Following the publication of, Tackling Racial Harassment: Universities Challenged- A University of Liverpool Response, the University has now signed up to the principles Advance HE Race Equality Charter and began the process of achieving an award. In signing up to the charter we have signed up to its five fundamental guiding principles which are:
• Racial inequalities are a significant issue within higher education. Racial inequalities are not necessarily overt, isolated incidents. Racism is an everyday facet of UK society and racial inequalities manifest themselves in everyday situations, processes and behaviours.
• UK higher education cannot reach its full potential unless it can benefit from the talents of the whole population and until individuals from all ethnic backgrounds can benefit equally from the opportunities it affords.
• In developing solutions to racial inequalities, it is important that they are aimed at achieving long-term institutional culture change, avoiding a deficit model where solutions are aimed at changing the individual.
• Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff and students are not a homogenous group. People from different ethnic backgrounds have different experiences of and outcomes from/within higher education, and that complexity needs to be considered in analysing data and developing actions.
• All individuals have multiple identities, and the intersection of those different identities should be considered wherever possible.
Achieving our award over the next months-3 years will require a whole institution effort. In order to achieve a Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award, we are required to undertake a significant data analysis to uncover race-specific issues, aims, and priorities, across the whole University. This includes issues ranging from staff profile, progression recruitment and development, the student pipeline, approaches to teaching and learning, all of which is underpinned by our cultures on campus.
To achieve these ambitions, we are establishing a Race Equality Charter assessment team and associated sub groups. The group will meet on a regular basis to evaluate and gather data, share insight, and develop an action plan in the areas above in advance of submission for an Advance HE Race Equality Charter award. A number of colleagues have been asked to join the group in line with their job responsibilities. In addition, as set out the Race Equality Charter Handbook, we are interested in recruiting further members including; a balance of professional and support staff and academics, and people at different grades within the institution; full-time and part-time staff, and staff on open-ended and fixed-term contracts; representatives from any minority ethnic staff groups; and staff with data expertise.
If you would like to be considered for part of this group, or its associated sub-groups, please send Lesley Smith an email for more details and a discussion. It is likely that we will have more interest than we have places across the committees. As such, if there is no vacancy at this time, we hope we can continually engage with interested colleagues in getting their insight, advice, and local context.