Hi! I’m Aaliya, a placement student working at the University of Reading. Since working at the university, I have learnt so much about what the university does to increase diversity and inclusion and I would love to share these insights with more students.  

Multiple studies conducted in higher education have indicated that involving students in decision-making processes can lead to better relationships between students and their institutions. The Inclusion Consultant programme is currently in its third year and has been designed to tackle the issues across higher education institutions surrounding the awarding gap for underrepresented student groups. The Inclusion Consultants are a group of students from diverse, typically under-represented backgrounds and they meet regularly with staff across the university to provide consultations on best practices. 

Students have expressed positive feedback during the programme evaluation and commended the scheme for its effectiveness in providing a platform for students to share their voices. The scheme has taken several steps to make a greater impact, however, we understand that this kind of change can be slow and can take some years to see institutional-wide effects. The consultants felt confident in their skills and left feedback on their time in the scheme: 

“I was confident that my opinions were heard and appreciated not just by [the facilitators] but the external guests and the entire team who supported each other throughout.” 

As the Student Outcomes Coordinator, I oversee this year’s cohort of the Inclusion Consultants and the impact they are making is incredible. They have been attending staff training workshops across the university sharing their stories and advice on how to improve inclusivity. Our goal this year is to collaborate with academic schools to identify and address their unique challenges and develop plans to implement inclusive solutions. The cohort has been chosen to address the key areas in the APP (Access and Participation Plan) as well as our main target schools, as we aim to decrease these specific gaps.  

This scheme represents just one step in our broader efforts to address the awarding gap, and we remain committed to seeing sustained progress at the University of Reading. We believe that this scheme, alongside others, will help us achieve our goal of greater inclusivity and equity in higher education for all. 

Read the full report: Inclusion Consultant Pilot reflection August 2023 (PDF, 0.3 MB)