TT20 Week 7 motions (1)

Motion to hold the University to account with regard to its admission statistics:

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JCR motion to hold the University to account with regard to its admission statistics:

Proposer: Sophie Irving

Seconder: Andrei Frandes

 

This JCR notes that:

  • It has been revealed that the University of Oxford has delayed publishing student admission data due to “world events”.
  • An email communicating this was emailed to staff on the afternoon of Wednesday 3rd June 2020, reading: “After careful consideration of the current world events and also learning that Cambridge will not be publishing its admissions data until late June, the decision to postpone the release of the annual admissions statistical report has been taken”.
  • The Black Lives Matter movement has recently risen to particular prominence following the murder of George Floyd, an innocent black man, by Minnesotan police, prompting protests across the globe.
  • The University’s 2019 undergraduate admissions statistical report, released in May 2019, revealed that 18.3% of its 2018 UK intake identified as BME, compared to 25.6% across all UK universities in 2016.
  • Of this 18.3%, only 2.6% identified as Black.
  • In January 2020, the University released BME undergraduate statistics for their 2019 intake, revealing that 22% of students of its 2019 intake identified as BME.
  • Of this 22%, only 3.1% identified as Black.
  • Of first-year undergraduate students across the UK in 2016, 8% were Black.
  • The University has received criticism in the past, from press, politicians and students, in response to its low numbers of Black students.
  • The University has also received criticism for its institutionalised racism.
  • On Tuesday, 2nd June 2020, the University released a short statement on Twitter, reading: “We're committed to supporting our community in opposing racism in all its forms, including upholding anti-racist values.”

 

This JCR believes that:

  • The University’s reference to “world events” is in reference to the Black Lives Matter movement and the protests following the murder of George Floyd.
  • The University has therefore chosen to delay the release of its annual admissions statistical report because of fear of fresh backlash and reputational damage.
  • Institutionalised racism remains deeply entrenched in the UK, including in the University of Oxford.
  • The University’s refusal to release admissions statistics at the usual time shows an unwillingness to be critically reflexive and thus is in direct contradiction to its recent statement on its commitment to uphold anti-racist values.

 

 

This JCR therefore resolves to:

  • Demand that the University immediately release the 2020 admissions statistical report on its 2019 intake.
  • Demand that the University of Oxford publicly release a plan of action for raising the percentage of UK-domiciled students who identify as BME, as well as the percentage of UK-domiciled students who identify as Black African or Caribbean in particular, to at least the average across UK universities
  • Mandate the President of the JCR to send a letter to communicate these demands to the University