The Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Degree Awarding Gap: An exploration of its scope, impact and possible explanations at a post-1992 institution

在英国，黑人和少数民族（BME）本科生的学位等级低于白人。这种较低的结果导致更低的就业率和更少的研究生学习机会。作为回应，政策已经转向解决“学位授予差距”，作为挑战高等教育（HE）提供中的种族不平等和社会不公正的第一步。一些研究已经调查了BME奖励差距的原因和影响。然而，问题依然存在。这种失败的可能原因可能与我的研究旨在解决的那些研究中的一些空白有关。通过在一所超级多元化的大学进行有目的的研究，我将比较和对比BME学生在三个部门的经历，这些部门的奖励差距被描述为“低”、“中”和“高”，以深入研究这一现象。一种可能性是，关于BME成绩不佳的主流话语可能隐藏了一些不同的结果。其次，在许多研究中，BME学生被“视为”同质队列；我的研究将探讨与高等教育经历和成就相关的交叉性和种族身份问题。第三，我将采访负责解决BME奖励差距的大学工作人员。我的研究以布尔迪乌主义概念和“邪恶问题”理论为框架，以补充目前对高等教育中BME奖励差距的关键驱动因素的了解。它的发现将为解决这个长期存在的“邪恶”问题做出重要贡献。

Black and Ethnic Minority (BME) undergraduates in the UKachieve lower degree classifications than their White peers.Such lower outcomes lead to poorer employment rates andreduced access to postgraduate study. In response, policyhas turned to address the 'degree awarding gap' as a firststep in challenging racial inequality and social injustice inhigher education (HE) provision.Several studies have examined the causes and impact ofthe BME awarding gap. However, the problem persists. Apossible reason for this failure may be to do with somegaps in those studies that my research aims to address.Through a purposive study in one super-diverse university, Iwill compare and contrast the experiences of BME studentsin three departments where the awarding gap ischaracterised as 'low, 'medium' and 'high' to drill down intothe phenomenon. One possibility is that dominantdiscourses of BME underattainment may be hiding somedifferent outcomes. Second, in many studies, BME studentsare 'taken' as a homogenous cohort; my study will exploreissues of intersectionality and ethnic identities in relationto HE experiences and attainment. Third, I will interviewuniversity staff tasked with addressing the BME awardinggap.My study is framed by Bourdieusian concepts and 'wickedproblem' theory to complement what is currently knownabout the key drivers of the BME awarding gap in HE. Itsfindings will offer a vital contribution towards thislongstanding, 'wicked' problem.