Structural, organisational and cultural challenges and the time-lag involved in bringing about organisational change
Obtaining a shared understanding of the objectives of the project
Institutional buy-in across all partners
Academic staff questioning the reliability, credibility, suitability and robustness of both institutional and sector-wide data
A reluctance to accept race (racial prejudice) as an explanation for attainment gaps, with class and ‘student deficit’ being posited more strongly as acceptable explanations
Sensitivity around the topic – ranging from a lack of knowledge on how to address the attainment gap, to academic dissidence, to ‘white fragility’ and the ‘Psychosis of Whiteness’
Re-conceptualising what we mean by ‘student-led’, coupled with recruiting, retaining and engaging students across the student lifecycle and life of the project
The paucity of BAME academics, meaning BAME students not seeing themselves reflected in the teaching staff, which limits aspirations
Eurocentric curriculums resulting in materials that predominantly use a Euro-centric lens and narrative to examine issues that do not reflect the students’ experience
Resources to finance BAME disparity work, along with the need for greater human time and fiscal resources, are required for staff to be able to fully engage with this work