Bearing bad news Vikki Boliver School of Applied Social Sciences Durham University

1. Bearing bad news Vikki Boliver School of Applied Social Sciences Durham University Society for Research into Higher Education seminar London Metropolitan University 2nd April 2014

2. The bad news • Exploration of the striking under-representation of students from state schools and ethnic minority backgrounds at Russell Group universities, using UCAS data for 1996-2006 • Found that applicants from state schools and from ethnic minority backgrounds were less likely to receive offers of from Russell Group universities than comparably qualified applicants from private schools and the White group • Little if any change between 1996 and 2006 (original study), and between 2006 and 2013 (research update) • Bad news for Russell Group universities: certain applicants somehow systematically disadvantagedin the admissions process

3. The impact strategy • Paper scheduled for publication in the British Journal of Sociology in June 2013 • Keynote presentation at a conference on Higher Education and Social Mobility, organised by the Higher Education Academy, in March 2013 • Press release issued on the day of the conference • Paper pre-circulated the day before to: • The Russell Group; Universities UK; UCAS • Office for Fair Access; SPA; ECU • David Willetts; Alan Milburn • Sutton Trust; The Bridge Group; Social Mobility Foundation

4. Extensive media coverage

5. Some less helpful media reportage

6. Russell Group response

7. Political impact?

8. Political impact?

9. UCAS’s own analysis

10. Positive developments (not my doing)

11. Things to do differently • Share the research findings with key organisations instead of (or well before) publicising in the media • Build up relationships with key organisations over time • Have a clearer idea of next steps • Highlight that ethnic inequalities in admissions chances are, in fact, a sector-wide problem