Race Equality Charter — what this means for the University
A critical area of focus as part of our University’s commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion has been our ongoing preparation for a submission to the Race Equality Charter in 2020. The Race Equality Charter (REC) is a relatively new charter which is managed by Advance HE – the group that now also oversee the Athena SWAN awards that encourage activities to support gender diversity. The REC focusses on race, and was established in 2015, and our submission will aim to have our activities at the University of Nottingham initially recognised at the bronze level. We see the REC self-assessment process as a valuable opportunity for in depth reflection as an institution.
In a similar way to Athena SWAN, to successfully submit for a REC institutional bronze award we have established a self-assessment team (SAT), which Stacy Johnson and Sarah Sharples co-chair. Colleagues from the University were invited to submit expressions of interest to be members of the SAT, and we have now formed a set of SAT working groups who are examining in detail issues experienced by staff and students, how we communicate with and involve staff in this race equality work, and exploring the trends which are displayed when we interrogate our data.
There will be many other opportunities for staff and students to get involved in this work. We are considering a wide range of data and evidence including the diversity of the students that we recruit to the University, the degree awards of those students when they complete their degrees, the recruitment and progression of staff, and staff pay and reward.
Alongside this data analysis, we are also engaging with activities which are already taking place to look at specific issues which affect our Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) students. Under the leadership of our Education and Student Experience group, championed by Professor Sarah Speight, these groups are examining the potential causes and measures to address the gap between the degrees awarded to BME students compared to their white counterparts, along with supporting work which is looking at our curriculum content, with a focus on inclusivity and decolonising the curriculum. This work has the potential to enhance the learning of students of all ethnic backgrounds.
As we get to the stage where we are just over a year before completion of our submission, we are working now to ensure that we are engaging with and involving as wide a range of staff and students as possible. We are delighted to welcome our five recently appointed student BME ambassadors who are advising and challenging our work, and ensuring that our actions reflect the needs and priorities of our diverse student community. We are also working to ensure that we fully understand the issues of equality and diversity, and the impact of race and cultural background on the experiences and treatment of our staff and students.
In May, we will therefore be launching a University-wide survey. This survey, which follows the standard format specified by the Race Equality Charter team, aims to ensure deeper understanding of the experiences of our staff and students, and we encourage all staff and students, whatever your race or cultural background, to complete the short survey, to ensure that our analysis and interpretation is as complete as it can be, and that our planned actions have the maximum possible benefit to our students and staff.
Whilst awards through externally managed schemes such as the Race Equality Charter are important, they are only of value to us as a University if they reflect a real and active commitment to change. There is more that we need to do to ensure true equality of experience for all of our BME students and staff at the University, and the REC process provides a useful framework for us to identify our priorities and commit to actions that will lead to rapid and sustainable change. We will be implementing the actions identified by the REC process as quickly and widely as possible, alongside the preparation of the documents in support of the REC award, and some activities are already well underway.
The University of Nottingham is committed to maximising the success and capitalising upon the talent of students and staff of all racial backgrounds by providing the best support, learning experience and working environment for our whole University community. The REC self-assessment and action planning process will support us to deliver this and forms an important part of our wider activities designed to enhance Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. We hope that as many staff and students as possible will support us by taking the time to complete the REC survey, and help us to make changes within our University that will make our place of study and work better for all.
Professor Sarah Sharples, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Co-Chair of the Race Eqaulity Charter Self-Assessment Team
Professor Stacy Johnson, Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences and Co-Chair of the Race Equality Charter Self-Assessment Team
11 April 2019