This week, the Higher Education Statistics Agency proudly announced that HE participation is widening, with increased numbers of black minority ethnic and disabled students.
Good news, which we welcome wholeheartedly, writes the president of the National Union of Students (NUS), Gemma Tumelty.
But surely more needs to be done to heighten the pace of change and to ensure access to the sector adequately reflects the numbers of young people and adults with disabilities who are qualified to access HE? Praise is due to any progress, but laurels cannot be rested on yet - the job is only half done.
A recent Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) equalities review showed that significant numbers of potential students felt their disability was a major barrier to accessing HE. This is simply unacceptable.
The same DCLG review showed that the relative poverty of black and minority ethnic communities is still a major barrier to their choice of institution. Their course choices are often skewed disproportionately towards vocational degrees.
Equality and diversity is not entirely a "numbers game" and before too much praise is given we need to hear more from non-traditional students, not just about their experience of accessing higher education but also going through the system.
Equality in society is absolutely, fundamentally, linked to equality in access to education.
Some universities have an excellent record on attracting and catering for a diverse student body, they recognise that diversity amongst their student population is "adding value" to the student experience. However there is precious little consistency and only moderate compulsion for the whole sector to make the necessary changes to ensure they are widening access.
For many students, university is the place that they will first be exposed to different cultures and different people. As well as fighting for better access, the NUS wants to see diversity properly valued and promoted within the student experience. Many pay lip service to the value of diversity but is this recognised and promoted as a core asset to those who go through the HE system?
Equality in society can be promoted by equality and diversity at university. But the benefits of university as a positive, diverse environment must be seen by students as adding "value" as much as any other factor before the numbers game is really won by the champions of diversity.
In the eyes of the NUS, social value is as great as economic value.
