Published in print edition 761
The Times Higher Education Rankings were released last month. Whilst Exeter performed well on the overall institutional ranking at 13, The Times also included a social inclusion index in which Exeter performed considerably worse, gaining an overall score of just 361 out of 1000, which placed it at 109 in the league table and the lowest ranking Russell Group university
The Social Inclusion index includes state school admissions (non-grammar), Ethnic Minority Students, Black awarding gap (the percentage points between the proportion of firsts attained by white students and students from black backgrounds), low participation areas (England and Wales), deprived areas (Scotland), low participation dropout gap, first-generation, disabled and mature students.
Of these, Exeter performed particularly poorly on percentage of ethnic minority students which was compiled with 2021-22 data from Hesa, finding that only 13 per cent of the Exeter student body are from ethnic minority backgrounds (This is compared to a 18.3 per cent national average but the data includes international students too, so the number of home students from ethnic minority backgrounds is far below the national average).
Only 13 per cent of the Exeter student body are from ethnic minority backgrounds
Coupled with a -12.2 per cent black awarding gap (meaning white students are proportionally being marked higher), and only 57.6 per cent coming from non-grammar state schools — on the surface it paints a picture of an Exeter which is lacking diversity and out of touch.
Exeposé do not have the latest figures to confirm if the data has changed since 2021-22, but nevertheless The Times seem to confirm the Exeter stereotype as the “whitest” Russell Group university in the public eye, potentially discouraging applicants from minority ethnic backgrounds and so creating a cycle whereby ethnic diversity remains a significant issue within Exeter.
Exeposé spoke to students of colour about whether this lack of ethnic diversity is reflected in the life and culture at Exeter.
Some students pointed to frustration, isolation and racism as common features of their life at Exeter, with one student stating “it’s hard as someone who’s both black and raised in northern England. I notice how people avoid sitting next to me in lecture halls, to the point where I don’t wanna go because I feel judged. When I moved in, I saw people give me and my relatives looks like we were dirt. I’ve been told my accent doesn’t fit my face or my race and been asked dumb questions about my identity and phenotype. While I’ve not had any overt racist comments hurled at me, I notice the little things and it’s frustrating.” Another claimed, “when people ask me “where are you from” it sets off a fight or flight! Do they mean “you’re Asian you can’t be from the UK, where in the world are you from” or do they mean “where is home for you?”
“I’ve been told my accent doesn’t fit my face or my race and been asked dumb questions about my identity and phenotype”
Anonymous student
Other responses were more mixed, pointing to the role of societies such as the Students of Colour Association and the Multicultural Society. One student stated “Societies have been a great place to find [a] community but the University as a whole isn’t very diverse, in seminars and lectures, there’s an atmosphere of it very much centred on the western perspective and often excludes other cultures unintentionally.”
Speaking about their experiences as a student of colour at Exeter, one anonymous student stated, “in all my circles at university, including my course friends, my first year flat, my second year housemates, my job and in my society, I’m the only coloured person. It’s not too much of an issue for me as I’m used to it (I grew up [in a] town where the majority of people were Caucasian), but I can’t help but feel as though I’m missing out on something that I don’t have.
“I’m not too sure if other people feel this way, as I myself have only noticed it sometimes. I’m okay with being the only woman of colour in my groups, but I as I look around my friends, there are certain things, certain experiences that I can’t bond with or even share. Especially being so far from home, it’d be nice to have that, some sense of normality. I love my circles and the people in them, but at the same time in the back of my head I can’t help but wish for something more diverse, and I feel guilty for thinking so.
“I can’t help but wish for something more diverse”
Anonymous student
“Further on down the line in my academic journey, I do think I’d move to a university with more diversity/ethnic minorities for my masters, I don’t think I could stay in Exeter longer than my undergraduate degree. That’s not to say that it’s not a lovely place, I wouldn’t have chosen anywhere else to go for my undergrad course. I thought first term of first year that it was a little odd, but I shook it off and expected that I’d make coloured friends if I went to the societies (shocker, it hasn’t happened, yet). I find that as someone who is Indian but hasn’t grown up surrounded by religion and the communities, that it’s hard to mix/fit into the cultural societies at the University. Often questioning myself, am I too whitewashed for the coloured societies? My South Asian language skills are sub-par, and I only know a few popular Bollywood films, so on that front, I can’t really find my crowd in the society. In first year, the University having such a big celebration for Diwali was amazing. Although we weren’t so religious growing up, going to the event on campus felt like a home away from home, and I thought I’d introduce my friends to the festival. We went to get some food from the stalls and I left to speak to someone. Once I came back I was told they felt uncomfortable as they were the only ‘white people’ there, and we left promptly. It was disappointing to say the least.
“I’ve been a minority my whole life; as opposed to their 30 minutes. I’ve had my good times and bad times. Being a minority teaches you that you’re a unique person and to not let that set you apart from anyone else or stop you from going for the same opportunities as anyone else. Being at Exeter, and being the only coloured person in my circles, has almost made me appreciate myself more and accept who I am. I know that I’m a minority, and I embrace it.”
A spokesperson for the University of Exeter said:
“Access remains a challenge for the University of Exeter despite making good improvements in widening participation. We have made substantial progress in improving the diversity of our student population but still have much to do. In 2023, we were named NEON University of the Year for our progress in widening participation. This reflects the extent of our commitment and investment. We face a number of challenges to access affected by our location, catchment area and high entry requirements. We are located in the South West, a region which has some of the largest learning gaps and lowest progression rates to higher education in the country. We have significantly increased the proportion of students from racially minoritised backgrounds but given our location has much lower levels of ethnic diversity than some other Russell Group institutions located in big cities.
“In recent years we have extended significantly our fair access work, with around 1,000 students each year involved in programmes such as Exeter Scholars and have focused much of our recruitment activity and support on schools and colleges with high proportions of under-represented students. We carry out extensive work with pupils across the South West and have continued to build our partnership work with the FE sector. We are one of the largest providers of Degree Apprenticeships and also have one of the most progressive contextual offers policies in the sector.”
A Guild spokesperson stated, “Exeter is a vibrant and diverse community. We know how important it is to connect with people who share similar experiences and values. To meet like-minded peers, access support or join a student group, visit www.exeterguild.com/communities.
“Your elected Communities and Equality Officer, Thomas Tran, works closely with the University to minimise barriers to student life and ensure that every student feels they belong. Learn more about how Thomas and the entire Officer team are addressing the issues that matter most to you at https://csr.exeterguild.com/student-priorities.
“Your Students’ Guild has several widening participation initiatives designed to support students who have faced additional challenges before arriving at university. Our Advice team is here to help with the transition and ensure that students feel safe, supported, respected and valued. If you need support, please get in touch at https://www.exeterguild.com/find-support.”
