At the end of last year, students and staff were invited to take part in the Race Equality Experience Survey.
More than 1500 members of staff and more than 700 students took the time to respond and gave us valuable insight into their experiences.
Since then, we have met with focus groups to form a better understanding of the results. We are inviting members of our community to engage with the process and contribute to addressing inequality.
Uncomfortable truths
The findings from this activity highlight some serious and unacceptable experiences of members of our community from minority ethnic backgrounds.
Many of them have experienced racial discrimination on campus and believe our current practices are not accelerating fast enough the removal of inequality and injustice. There is a significant gap in the awareness of how and where to report race related incidents and a belief that action won’t necessarily be taken if it is reported.
Kieron Broadhead, Executive Director of Student Experience, and lead for the University’s Race Equality Charter, said:
“The findings from the Race Equality Experience Survey and the subsequent focus groups highlight serious and uncomfortable truths and provide evidence of the unacceptable experiences of some of our student and staff community. Work is being done right across our community to make the changes we need, and these findings underline the need for more to be done by every one of us, as individuals and as teams, as we hold a mirror up to ourselves.”
Our Vice-Chancellor, Mark E. Smith, said:
“I would like to thank all those who took the time to complete the questionnaire and attend the focus groups, and the honesty with which you told us about your experiences. It is clear to me, and all of UEB, that the survey continued to reinforce serious issues need to be addressed. I hope you will all continue to engage with further discussions, helping us drive forward our equality and help us become the inclusive community I know we have the potential to be and we can make a real difference.”
Delivering action
We are committed to addressing the issues raised and building trust across our university. We recognise that developing solutions to racial inequities and achieving long-term institutional culture change is complex and needs time. It also requires honest, open and non-judgmental discussions.
To allow the results of the survey and focus groups to be communicated more widely, a series of online webinars will be held, so everyone can play a part in addressing inequality in our community.
Both Kieron Broadhead and Professor Mark Spearing, Vice-President Research and Enterprise and Executive Champion for Equality Diversity and Inclusion, will attend and if there is demand, more sessions will be arranged.
The webinars are open to both staff and students and will take place on:
Friday 27 May: 11:00 to 12:00 Book a place
Thursday 9 June 13.30 to 14.30 Book a place
Monday 13 June: 17:00 to 18:00 Book a place
Thursday 16 June: 17:00 to 18:00 Book a place
The survey results and recordings of the webinars will be available to view after the last session has taken place.
Addressing inequalities
We are fortunate to have many passionate and committed colleagues engaging in this conversation through the various networks and the Faculty EDI leaders. Staff and students are encouraged to contact them should they need any advice or want to get involved.
The feedback from the survey and focus groups will inform our assessment of the University and help us build our Race Equality Charter, which will be submitted in the summer.
A number of projects are also working to address inequalities. These include (but are not limited to):
- Training more 270 super recruiters to form a network of trusted advisors that support and advocate inclusive recruitment practice, acts a critical friend to the hiring manager and recruitment panel.
- Active bystander workshops are available to staff and students to develop the skills to challenge unacceptable behaviour.
- The ‘Report & Support’ tool aims to provide a secure environment for staff and students affected by harassment and bullying to speak out and get support, anonymously.
- The Reverse Mentoring Pilot saw members of UEB mentored by staff and students from widening participation Student Advisory Board (sharepoint.com), the Disability Staff Network, The LGBT+ Staff Network and the BAME Staff Network, which led to changes in both individual awareness, behaviour, and actions, and in our leadership of the University.
- A Widening Participation and Social Mobility project aimed at reducing the awarding gaps that exists between black and marginalised minority students and white students.
Staff and students are encouraged to attend one of the webinars to find out more about the results, what is happening in your area of the university, and if there something that you could get involved with. The sessions will also help staff and students to speak to colleagues and peers to better understand all the voices across our community.
