The University’s Access and Participation Plan outlines how the University plans to address its inequality gaps.
The ‘award gap’ (also known as the Attainment Gap) refers to the differential degree outcomes between students from underrepresented groups and their peers.
This typically means that students from certain groups (eg Black students, Mature students and students from Low Participation Neighbourhoods) are less likely to be awarded a 2:1 or 1st Class degree.
The Award Gap Research Project is exploring how all students may benefit from their education at the University of York, examining any potential barriers to student success.
Nationally, certain groups of students are less likely to be awarded a 2:1 or above. At the University of York, our black students, mature students and students from low participation neighbourhoods (LPN) are at a disadvantage when it comes to degree outcomes.
The University is committed to addressing gaps in continuation, progression and award across the diversity of our student cohorts and any stage of the student lifecycle and will act to close such gaps where they appear.
Department-specific data regarding awarding gaps can be requested from access-and-participation@york.ac.uk.
While the statistics show us what the gaps are, they do not tell us why there is a gap.
The Award Gap Research Project has examined key literature and is now focused on conducting a four-stage research project.
This began in January with a student survey, followed by a staff survey in the Spring Term.
The results of these will inform some qualitative discussion events in the early summer and then stage 4 - a longitudinal study - will begin in the Autumn Term.