VP Education Kate Roberts gives us a quick update on the next steps forward after our BAME student researchers revealed the experiences of BAME students across their time at Royal Holloway.
Last year we conducted The Student Engagement Project (TSEP) to look at the experience of Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) students on campus.
This involved detailed qualitative research utilising our paid BAME student researchers who conducted 60 hours of interviews and surveys, revealing the experiences of BAME students across their time at Royal Holloway.
What’s next?
This project will lead to a Student Voice Report, to be published after further consultation with students via our new Executives, that outlines our findings alongside drawing up an action plan of what we will do next as the Students’ Union, and what we will lobby the University to do in order to improve the BAME student experience as a whole.
The report will also address the issue of the BAME attainment gap at Royal Holloway, this is the difference in degree outcome between White students and BAME students.
At present, the gap in attainment at Royal Holloway is 11 percentage points for Asian students, 15 percentage points for Black students and 10 percentage points for both mixed raced and other students. While we recognise that this is a national issue, we strongly believe this is unacceptable and we will be lobbying the University over the coming months to take more committed and less fragmented action towards reducing this gap.
If you are interested in being involved with this project, please email get in touch with me or VP Welfare & Diversity Lucy Simpson and look out for more updates on this project in the near future.
Remember, there's also still time to join the BAME Collective, or run to be a convenor where you can support the activities and interests of BAME students on campus.
Kate Roberts // Vice President Education