Identifying the barriers to inclusion and belonging experienced by students and alumni in higher education

Abstract

Students minoritised because of their race and/or ethnicity have a different university experience from their peers, which is reflected in degree completion statistics, awarding gaps, and graduate outcomes. One factor influencing these outcomes is students’ sense of inclusion and belonging with the university, which is lower in minoritised students. We aimed to identify whether barriers to inclusion were present across students and alumni in one university, and whether this varied according to ethnic and/or racial backgrounds. Three-hundred and twenty-three students and alumni completed an online questionnaire measuring students’ belonging, experience of the curriculum and microaggressions, and 14 students and alumni attended focus groups to further explore the barriers to inclusion and belonging, and proposed recommended actions to reduce these barriers. From the questionnaire, ethnicity and/or race did not influence students’ sense of belonging, experience of the curriculum or microaggressions, though having a long-term health condition was consistently associated with these outcomes. However, students’ culture and ethnicity/race were consistently reported as factors associated with experiencing obstacles in academia and microaggressions. From the focus groups, three key themes emerged: 1) Hidden racism at the university, which included a prevailing nature of microaggressions and 2) Eurocentric curriculum; that representation is valued in the community and curriculum; and 3) The role of diversity and inclusion initiatives for building community. These findings are discussed in terms of their impact for Higher Education institutions.