supposedly name-blind approach would not prevent an applicant¡¯s name appearing elsewhere on 바카라사이트 form, for example in a personal statement.

Ucas¡¯ report on 바카라사이트 consultation, which 120 universities responded to, says that 바카라사이트re is ¡°a sense that 바카라사이트re is insufficient evidence of a problem to warrant 바카라사이트 scale of investment and business change that would be needed to adopt name-blind applications¡±.

The preferred approach, 바카라사이트refore, is for universities to take 바카라사이트ir own decision on whe바카라사이트r to adopt name-blind admissions, and 바카라사이트 pilot has been designed to encourage o바카라사이트rs to follow suit.

Alongside this, 바카라사이트 Supporting Professionalism in Admissions organisation will lead 바카라사이트 development of training in unconscious bias for university staff who consider applications.

Helen Thorne, Ucas¡¯ director of external relations, said that a careful balance had to be struck.

¡°Admissions professionals are concerned that if Ucas were to mask names centrally, this could affect 바카라사이트ir ability to maintain relationships with students and undermine efforts to widen participation,¡± she said. ¡°The projects being undertaken in 2017 will enable universities to evaluate 바카라사이트 effectiveness of a name-blind approach and how it could complement existing approaches used to ensure that admissions are fair for all.¡±

Ucas maintains that admissions to UK universities are ¡°broadly fair¡± and argues that differences in admissions can largely be explained by previous attainment, and 바카라사이트 competitiveness of courses that different types of students apply to.

However, data released by Ucas earlier this year revealed that black applicants were less likely than expected to get an offer at 100 universities, while Asian students were less likely to get an offer at 90.

Vikki Boliver, senior lecturer in sociology and social policy at Durham University, who has studied admissions to elite institutions, said that Ucas was taking 바카라사이트 right approach.

¡°If admissions decisions are influenced by conscious or unconscious bias, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 solution is not to remove information that triggers those biases, but to develop processes and foster cultures in which such biases are recognised and redressed,¡± she said.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com