EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA) PRO-FORMA
Legislation says that the University must take steps to understand the effect, or potential effect, of its
policies* on different groups of people. This is to ensure that a policy is neither directly nor indirectly
discriminatory and to identify how it does, or could, advance equality and foster good relations
between different groups of people.
Legislation groups people by ‘protected characteristics’ and it is these protected characteristics’ need
to be considered when carrying out an EIA.
The protected characteristics are: disability, race, sex, age, gender reassignment, marriage and
civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief and sexual orientation.
Your help is needed to do this, not just because the law says so, but because the University is
committed to equality of opportunity for all and to ensuring that all the University’s policies are
developed with an awareness of their consequences for different groups of people.
Heads of Sections/Departments are responsible for ensuring this form is completed for each policy
they ‘own’. It should take no more than 30 minutes to complete. Questions 1-6 only of this EIA proforma need to be completed for new policies. Policies should be assessed for their effect on equality
every 3-5 years.
* For the purpose of EIAs, the term policy refers to formal policies, procedures and processes. It does
not include informal policies, procedures or processes.
Name of policy
Access Agreement
Policy-holding Department/Section
University wide/CER
Is this a new or existing policy?
Existing but updated annually
Date assessment completed
16 April 2012
Name and job title of person completing pro-forma
Rachel Earle
Deputy Director of Communications and
External Relations (Outreach and Community)
Q1. What is the purpose of the policy? Please explain in no more than 50 words.
All publicly funded institutions wishing to charge higher tuition fees for full-time entrants and/or parttime entrants, must submit an annual access agreement for approval by the Director of Fair Access.
Access agreements set out how institutions will sustain or improve access, student retention and
student success for students from groups under-represented in higher education.
Q2. Does the policy involve, or have consequences for, the people the University serves and
employs? Please answer Yes or No. If yes, please describe all those affected. If No, there is no need
to answer any further questions.
Yes
As defined by the Office for Fair Access (OFFA):
Access agreements set out how institutions will sustain or improve access, retention and student
success among people from ‘under-represented groups’. By this, we mean groups that are currently
under-represented in higher education at the national level rather than at a particular institution or
course, including (but not exclusively):
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people from lower socio-economic groups or from neighbourhoods where HE participation is
low
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people from low income backgrounds (in 2012-13 and 2013-14, this includes household
incomes up to £42,600 – the upper threshold for statutory maintenance grants)
some ethnic groups or sub-groups
disabled people
people who have been in care.
Q3. Does the policy require decisions to be made in relation to individuals or groups of
individuals? Please answer Yes or No. If Yes, please identify the responsible person(s) e.g. Human
Resources Manager.
Yes
The Access Agreement content is proposed and approved by the University’s Transition Group and
then University Steering Group. Decisions are made on what additional support is provided to
students from under-represented groups, as defined by OFFA and outlined in question 2.
The University’s Planning Office will undertake regular monitoring of applications, intake, retention
and employability to monitor impact, assess progress against targets and inform activity. In addition
the monitoring and analysis of intake, progression and outcomes for students from under-represented
groups is both the identified responsibility and integrated remit within a number of University
committees and the University’s management and governance.
Fulfilment of the University Access Agreement and progress against targets will be monitored by the
University Education Outreach and Widening Participation Strategy Committee and reported to the
University Steering Group. The Education Outreach and Widening Participation Strategy Committee
will receive a termly monitoring report of progress against targets from the University’s Planning
Office.
Work is being undertaken with the University’s Equality and Diversity team to align the monitoring of
the Access Agreement with monitoring by the University’s Equality and Diversity Committee.
The University Steering Group will approve the annual Access Agreement and Widening Participation
Strategic Assessment monitoring report to OFFA and HEFCE.
Targets for access, retention and employability are built into the University’s Key Performance
Indicators which are monitored and reported on to University Council, Senate and the University
Steering Group.
University faculties and departments review progression rates as part of the Annual Monitoring
process. Work will be undertaken to further enhance the monitoring at department and faculty level for
progression rates for mature learners, students from low-participation neighbourhoods and students
with a declared disability.
The Admissions Sub-Committee, which reports to the University’s Quality Assurance and
Enhancement Committee, is responsible for monitoring effectiveness of the Undergraduate
Admissions Policy, including review of management information about applicants’ qualifications and
other relevant attributes in relation to confirmation, enrolment, progression and final outcome.
The University of Essex Students’ Union has membership on University Council, University Senate
and the Education Outreach and Widening Participation Strategy Committee.
Q4. What is the decision-making process and is it fair and transparent? E.g. if the decision
relates to determining whether an academic offence has been committed, what is the decision based
on and how are individuals made aware of this?
As outlined in the answer to question 3.
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Q5. Please give details of what equality training is/will be provided for decision makers? If the
decision-maker(s) has not had any equality training, s/he should be encouraged to complete the
University’s equality and diversity online training programme.
Training is important because it identifies the implications of not complying with legislation and
outlines the benefits of doing so.
Decision making is made by committee/working group following the OFFA guidance.
Q6. Referring to the list of protected characteristics at the top of this form, how do you/will you
monitor the effect this policy has on groups of people with these PCs? You can get support and
guidance from Equality and Diversity on equality monitoring by emailing diversity@essex.ac.uk.
As advised in the answer to question 3, work is being undertaken with the University’s Equality and
Diversity team to align the monitoring of the Access Agreement with monitoring by the University’s
Equality and Diversity Committee.
Target groups ‘people from lower socio-economic groups or from neighbourhoods where HE
participation is low and people from low income backgrounds’ include people from all protected
characteristic groups, with BME and disabled people statistically over-represented within lower socioeconomic groups and low participation neighbourhoods.
These groups are statistically evidenced as being under represented in higher education.
Q7. Referring to Q6 above, have you identified any positive or negative impact on any group of
people who share a protected characteristic? E.g. the policy means that some groups of people
are charged for a service and others aren’t. Please answer Yes or No. If yes, what, if anything, has
been/will be done about this?
Yes – positive impact for students who share a protected characteristic who are from lower socioeconomic groups, neighbourhoods where HE participation is low , from low income backgrounds,
people who have been in care or a students with a disability.
Q8. Have there been any complaints or issues raised about the policy in relation to its effect
on people who share a protected characteristic? Please answer Yes or No. If yes, please expand.
No
Q9. Are there any (further) measures that could be taken to continue to ensure the policy is
neither directly nor indirectly discriminatory? e.g. additional data collection/monitoring or
training. Please answer Yes or No. If yes, please expand.
As advised in the answer to question 3 and 6, the work is being undertaken with the University’s
Equality and Diversity team to align the monitoring of the Access Agreement with monitoring by the
University’s Equality and Diversity Committee.
Q10. Have you identified any ways in which the policy does, or could advance equality or
foster good relations between different groups of people? Please answer Yes or No. If yes,
please expand.
Yes – promote and ensure fairness and equal access to higher education opportunities.
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Please now email the completed form to diversity@essex.ac.uk. The Equality and Diversity
Committee (EADC) have responsibility for overseeing the completion of EIAs. Equality and Diversity
will assess the information provided in the first instance and will either:
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Decide that no action is required and report this to the Equality and Diversity Committee;
Recommend actions to be taken and report this to the Equality and Diversity Committee *;
Refer the EIA to the Equality and Diversity Committee who have the option to require a more
detailed assessment be carried out.
The individual completing the EIA pro-forma will be informed of the outcome of the assessment by
Equality and Diversity as soon as possible after submitting the form.
*If Equality and Diversity recommend action(s) be taken, a report outlining the progress made against
the recommended actions will be requested one year after the EIA has taken place.
For completion by Equality and Diversity
Name of Policy
Access Agreement
Should this EIA be referred on to the Equality
and Diversity Committee for further
consideration?
Not at present.
Any significant changes to the policy arising from
the annual updating exercise should be checked
against this EIA and any resulting changes to the
EIA should be reported to Equality and Diversity.
Members of; the University Education Outreach
and Widening Participation Strategy Committee
and any other committee/working group
associated with this access agreement should
complete the University’s on line training (module
1) as soon as possible. Please note: This will
shortly be compulsory for all staff.
17 April 2012
If no, what recommendations, if any, should
be made to the Policy-holding
Department/Section?
Date:
Signed
Syd Kent, Equality and Diversity Officer.
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