Social Class, the Overlooked Element of Diversity within Higher Education: An Analysis of Policy Documents and Data Collection Practices by Russell Group Universities in the United Kingdom

Investigating the data that universities collect on the characteristics of staff and students offers an insight into which aspects of diversity they prioritise. We sent Freedom of Information requests to 24 Russell Group institutions asking them to report the data they collect on the class background and protected characteristics of staff and students. We also reviewed university equality policy documents using content analysis. Analysis showed that while all institutions collect data on the protected characteristics of staff and students, and 18 universities collect data on the class background of students, just one university collects data on the class background of staff. This is despite 10 institutions recognising class background as being an important component of diversity within their policies. We propose recommendations on what data universities should collect on the class background of staff, and how they can use these data to support intersectional diversity.