Find out what progress we are making towards a fairer university through our Access and Student Success Strategy 2020 to 2025 (PDF).
The strategy is set out across four pillars of the student lifecycle: Access, Continuation, Attainment and Progression. Our fifth pillar, Enablers, outlines where we focus our efforts to support the successful delivery of the strategy.
Within these pillars we have several Measures of Success which will help us keep track of our progress.
How are we increasing access and success?
Find out more about our progress in the following data and case studies. You can also download an infographic of our progress during the academic year 2021 to 2022 (accessible PDF).
Access
- Increased the proportion of undergraduate students from areas of low participation in HE compared to those from areas of high participation in HE from 4.9:1 in 2020/21 to 4.3:1.
- Set a new target to increase the percentage of postgraduate researchers from an ethnic-minority background to 21.8% by 2024/25.
- Set a new target to increase the proportion of undergraduate students from deprived areas to a ratio of 2:1 by 2024/25.
Case studies:
Enablers
- Enhanced our data capability which has enabled greater understanding of intersections between demographics and the impact of different points in the student lifecycle on student outcomes.
- Effectively embedded student voice in our evaluative processes. This includes the introduction of listening rooms, student panels across faculties and co-creation of interventions.
- We have also refined our knowledge exchange model to implement change as a consequence of student voice.
Case studies:
Continuation
- Decreased the percentage of postgraduate-taught ethnically- minoritised students who do not continue their studies from 6.9% in 2020/21 to 5.2%.
- Met our annual milestone to decrease the percentage of undergraduate mature students who do not continue onto their 2nd year of study to 8.0%.
Case studies:
Awarding gaps
- Met our annual milestone to decrease the difference between the percentage rates of ethically-minoritised and white students who achieve a First or 2:1 degree to 11.7%.