Ranking English institutions so the public can see exactly how much progress they are making on inclusion is the only way to ensure the sector goes beyond warm words and takes action, according to a university leader.
David Mba, deputy vice-chancellor (research, knowledge exchange and enterprise) at the University of the Arts London, has compiled a first iteration of an Ethnic Representation Index after becoming frustrated at what he saw as a lack of progress.
The index showcases data from every English university across a range of factors such as the percentage of black and minority ethnic (BAME) students, the number of BAME academics and executives, the attainment gap and whether policies such as an anti-racism strategy are in place.
It finds almost a third of universities declare no BAME representation on their executive boards, including universities with high numbers of BAME students.
