Bearing bad news

Vikki BoliverSchool of Applied Social Sciences

Durham University

Society for Research into Higher Education seminar London Metropolitan University

2nd April 2014

The bad news Exploration of the striking under-representation of students

from state schools and ethnic minority backgrounds at Russell Group universities, using UCAS data for 1996-2006

Found that applicants from state schools and from ethnic minority backgrounds were less likely to receive offers of from Russell Group universities than comparably qualified applicants from private schools and the White group

Little if any change between 1996 and 2006 (original study), and between 2006 and 2013 (research update)

Bad news for Russell Group universities: certain applicants somehow systematically disadvantaged in the admissions process

The impact strategy Paper scheduled for publication in the British Journal of

Sociology in June 2013

Keynote presentation at a conference on Higher Education and Social Mobility, organised by the Higher Education Academy, in March 2013

Press release issued on the day of the conference

Paper pre-circulated the day before to: The Russell Group; Universities UK; UCAS Office for Fair Access; SPA; ECU David Willetts; Alan Milburn Sutton Trust; The Bridge Group; Social Mobility Foundation

Extensive media coverage

Some less helpful media reportage

Russell Group response

Political impact?

Political impact?

UCAS’s own analysis

Positive developments (not my doing)

Things to do differently

Share the research findings with key organisations instead of (or well before) publicising in the media

Build up relationships with key organisations over time

Have a clearer idea of next steps

Highlight that ethnic inequalities in admissions chances are, in fact, a sector-wide problem