VIEWS & OPINION
How higher education is breaking barriers to social mobility
Comment by SOPHIE McINTOSH, PA Project Coordinator at Anderson Quigley
Many young people enter higher education at a pivotal time in their lives. Higher education is now starting to fully engage with young people, embracing its position as an important facilitator of social, and particularly income, mobility.
From my Master’s research to my work at Anderson Quigley supporting executive recruitment across the higher education sector, I’ve gained both academic and practical insights into a number of novel trends, and in particular
the appointment and policies of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (ED&I) directors, certain disruptive internships and programs, and financial support.
Promising trends are surfacing across the sector, and these are certainly markers of progress – but more needs to be done. It is vital that higher education doesn’t rest on its laurels and continues to innovate to boost the mobility of their students.
Contextualising the challenge
Research from The Sutton Trust sheds light on the scale of the change required across UK universities. For the cohort entering university in the mid-2000s, the student mobility rate was 1.3%. This means that out of every 1,000 students, 13 were from a disadvantaged background who would go on to be socially mobile. If there was equal access to university, and an equal chance of labour market success, that rate would be 4.4%. The rate is estimated to have risen to 1.6% for those entering university in the mid-2010s, as well as those in 2018-2019, owing to widening participation.
Whilst the data is trending in the right direction, these figures show there is still much more to be done.
The rise of ED&I directors
A promising trend has emerged in higher education that should give these figures a boost: the rise of ED&I directors. Universities across the UK have rapidly been hiring this role in recent years, particularly after movements such as Black Lives Matter and MeToo entered the mainstream consciousness. The function of this role is to ensure that a university is fair, inclusive and promotes diversity – and within diversity, social mobility.
It’s important to acknowledge that whilst diversity and social mobility are linked, they are not synonymous. Diversity refers to a myriad of aspects that form an individual’s identity: gender, race, age, marriage and civil partnership, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, religion, disability, and sexual orientation. Having worked with universities in Northern Ireland where religious diversity is especially important, I learnt how multifaceted diversity is, and how there is no ‘one size fits all’ prescription.
Social mobility is the movement of individuals, families, or other groups of people within or between social strata in a society. A change in a person’s social mobility typically compares their socio-economic standing in the world to that of their parents or their own lifetime. It is not difficult to understand the critical role higher education can play in this journey.
Using data Many institutions promote diversity values and champion social mobility. 30
www.education-today.co.uk
Broad sweeping statements must be paired with clear targets to truly improve an institution’s support of mobility. Data, transparency, and the influence of ED&I directors play an increasingly key role here. Organisations such as Leicester University’s Institute for Inclusivity in Higher Education are looking in more detail than ever at where their student pools are coming from, how they can broaden those networks and invite people to apply that perhaps otherwise wouldn’t have considered applying or felt welcome to do so. They are then mobilising that data - offering more targeted scholarships, financial aid, and mentorship programs to empower students who may have faced social, economic, and/or racial obstacles, giving them the tools and opportunities to attain social mobility. A person’s socio-economic status is generally determined before higher education, so universities engaged in social mobility initiatives must also address whether a student even applies to their institution - and why they may not be getting the grades they should.
A good example of what can be done is Cambridge’s student support initiative with their £500 million funding target along with their Get In and Foundation Year schemes. Increasing the effectiveness and reach of financial support offered by universities is not a factor that can be overstated. Such support must also be well communicated so young people know what is available to them.
Innovative Programs
A UK parliamentary report in January 2023 highlighted the impact of social networks in the employment outcomes of students. I would argue this factor is one of the greatest barriers to social mobility and is a key area where higher education needs to do more. I have seen organisations across the landscape such as 10,000 Black Interns, Future Frontiers, and uptree play significant roles in transforming students’ lives with their internships and other accessibility initiatives. It is an area higher education must put more investment into.
Systemic Change
I am acutely aware the higher education leaders I work with today will impact the UK’s progress in social mobility in the long-term. Whilst I have addressed students so far, it is equally important to see that attention is brought to the staff as well as the student body. The governance must lead by example with a diversity of voices, attitudes, and experiences to foster inclusivity and challenge systemic inequalities. A promising trend I have seen from my work in executive search is the rise of ED&I directors. The leaders who are appointed to these roles are, for the most part, from a broad range of backgrounds. Given it’s a relatively new role in higher education, most candidates are coming to these positions from different sectors, and with new perspectives to offer. Unsurprisingly, many are going on to make real change within their institutions, introducing inclusive hiring practices and equitable promotion systems. Examples here include the steps being taken to broaden staff’s admissions processes, as they have with students, and the detailed interrogation of existing enrolment language such as in job descriptions.
Identifying and committing to a strategy
Appointing a director and offering programs may not break all the barriers to social mobility, but they are certainly steps in the right direction. I eagerly await more data on their impact. What these steps do show is that universities are at least portraying a willingness to go beyond an outdated model. Next should be a variety of measures including increased mentoring, bursaries, campus visits, and providing CPD for teachers. Future generations depend on us taking decisive action and investing in long term cohesive strategies that bridge business, government, education, and industry bodies.
July/August 2023
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