SSPSSR’s commitment to supporting Black Minority Ethnic (BAME) students achieve the best degree outcomes they can, has led to a dramatic drop in the academic attainment gap.
Targeted initiatives across the School have dramatically reduced the gap between BAME students and White students attaining a First or 2(1) from 23% in 2018/19 to 10% in 2019/20.
Activities designed to support SSPSSR students studying at Kent’s campuses in Canterbury and Medway have included:
- a Wright Right voluntary academic skills module: designed to improve academic writing skills for students (86% of the students who attended the sessions achieved a First or 2:1)
- ‘Stretch & Challenge’ meetings with Academic Advisors: A core cohort of BAME students in Stage 3 had specialist one-to-one meetings with their Academic Advisors in addition to being timetabled on the Write Right module
- Academic Mentoring: BAME students at SSPSSR were actively encouraged to sign up for Academic Mentoring. They were invited to meet potential mentors at a Pizza Night organised in collaboration with Socrates (SSPSSR’s student society)
As part of ongoing efforts to consider how higher education can be made more inclusive for students (and in light of the recent upsurge of the Black Lives Matter movement), the School hosted an interactive online discussion in September on ‘Black Lives Matter and Inclusive Education.’
Chaired by SSPSSR Sociology Lecturer Dr Alex Hensby, panellists discussed the issues facing both staff and students in higher education in terms of race, and inequality of access and participation.
Panel members comprised:
- Dr Barbara Adewumi (from the University of Kent Diversity Mark Project)
- Professor Miri Song (Director of Research at SSPSSR and Convenor of the SO537 Race & Racism module)
- Sasha Langeveldt (outgoing Kent Union president)
- Stephen Kamara (outgoing BAME Student Network president)
- Evangeline Agyeman (Diversity Mark Student Officer)