Awarding Gap

The Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Awarding Gap is the percentage difference between BAME and White students who achieve a 1st Class Classification and 2:1 Classification for their Undergraduate studies. 

 

There is a disparity in grades awarded to BAME students compared to White students as a result of structural imbalances and systematic failures in Higher Education – limiting BAME student’s ‘success’ while having little to no barriers for white students. 

GSU believes that everyone should have the chance to benefit from Higher Education if they choose to. All students should have equal opportunities to succeed and progress, regardless of their background. 

To read more on UoG’s aims for the Awarding Gap please click here. 

At GSU and UOG, we are passionate about providing equal opportunities for all students to progress, succeed and show their skills regardless of background. 

 

Inclusivity Researchers

The Inclusivity Researchers (IR) are student-staff who are running focus groups across all programmes to gather information and data on BAME students academic experience. They are also working with our award-winning Retention calling project to speak to BAME Students on modules with the highest awarding gaps. 

The IRs aim is to understand the barriers students face in their education, their thoughts, feelings and emotions about their taught content and any recommendations for the programme.  

They are doing this through raising awareness of the awarding gap through talks, focus groups, events, talks with academic staff and being accessible for students to share their academic experiences.

 

Achieving ‘Inclusive Module’ Status 

Each year, we work with the University to identify the top 100 modules with the highest awarding gaps.  

The IRs will then arrange talks, focus groups and calls with BAME students on these modules to understand their experiences and get their recommendations on how to improve the module. 

They ask students about their experiences of; 

  • Reading lists 
  • Course content 
  • Assessments 
  • Sense of community 
  • Teaching 
  • Access to resources 

And more! 

Once IRs have spoken to students on the identified modules, the IRs will find common patterns and trends across programmes, schools, and faculties to report back to the programme leader and UoG with recommendations. 

If students are satisfied with the changes made post the recommendations, the module is awarded the ‘Inclusive module’ status. 

The full timeline for achieving ‘Inclusive Module’ status can be found here.

Please get in contact with inclusivityconsultants@greenwich.ac.uk if you would like to chat about your Awarding Gap or would like a focus group/phone call for your programme. 

 

Get Involved 

If you would like to book a consultation with an Inclusivity Researcher, assess what you can do to address the awarding gap or simply find out more about the work of Inclusivity Researchers and GSU in addressing the Awarding Gap please email inclusivityconsultants@gre.ac.uk. 

GSU will get in contact with academic staff about the focus groups and phone calls, they will be conducting.  

Please note that all programmes across the university will be assessed within the next few years, aligned with the UoG 2030 Awarding Gap timeline. 

You can also contact us if you are a student looking to become an Inclusivity researcher. 

 

Find out what the University is doing to address the Awarding Gap.

Find out more