Black applicants

Europa/ReinoUnido/theguardian.com/education

Resumen: El servicio de admisiones universitarias Ucas está bajo presión luego de que una investigación reveló que más de la mitad de todas las solicitudes marcadas por posible fraude son de estudiantes negros . Los investigadores de Ucas encontraron que durante un período de cinco años, el 52% de las solicitudes investigadas por posible actividad fraudulenta provenían de candidatos negros, a pesar de que solo representaban el 9% del total de las solicitudes. Por el contrario, en el mismo período, entre 2013 y 2017, solo el 19% de todas las solicitudes sospechosas provenían de estudiantes blancos, a pesar de que representan el 73% de todas las solicitudes. Los estudiantes asiáticos constituyen el 11% de los solicitantes y el 16% de los que están marcados. Ucas llevó a cabo su investigación luego de que el Independent le pidiera libertad de información aprincipios de este año y señaló que era mucho más probable que el proceso de investigación de fraude en las solicitudes universitarias exigiera pruebas de los reclamos de los solicitantes negros que los blancos. Esa solicitud se centró en las cifras de 2017, pero la investigación posterior de Ucas muestra el mismo patrón en un período de cinco años, con un total de 2.675 solicitantes de raza negra que se marcan de una población de 260.550 solicitantes. De las solicitudes de 2,1 millones de estudiantes blancos durante el mismo período, se marcaron 995. Alrededor del 40% de las solicitudes marcadas fueron canceladas por Ucas, una cifra ampliamente proporcional a los porcentajes marcados en cada grupo étnico. La directora ejecutiva de Ucas, Clare Marchant, dijo que la investigación había demostrado que las solicitudes solo se cancelaban cuando había pruebas claras de fraude o falta de información. Pero dijo que «hay más trabajo para que hagamos para asegurarnos de que el marcado sea lo más sólido posible en todas las áreas del servicio de verificación». Ucas necesita … satisfacer a los estudiantes de las minorías étnicas para que sus solicitudes se consideren de manera justa .Una de las áreas de debilidad potencial identificada por Ucas fue el software de detección de fraudes estándar de la industria que implementa como un método de selección de aplicaciones. Utiliza una acumulación de datos históricos como referencia que puede haber contribuido a los resultados. Ucas dijo que ya se hicieron mejoras al servicio de detección de fraude. También prometió introducir una revisión adicional de todas las aplicaciones antes de la cancelación para evitar errores y dijo que aseguraría que todo el personal tenga un entrenamiento de sesgo inconsciente actualizado. El ex ministro de Educación y diputado laborista David Lammypidió una mayor transparencia en el proceso de admisión a la universidad. «Ucas necesita explicar por qué más de la mitad de todos los solicitantes señalados son negros, a pesar de que los estudiantes negros representan solo una de cada 10 solicitudes», dijo. «Ucas necesita poder explicar esta enorme desproporcionalidad y satisfacer a los estudiantes de minorías étnicas para que sus solicitudes se consideren de manera justa

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The university admissions service Ucas is under pressure after an investigation revealed that more than half of all applications flagged for possible fraud are from black students.

Ucas researchers found that over a five-year period 52% of applications investigated for potential fraudulent activity were from black candidates, even though they only make up 9% of total applications.

In contrast, over the same period – between 2013 and 2017 – just 19% of all suspicious applications were from white students, even though they make up 73% of all applications. Asian students made up 11% of applicants and 16% of those flagged.

Ucas conducted its investigation after a freedom of information request by the Independent earlier this year indicated the process for investigating fraud in university applications was far more likely to demand proof of claims from black applicants than white ones.

That request focused on figures for 2017, but Ucas’s subsequent investigation shows the same pattern over a five-year period, with a total of 2,675 black applicants being flagged out of an applicant population of 260,550.

Out of 2.1m applications from white students over the same period, 995 were flagged. Around 40% of flagged applications were cancelled by Ucas, a figure broadly proportionate to the percentages flagged in each ethnic group.

Ucas’s chief executive Clare Marchant said the investigation had shown that applications were only being cancelled where there was clear evidence of fraud or missing information. But she said “there is more work for us to do to ensure that flagging is as robust as it can be across all areas of the verification service.”

One of the areas of potential weakness identified by Ucas was the industry standard fraud detection software it deploys as one method of screening applications. It uses an accumulation of historic data as a reference that may have contributed to the results.

Ucas said enhancements had already been made to the fraud detection service. It also promised to introduce an additional review of all applications prior to cancellation to avoid errors and said it would ensure that all staff had up-to-date unconscious bias training.

The former education minister and Labour MP David Lammy called for greater transparency in the university admissions process. “Ucas need to explain why over half of all flagged applicants are black, despite black students accounting for just one in 10 applications,” he said.

“Ucas needs to be able to explain this huge disproportionality and satisfy students from ethnic minorities that their applications will be looked upon fairly.”

Overall the total number of university applications flagged for further investigation was small – out of 2.9 million applicants over the past five years 5,160 applications were flagged, of which just over 2,000 were then cancelled.

The screening process was designed to spot fake qualifications, plagiarised personal statements and inaccurate information which could give would-be students an unfair advantage. In all the screening systems used Ucas insisted ethnicity and nationality played no part.

Lammy, who has campaigned on this issue, said: “I have long been concerned about the lack of transparency in our admissions process as a result of Ucas refusing to publish all of its access data openly.

“This is clearly a necessary change so that we can fully understand what is going on within our university admissions process across the board.” Ucas has since said that figures on its verification service would now be published annually.

A Department for Education spokesman said any bias against people due to their ethnicity or background was completely unacceptable and welcomed the Ucas investigation.

“We have seen record entry rates at universities across all ethnic groups, but we recognise there is more to do. We have introduced sweeping reforms through the Higher Education and Research Act requiring all universities to publish applications, offers and acceptance rates broken down by gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic background.”

Fuente:https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/may/31/ucas-criticised-over-screening-of-black-applicants