Equality and Diversity Committee
16 November 2010
Agenda Item: 9(b)
Paper: Eadc/10/25
Equality Impact Assessment of Student Admissions
Progress Report to Equality and Diversity Committee, November 2010
The Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) of Student Admissions began in February 2008 and reported in March 2009. The EIA panel report stated that:
“The Panel carried out a comprehensive review of the procedures, policies and practices used in the admission of students and identified a number of
examples of good practice.”
The Panel identified no areas of concern but noted in particular that the scope of the EIA, covering student admissions at undergraduate and postgraduate
levels had been rather too wide-ranging.
The Panel made a number of recommendations, which are set out below together with comments from Admissions about progress to date.
Recommendation
Admissions Comment
1.
The Panel recommends that there should be an overarching University
Admissions Policy that sets out the principles that govern the admission
of students.
Development of undergraduate and postgraduate admissions policies is
now under way. This work is being overseen by the Admissions SubCommittee of Quality Assurance and Enhancement Committee. The
policies will be submitted to Senate for approval by the end of the 2010/11
academic year.
2.
The Panel recommends that guidelines on the University’s admissions
procedures should be developed for Departments/Schools. The Panel
recognises that these guidelines will be different for different groups of
applicants and that it would be appropriate, for example, for The
Graduate School to develop them for PGR applicants, and Graduate
Admissions for PGT applicants.
There is a Graduate Admissions Handbook and an Undergraduate
Policies, Guidelines and Procedures document, which are available to
admissions selectors and support staff involved in admissions. The content
of both will be reviewed during 2010/11 in the context of development of
the admissions policies, and revisions will be made as appropriate.
3.
The Panel recommends that all applicants to the University are recorded
on a centrally-managed database to allow for comprehensive statistical
monitoring.
This is already the case for all undergraduate and postgraduate applicants,
but there are exceptions in relation to some provision for which the ‘others’
admissions (OAD) system is used. OAD is used by departments and not
by central Admissions. An MIS project is under way to integrate OAD
within the Postgraduate Admissions system, which will then become the
standard system for processing all direct (non-UCAS) applicants to the
University, regardless of level. This will facilitate comprehensive statistical
monitoring. Admissions, Planning and MIS staff are actively working
together on this project.
4.
The Panel recommends that all staff involved in admissions selection
should be required to undertake appropriate training.
This is already in place for undergraduate admissions selectors. Graduate
Administrators also receive training from central Graduate Admissions
about all aspects of the admissions process, but there is currently no
systematic, central training provision for postgraduate admissions
selectors.
5.
The Panel recommends that the Admissions Qualifications Review
Group’s (AQRG) Terms of Reference are amended to include the
following:- 'to take into consideration the University’s Statement on
Equality and Diversity’.
This was actioned, but AQRG has now been replaced by the Admissions
Sub-Committee (see 1 above). The Admissions Sub-Committee will
function as a Working Group in 2010/11 to oversee the development and
approval of the admissions policies. Its current terms of reference include
the following:
To develop an annual schedule for monitoring and reviewing the
effectiveness of the University’s admissions policies, including
identification of management information requirements.
The annual schedule of monitoring and review will include reference to
equality and diversity issues.
6.
The Panel recommends that the University’s Statement on Equality and
Diversity appears in all publications relating to admissions, including the
Admissions web site. The Panel recognises that this process has already
begun.
Admissions is committed to ensuring that the University’s Statement on
Equality and Diversity appears in all publications, including web-based
information.
7.
The Panel recommends that information relating to ‘Dignity and Respect’
should be included in information given to applicants. (The Panel
acknowledges that the Dignity and Respect Working Party is currently
considering how best to articulate the University’s values in this area and
that the wording given to applicants should come from their
recommendations.)
The requirement in respect of references to ‘Dignity and Respect’ is
unclear, since no explicit recommendations were received from the Dignity
and Respect Working Party. However, Admissions is committed to
ensuring that positive messages about dignity and respect for all members
of the University community are communicated to applicants both orally
and in writing.
8.
The Panel recommends that a sentence should be included on the
postgraduate application form stating that all information requested must
be provided even if the applicant has previously provided it e.g. when an
Graduate Admissions is currently working on a project with MIS to redesign and enhance the online application form. This will be built in to the
Essex graduate is applying for the next stage of study
new form.
9.
The Panel recommends that the ‘others’ category should be re-named.
This action will follow from the integration of OAD into the postgraduate
admissions system (see 3 above).
10.
The Panel recommends that everyone who advises the University that
they are attending a visit day is given an opportunity to disclose whether
they have any special requirements e.g. a disabled parking space
This has been actioned. Applicants are invited to advise of any specific
requirements they or their guests may have in relation to Visit Day
attendance.
11.
The Panel recommends that staff involved in interviewing applicants
should be made aware by External Relations of what the applicant has
been told to expect from the process.
This task still needs to be completed, and will be dealt with as part of the
work on admissions policies. Ad hoc support and training is already
provided on request from admissions selectors.
12.
The Panel recommends that equality and diversity issues relating to
student admissions should be part of the Faculty Managers’ remit and
that Faculty Managers should be encouraged to share good practice with
a view to minimizing variance across Departments/Schools.
It is not clear whether this recommendation has been actioned in any way.
Faculty Managers do no currently have an explicit role in student
admissions, but meet once a fortnight with colleagues in Communications
& External Relations to discuss matters relating to marketing, recruitment
and admissions. This forum provides an opportunity to highlight concerns,
share good practice, and to introduce greater consistency where possible
and appropriate.
Joanne Tallentire
Deputy Director (Admissions)
Communications & External Relations
4 November 2010