Objective 6 – Address low degree attainment amongst UG ethnic minority students. Investigate and address relatively lower degree attainment amongst UG ethnic minority students. Continue to encourage inclusive teaching and learning practice. In effect, the aim of Objective 6 is to investigate how best to identify and increase the attainment of at risk BME students at Brunel. The goal is to narrow the gap between the attainment of White and BME UG students. While more data analysis which is planned over the life of this Equality Objectives will help to map and identify the reasons for low degree attainment amongst UG ethnic minority students, the efforts to achieve this objective have to be combined with those allocated to achieving the aims of Objective 7. In to meet the aims of Objective 6, Brunel has taken fair and flexible approach, as well as recognising the diversity of needs within the student body, the University increased work in the areas of attainment, transition and retention to ensure Brunel’s groups achieve outcomes comparable to the student population as a whole. In practical terms, the University paid ‘due regard’ under the Access Agreement and WP Strategy by provision of Access Scholarships to 380 new entrants every year from under-represented groups and mature students; Continuing the University’s Regional Partnership Scholarships (worth £6,000) provided to 20 undergraduate students in 2012. The scholarship is based on academic excellence and eligible students must have attended a maintained school or college (not an independent or private school) in one of the six London boroughs with whom the University operates Widening Participation partnerships. Students must also meet one or more of the University’s under-represented groups; These Schemes have ensured that the WP students who are BME at Brunel are able to engage and have successful careers at Brunel.
Objective 7 – Investigate year on year UG student progression and retention. Investigate and seek to increase, where necessary, year on year UG progression amongst students of different protected characteristics. Continue to encourage inclusive teaching and learning practice. A mapping exercise which looked at the actions Academic Schools were taking on retention was conducted by the Student Equality and Diversity Office in November 2012. The aim of the exercise was to explore how best the Student Equality and Diversity Office could support Academic Schools academically and to increase their retention rates. Five out of eight Schools engaged with the mapping exercise. Their responses rightly showed that Schools were taking both academic and non-academic approaches to ensuring progression and retaining students. For example - The Department of Information Systems and Computing, within the School of Information Systems, Computing and Mathematics, re-structured their UG course with an emphasis on small group teaching and proactively check on students who fail to attend lectures regularly. The Department of Mathematics, introduced in 2012/13 a Peer Mentoring Scheme for level 2 and 3 students with the aim of reaching 25% of students who might otherwise not progress. The Department also ran ‘Essential Skills’ sessions where students get help with their mathematical skills. Most of the Schools had applied for, and were awarded, the 2012-13 OFFA funding aimed at Retention Projects within the different Schools. Following the Mapping Exercise, the Student Equality and Diversity Office were given an opportunity to run a Workshop in the Brunel Business School as part of the School’s annual Equality Staff Development session. The Workshop explored options which may help address the issues identified under Objectives 6 and 7.