UBU Annual General Meeting Thursday 9th February 2012 Anson Rooms Priority For: Education Motion Name: Bristol University should not discriminate against intelligent students from poor backgrounds UBU Notes: 1.
2.
3. 4.
Contextualised offers are the most effective way in which intelligent students from less privileged backgrounds are able to overcome socio-economic disadvantages and study at University. Where offers are contextualised, it means that they are lower than standard offers, taking into account factors such as the performance of the student’s school, family circumstances, and household income Students from underperforming state schools admitted on contextual offers have been shown to perform as well as, or even better than, those on standard offers from high-performing state or private schools, in terms of degree classification The University of Bristol does not have a policy of contextualised offers which it effectively enforces Students from ethnic minorities are more likely to come from less privileged backgrounds and are thus at a disadvantage at application stage. Only 41 black students graduated from Bristol University last year from a cohort of 3300
UBU Believes: 1. 2. 3. 4.
The University of Bristol is an elite academic institution which should admit the brightest and the best students on the basis of merit The University of Bristol should contextualise educational achievement and consider educational and socio-economic background when making offers. Ethnic minority students should not be at a disadvantage when applying to Bristol as a result of a less privileged background Failing to contextualise offers effectively discriminates against less privileged students, undermines the principle of meritocracy and, in the long-term, entrenches inequality in wider society
UBU Resolves: 1.
To lobby the University of Bristol to effectively enforce contextualised offers
Proposer’s Name: Josephine Suherman
University of Bristol Students’ Union Ltd. Reg. Co. No. 6977417
