Promoting academic confidence and sharing academic privileges with students

Attainment and awarding gaps have been a challenge for higher education for a long time. Awarding gap are specifically determined by actions of the institution and the tutors, not student deficits. There are four hurdles to being awarded a good degree mark; (1)The student must have confidence in the system: (2)The student has to be in a position to produce work at the good degree level. (3)The student’s work has to be awarded marks at the good degree level by the tutor. (4)The student’s work must be free from questions about ownerships. All four hurdles are either dependent on messages sent out by the university staff or value judgments made by the tutor, any biases they hold will affect the mark and classification of degree awarded.

In terms of the awarding gap, tutor bias, is most impactful in three principal areas: The allocation of academic privileges by tutors, which are actions which boosts a student’s performance. Tutor perceptions about ability, this influences the allocation of academic privileges and assessment marking. Tutor perceptions about who we think will commit academic misconduct, and the actions tutors subsequently take. The session will demonstrate how an anti-racist approach can increase awareness and reduce biases based on race and ultimately reduce awarding gaps.

The Session is being delivered by external speaker Professor Winston Morgan.

Event enquiries: Please contact Dr Josephine Gabi at j.gabi@mmu.ac.uk.

About Professor Morgan:

Dr. Winston Morgan BSc, PhD, FHEA, FRSB is a Professor of Toxicology, Equity and Inclusive Practice working as a bioscientist, primarily in Toxicology, Biochemistry and Clinical Chemistry. His other important roles are as EDI leader for the school, a safeguarding officer, PGR course leader and REF Impact champion. Winston has supervised over 20 PGR students to completion. In addition to Bioscience research, he is also involved in research and scholarly activity into factors particularly race and ethnicity which determine societal outcomes in higher education (awarding gap, employment and promotion), health (inequalities) and medicine and have published widely in this area primarily in the media and opinion pieces. Media contributions include the Guardian, The Times, Times Higher, The Conversation, NPR in the USA, Channel 4, and on numerous occasions on BBC TV and radio news national and local. Many of Winston’s articles focus on the intersection of race, education, ethnicity, genetics, medicine, medical racism in societal outcomes.