Neil Currant, Oxford Brookes University Belonging and the Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) student experience: a multitude of stories Neil Currant, Oxford Brookes University Or BAME Gauge who is in the room re: LDers and other staff

Student quotes “Even in my classes like linguistic diversity they (lecturers) shy away from race…it does feel like the teacher censors herself…these issues aren’t properly looked at.” student “when you raise your hand in class, when you talk you don't talk the way you write… because you actually write better than the way you speak… Sometimes they (lecturers) say to you I did not believe it is you that writes this.” international student 1st quote: the bigger issue of not talking about race with students. White lecturers being uncomfortable with it.

The usual starting point BME ‘attainment gap’ Sector avg: ~16% (1st & 2.i) Institutional variability Understand why? (very complex and will come back to this. Can easily be used to defer action.) Interventions Activity: What interventions have you used or do you know about? What interventions do you think are needed? We don’t understand the problem therefore can’t do anything Then the next step is interventions. In small groups discuss, specifically think about LD interventions. Last Q brings up issue of targeted interventions.

Intervention ideas Note down their ideas, especially LD interventions

Intervention examples 1 Sophisticated monitoring and analysis: e.g. Kingston University value added measure. Mentoring: e.g. Birmingham University Inclusive teaching: Hertfordshire’s Curriculum design toolkit, DeMontfort’s adoption of Universal Design for Learning. Diversifying the curriculum: Oxford Brookes DtC project, UCL ‘Why is my curriculum white?’ …and many, many others Most of these are inclusive rather than targetted

Intervention issues & Challenges Tend to focus on initial belonging assuming if that works everything will be fine. (NB: latest What Works report found a reduction in belonging from 1st to final year) The risk that being inclusive means being ‘safe’ Diversifying the curriculum – How (staff)? Backlash (students)? Being safe in the sense of not tackling challenging issues, being overly-sensitive and homogenous. Challenges of DtC. Discussion point We have seen backlash from students to the I too am…campaigns, e.g. at Oxford (We are all Oxford) and in the US.

I too am Oxford We are all Oxford

One of the biggest challenges can be the attitude and behaviour of other students – how do we tackle this? “I don’t drink. And I think the shock, people’s lack of understanding, that, I think that shocked me.” student “I have met fellow students who like to impress hate to non-European race as well as person who does not speak English as the first language.” Student “every time you sit with a group of white students, after break no-one wants to sit next to you … do you know what, I have tried my part and no-one wants to sit next to me.” student Discussion point

“…there is a box where every black student is placed… The black ones are all 2.2 students.”

But have we really listened to the experiences of BME students?

BME??! A useful categorisation for statistical analysis but meaningless in relation to individuals. What are the experiences of BME students in your institution? Discussion point – do as flipchart activity

Student experiences

‘A typical student’ ??? Janice – mature student, married, mother Kingsley – mature, socialises in local community because it is more diverse and covers his interests better Saira – commuter student, lives with parents, socialises with friends from previous FE college.

Humanising HE Thoughts? “the way she spoke, she was very nice, as compared to the previous one that we had. She treated me with respect… I felt so good, I felt that I was talking to somebody who respects somebody, who treats somebody with dignity .” student One of the values of LD work. One to one with students to meet their needs – the focus is on them. Thoughts?