Resources, glossary and further reading

Glossary

The Access and Participation Plan is the regulatory document that every higher education institution must provide to the Office for Students to demonstrate its plan to provide equality of opportunity to underrepresented groups. The target groups in the University of Reading’s Access and Participation Plan (2024/5-2027/8) are mature students, students with characteristics associated with socioeconomic deprivation (IMD2019, Free School Meal eligibility, Reading Bursary recipients), minority ethnic students (with individual targets for Black students).

ABMO/BAME labels are broad terms that reflect the administrative grouping of diverse ethnic communities for data monitoring and analysis purposes. ‘ABMO’ refers to the high level categories utilised at the University of Reading (Asian, Black, Mixed & Other) and ‘BAME’ is a more commonly used aggregation that broadly refers to ethnic groups that are not white-British. It is important to remember that BAME and ABMO do not refer to homogeneous groups with identical experiences. They can both be avoided in parlance in preference of terms such as ‘minority ethnic’ or ‘racialised minority’.

Access gaps are the gaps in the desired student population when compared to the local or national population. Access gaps are known to impact students from neighbourhoods with typically low levels of participation in higher education or high levels of socioeconomic deprivation.

🎥 ‘How diverse is our student cohort?’ A video explainer

Awarding gaps are the percentage point differences in the rates of two comparison groups achieving a first or second class (i.e. ‘good’) undergraduate degree.

Belonging has been defined as “the extent to which individuals feel like a valued, accepted, and legitimate member in their academic domain…belonging has long been recognized as an innate human need and an important driver of physical and psychological well-being” (Lewis et al., 2016). A ‘sense of belonging’ is associated with improved academic outcomes (HEFCE, 2015).

Capital refers to the different forms of resources that individuals and groups possess, which can be converted into power and influence in a particular space. Variations include social capital (access to social networks: “who you know”) cultural capital (which may include language proficiency, education level and awareness of cultures considered to be legitimate) and economic capital (material wealth and resources).

Continuation gaps are the percentage point differences in the rates of two comparison groups who remain enrolled one year and fifteen days after their initial enrolment date.

‘Declared’ disabilities are those disabilities which have been disclosed to the University of Reading through self-reporting mechanisms. Sub-categories provided by the Office for Students are as follows: sensory, medical or physical impairments; mental health condition; social or communication impairments, or multiple impairments. Higher education institutions are required to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for students with a disability, under the Equality Act of 2010.

The deficit model is the perception that outcome gaps are the result of deficiencies in certain student populations due to their particular culture or background. Early higher education culture around awarding gaps emphasised remedial approaches that targeted these perceived deficiencies. Most universities now refute the deficit model and focus on the structural inequalities that unfairly disadvantage students. Note that the ‘staff deficit’ model can be similarly unhelpful and we seek to find practicable solutions and celebrate the inclusive approaches already being practised.

Good degrees are first or second class undergraduate degree awards, considered ‘good’ due to the longer term employment and wellbeing outcomes associated with them.

The hidden curriculum is the ‘unwritten rules’ that students must know to succeed but tend not to be formally communicated. A common manifestation of the hidden curriculum is a lack of awareness of the range of support available and how to access it, such as the social norms around approaching academic staff with questions about upcoming assessments. Renaming ‘office hours’ to ‘student hours’ is an example of a subtle change that could address this problem.

The Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) are a set of statistical indices used in the United Kingdom to measure the relative deprivation of postcodes, ranking them from 1 to 5 . Quintile 1 & 2 encompass the two most deprived areas of the United Kingdom and Quintiles 3, 4 & 5 refer to the three least deprived areas. The indices are typically used to target resources and interventions to areas with the greatest need. For instance, they form part of the eligibility criteria for the Reading Bursary. The specific domains measured may vary over time, but as of 2019, they include: Income Deprivation; Employment Deprivation; Education, Skills, and Training; Health Deprivation and Disability; Crime; Barriers to Housing and Services and; Living Environment Deprivation.

The progression gap is the difference in the proportion of two comparison groups attaining ‘positive graduate destinations’ represented by professional employment or further progress in academia.

Further resources for academic staff

Community building

Data gathering and monitoring

Intervention planning

Insights and experiences

Research

What Are Awarding Gaps?
Awarding Gaps at the University of Reading
Causes of Awarding Gaps
Student Perspectives
How to Close Awarding Gaps
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Get Involved
Resources, Glossary and Further Reading