Understanding the Impact of Criminal Records on University Admissions in the UK
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Nottingham
Department Name: Sch of Sociology & Social Policy
Abstract
Over 11.7 million people in the UK have a criminal record on the Police National Computer (Home Office 2019). Yet little is known about the impact of having a criminal record on admission into UK universities; despite an ongoing focus within higher education policy to widen participation to university for underrepresented groups.
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) removed the 'tick box' requiring all applicants to declare certain convictions from its application portal in May 2018 (although the declaration remains in place for those applying to courses leading to employment in occupations exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974). However, the UCAS process applies only to undergraduate admissions and significant discretion remains with regards to how universities consider criminal records declared by postgraduate applicants. This proposed research provides a timely opportunity to evaluate these issues in more depth across the higher education sector.
This research will collaborate with the award-winning charity Unlock, which advocates for people who are facing stigma and obstacles because of their criminal record, to produce the first systematic review of policy and practice towards people with criminal records across UK universities.
Research Questions
To explore the impact of criminal records on university admissions, this research asks:
1. How do UK universities acquire criminal records during admissions processes at undergraduate and postgraduate levels - e.g. through student self-disclosure, or through discretionary/statutorily required criminal records checks (CRCs)?
2. For what purposes do UK universities use criminal records (e.g. gatekeeping, supporting students, reputation management) and what evidence exists regarding the efficacy of their approaches?
3. What are the impacts of CRCs on applicants to university degrees?
Methods
The research will adopt a multi-model approach to explore the research questions. Surveys will be distributed across all UK universities to gather information on admissions processes by degree level (undergraduate/postgraduate) and Criminal Record Checks (CRC) procedures.
Additionally, semi-structured interviews will take place with university admissions staff to establish an in-depth understanding of how universities interpret and apply CRCs. Semi-structured interviews will also be carried out with representatives from the Office for Students, the Department for Education and the National Union of Students to explore the wider policy position on this area. Finally, collaborating with Unlock, semi-structured interviews will be held with applicants with criminal records to explore their experiences of applying to university, including the stages and processes through which information was sought on their criminal records.
Impact
This research will produce original contributions to knowledge in an under-explored area of social policy. Unlock will benefit from a more robust evidence base for its policy and campaigning work across the university sector. More broadly, this project has the potential to contribute to higher education policy which is becoming increasingly aware of the need to reform the treatment of convictions acquired by young people (Taylor Review 2016), and of the disproportionate negative impacts that the criminal records regime has on Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people (Lammy Review 2017).
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) removed the 'tick box' requiring all applicants to declare certain convictions from its application portal in May 2018 (although the declaration remains in place for those applying to courses leading to employment in occupations exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974). However, the UCAS process applies only to undergraduate admissions and significant discretion remains with regards to how universities consider criminal records declared by postgraduate applicants. This proposed research provides a timely opportunity to evaluate these issues in more depth across the higher education sector.
This research will collaborate with the award-winning charity Unlock, which advocates for people who are facing stigma and obstacles because of their criminal record, to produce the first systematic review of policy and practice towards people with criminal records across UK universities.
Research Questions
To explore the impact of criminal records on university admissions, this research asks:
1. How do UK universities acquire criminal records during admissions processes at undergraduate and postgraduate levels - e.g. through student self-disclosure, or through discretionary/statutorily required criminal records checks (CRCs)?
2. For what purposes do UK universities use criminal records (e.g. gatekeeping, supporting students, reputation management) and what evidence exists regarding the efficacy of their approaches?
3. What are the impacts of CRCs on applicants to university degrees?
Methods
The research will adopt a multi-model approach to explore the research questions. Surveys will be distributed across all UK universities to gather information on admissions processes by degree level (undergraduate/postgraduate) and Criminal Record Checks (CRC) procedures.
Additionally, semi-structured interviews will take place with university admissions staff to establish an in-depth understanding of how universities interpret and apply CRCs. Semi-structured interviews will also be carried out with representatives from the Office for Students, the Department for Education and the National Union of Students to explore the wider policy position on this area. Finally, collaborating with Unlock, semi-structured interviews will be held with applicants with criminal records to explore their experiences of applying to university, including the stages and processes through which information was sought on their criminal records.
Impact
This research will produce original contributions to knowledge in an under-explored area of social policy. Unlock will benefit from a more robust evidence base for its policy and campaigning work across the university sector. More broadly, this project has the potential to contribute to higher education policy which is becoming increasingly aware of the need to reform the treatment of convictions acquired by young people (Taylor Review 2016), and of the disproportionate negative impacts that the criminal records regime has on Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people (Lammy Review 2017).
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ES/P000711/1 | 01/10/2017 | 30/09/2027 | |||
| 2421088 | Studentship | ES/P000711/1 | 01/10/2020 | 31/01/2024 | Charlotte Brooks |