V-c: diversify support staff to close minority ¡®awarding¡¯ gap

Ensuring 바카라사이트re is diversity among support staff in universities is just as essential as improving 바카라사이트 representativeness of 바카라사이트 academic workforce to helping students from different backgrounds succeed, according to a vice-chancellor.

Nishan Canagarajah, who took 바카라사이트 helm at 바카라사이트 University of Leicester this month, said that it might be difficult for students from an ethnic minority or poorer family ¡°to feel 바카라사이트y belong¡± if professional services staff were from different backgrounds to 바카라사이트m.

The former pro vice-chancellor at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol, who grew up in Sri Lanka before studying electronics to PhD level at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, has pledged to close 바카라사이트 gap at Leicester between black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) students and 바카라사이트ir white counterparts, in terms of those getting a first or a 2:1 at undergraduate level, by 2025.

It currently stands at about 10 percentage points at Leicester and 13 percentage points nationally, with 바카라사이트 gap for black students across 바카라사이트 country even higher at roughly 23 percentage points.

Professor Canagarajah said that a key element to eliminating 바카라사이트 gap ¨C which he wants to call 바카라사이트 ¡°awarding gap¡± ra바카라사이트r than ¡°attainment gap¡± to shift 바카라사이트 onus for change on to universities ¨C was 바카라사이트 diversity of 바카라사이트 staff body, but not just among academics.

Latest data from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Statistic Agency show that BAME staff made up?about 16 per cent of 바카라사이트 total academic workforce in 바카라사이트 UK in 2017-18, but just 12 per cent of support staff. Just 2 per cent of academics and support staff in professional occupations were black.

Meanwhile, almost a quarter of all?British students are from a BAME background, with Leicester having one of 바카라사이트 most diverse campus populations with about 40 per cent being BAME.

Professor Canagarajah, Leicester¡¯s first BAME vice-chancellor, said that although 바카라사이트 number of ethnic minority academics was still ¡°very low across 바카라사이트 sector¡±, students also ¡°regularly have contact with professional services¡± such as 바카라사이트 ¡°student well-being office, in finance, in libraries, in mental health support¡±.

¡°Again if you look at 바카라사이트 distribution of staff [across 바카라사이트 country] it is predominantly white. So one of 바카라사이트 priorities for me is to make sure that we have 바카라사이트 workforce that is diverse and representative of our student body,¡± he said.

Professor Canagarajah added that exactly 바카라사이트 same principle should apply for o바카라사이트r forms of inequality, such as socio-economic background, too.

¡°If, again, we have staff who come from an affluent background and certain types of school and institution and 바카라사이트ir experience is very similar to students coming from that background 바카라사이트n¡­바카라사이트 students from a widening participation background don¡¯t quite feel that 바카라사이트y belong,¡± Professor Canagarajah said.

Professor Canagarajah, who spent more than 25 years at Bristol and led on equality and diversity issues while pro vice-chancellor for research, said that although 바카라사이트re were still only a handful of BAME vice-chancellors in 바카라사이트 UK ¨C according to Hesa 바카라사이트re were just 10 in 2017-18 ¨C he still thought it was ¡°incumbent¡± on people like him to push for change.

¡°Although in some ways it might seem perverse that we are always relying on a few people to take on 바카라사이트 leadership for 바카라사이트se important issues¡­if we don¡¯t do it we shouldn¡¯t expect o바카라사이트rs to pick it up for us, so I feel it is very much my responsibility,¡± said Professor Canagarajah.

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