Managing the risk of unconscious bias in admissions 3b UCAS Admissions Conference, 21 March 2016 Dan Shaffer, Head of Professionalism in Admissions Lizzy Woodfield, Admissions Support and Development Manager

What is SPA? Set up in 2006 following the Schwartz Report Fair Admissions to Higher Education: Recommendations for Good Practice 2004 ‘The Group recommends the creation of a central source of expertise and advice on admissions issues. Its purpose would be to act as a resource for institutions who wish to maintain and enhance excellence in admissions. Such a centre could lead the continuing development of fair admissions, evaluating and commissioning research, and spreading best practice.’

“Equal opportunity for all individuals, regardless of background, to gain admission to a course suited to their ability and aspirations.” Fair, in principle 1. Be transparent. 2. Enable institutions to select students who are able to complete the course as judged by their achievements and their potential. 3. Strive to use assessment methods that are reliable and valid. 4. Seek to minimise barriers to applicants. 5. Be professional in every respect and underpinned by appropriate institutional structures and processes.

Imagine you’re going out for a meal What is unconscious bias? Do you: a)Run away? b)Strike first? c)Pause to consider who this person is? Perhaps he’s the chef. Maybe he’s had an unfortunate accident and needs your help. He might just be passing by.

What is unconscious bias? Unconscious bias refers to a bias that we are unaware of, and which happens outside of our control. It is a bias that happens automatically and is triggered by our brain making quick judgments and assessments of people and situations, influenced by our background, cultural environment and personal experiences. But…in student recruitment unconscious bias can lead to unfairly discriminating against individuals.

Here’s what the Royal Society says…

What does the evidence say? Very little research about unconscious bias in HE student recruitment...but for staff recruitment… Applicants with typically white British names more likely to be shortlisted for jobs than those with names associated with minority ethnic backgrounds. Staff in a science faculty rated male applicants for a lab manager role as more competent than equally qualified females. Chose a higher starting salary for males.

Risk areas for unconscious bias

Applicant and adviser bias I’m not academic enough… I won’t fit in on this course… Pupils from our school don’t go to that type of university…you’d be better off at…. I better not tell them I’m dyslexic, it might count against me…

HE provider bias Their application was strong but they seemed really under-confident at interview… This school has a great track record of pupils successfully applying to my course… I’ve not heard of this qualification before – surely it’s not suitable preparation for this course…

Mitigating the risk - group exercise Using the templates provided: Add in any more examples from your own experience. How could you mitigate against the risk of unconscious bias?

Five recommendations 1.Create a culture of equality Having written equality and diversity policies is insufficient; policies need to be put into practice. Managers should make it clear that they are committed to equality, holding themselves and others to account. 2.Ensure transparency Ensure that all decisions, including interviews, are properly documented in a standard and consistent manner, and that they demonstrate why decisions were made. This will make providing feedback easier, facilitate any auditing process and help protect against legal challenges. 3.Reduce stereotypes Look for situations where you can promote counter- stereotypical images of underrepresented groups, without misleading applicants. This should apply not just on the website and in marketing materials, but also around the institution where they would be encountered by visitors. 4.Prepare individual selectors Consider introducing training in a supportive, unthreatening environment to give staff the chance to think about their biases in a constructive way. Familiarity with non- stereotypical student, academic or career examples will implant an intention to counter bias and promote a conscious effort toward equality. 5.Ensure the qualities of different candidates are valued in the same way Before any selection decisions are made, all involved should be clear about what they are looking for, adhering to a robust admissions policy and consistent admission criteria that should not change within any period of equal consideration.

Next steps? SPA’s review and action plan:review and action plan What already exists? What needs to be created, updated or expanded? Who will be responsible? What’s the timeline? How will we measure success?

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