Ethnicity & Race

Race Equality Charter 

The University of Huddersfield was awarded the Race Equality Charter Bronze Award in March 2024, in recognition of the progress made in advancing race equality and commitment to progressing equality within the organisation.  

This work has been led by our Race Equality Self-Assessment Team, co-chaired by Professor Jane Owen-Lynch (Pro Vice Chancellor for Teaching and Learning) and Dr. Berenice Golding (School Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Human and Health Sciences). 

The award recognises the University’s commitment to Advance HE’s Race Equality Charter which sets out principles for transforming race equality within Higher Education Institutions.  

Professor Bob Cryan CBE, University of Huddersfield Vice-Chancellor, said, “I am delighted that our commitment to achieving race equality, as demonstrated by the actions we have undertaken, has been deservedly recognised by this Bronze Award.” 

“I am very proud of the progress we have made so far. The passion from colleagues has been to drive change, to have a better understanding of the issues faced by Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students and staff, to implement inclusive practices and embed diversity into teaching and learning and showcase diversity across our campus.” 

Co-Chairs Professor Jane Owen-Lynch and Dr. Berenice Golding said: "The REC Bronze Award is testament to the commitment of all staff and students to race equality and we are very proud that our University has achieved this accolade. This Award, however, is just the start and we are looking forward to ensuring that we continue our work towards advancing intersectional race equality."  

The University established a Self-Assessment Team (REC SAT), comprised of academics, professional and support services staff, along with student representation, in 2020. Working groups were also established to progress work in areas that needed focused input.  

The application evaluates the University’s current investment in race equality, with an intersectional lens where possible, to develop a comprehensive Action Plan.  

Among the initiatives undertaken by the University since it signed up to the REC in September 2020 are: 

•    Reduction in the attainment gap for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students 
•    ‘Root out racism’ movement, addressing institutional and structural racism as well as health and social inequalities across West Yorkshire
•    Broaden My Bookshelf panel debate – ‘Diversify or decolonise?’ – and a widening of the University library’s general literature and academic portfolio
•    Development of materials designed by students for staff training following workshops for staff and students highlighting microaggressions encountered by Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students.

Included in the REC’s list of examples of good practice by the University were, 

•    The Inclusivity Framework for Course Design, which puts equality at the heart of student academic experience
•    Partnering with recruitment consultants to promote an increase in applicants from under-represented groups, which demonstrates the positive impact that the HE sector can have by influencing partners
•    HuDAP/Flying Start programmes, which see intersectional data being used as the basis for targeted interventions to support students.

Also highlighted by the REC was the University’s honest recognition of the race challenges it faces, the relevant actions made by the University based on its understanding of the data it has collected and its acknowledgement of its ties to the local area, with willingness to collaborate with the local community. 

Advance HE’s Race Equality Charter mission is to improve the representation, experience, progression and success of racially minoritised staff and students within higher education. It provides a rigorous and robust framework through which institutions work to critically reflect and act on institutional and cultural barriers standing in the way of the progression and success of racially minoritised staff and students. 

Race Equality Charter Action Plan

Race at Work Charter

The University became a member of the Race at Work Charter in March 2020, in doing so the University has signed up to the following five commitments:

1. Appoint an Executive Sponsor for race
2. Capture ethnicity data and publicise progress
3. Commit at board level to zero tolerance of harassment and bullying
4. Make clear that supporting equality in the workplace is the responsibility of all leaders and managers
5. Take action that supports minority ethnic career progression

Investing in Ethnicity

University awarded as Advanced Employer and announced as Top 25 Employer! 

The University of Huddersfield is thrilled to have been awarded as a Level 3 Advanced Employer and secured a spot in the Top 25 Employers committed to progressing their ethnicity agenda.

In Autumn 2022, the University progressed from a level two 'Star Employer' to level three of the Maturity Matrix and was awarded as a ‘Advanced Employer’ which highlights we have started to formalise and implement our ethnicity agenda within the University.  We have recently received our full report which will enable us to review our current position and work towards improvements in line with the framework. 

Furthermore, The University of Huddersfield was among 25 organisations being acknowledged for their leadership and commitment to improving racial diversity while creating cultures and implementing inclusive policies that are beneficial to aiding ethnic minority representation.

The University has participated in the Investing in Ethnicity Maturity matrix since 2020.  The Maturity Matrix provides us with a framework and strategy based on levels of Maturity, which is aligned to the Race at Work Charter and many other report recommendations. This enables us to work towards positive improvements and narrowing inequalities surrounding race at the University. 

Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Staff Network

The University welcomes and supports the development of staff networks.  Our staff networks provide an opportunity for staff who share a protected characteristic to network, obtain peer support and share information.  They can also offer opportunities for staff to inform university policy on equality-related issues and topics. The networks are run by and for the members, with support from the University EDI Manager.  

Welcome to the University of Huddersfield's Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic Staff Network.  The network has recently relaunched in June 2020.

To find out more about this network including future meeting dates, please contact Berenice Golding (Acting Chair)

Guidance

Race Equality Educational Resources

As we build on our ongoing race equality work at the University, whilst it is important to listen to others’ experiences, it is also important to educate ourselves. There is a vast amount of useful resources you can find online, we have provided some useful resources as a starting point below:

TV/Videos:

• Small Axe is a British anthology film series, created and directed by Steve McQueen. A series of films set from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s, the films each tell a story involving London’s West Indian community, whose lives have been shaped by their own force of will, despite rampant racism and discrimination. Even though this collection of films is set some decades ago, the stories are as vital and timely today as they were for the West Indian community in London at the time. Each film, in its own unique way, conveys hard-won successes in the face of racism, bringing hope and optimism for the future.
• John Amaechi on white privilege
• John Amaechi Not-racist v anti-racist: what’s the difference?
• Black and British: A Forgotten History is a four-part BBC Television documentary series, written and presented by David Olusoga and first broadcast in November 2016. It documents the history of Black people in Great Britain and its colonies, starting with those who arrived as part of the Roman occupation, and relates that history to modern Black British identity.
• Microaggressions are like mosquito bites encourages people to imagine that instead of being an inappropriate comment, a microaggression is a mosquito bite.

Twitter:

• @AntiRacistLibr

Organisations:

• Black Lives Matter
• Race Equality First
• Stand Up To Racism
• Show Racism the Red Card
• Runnymede
• Stephen Lawrence Research Centre at DMU

If you have found a book, article or any other kind of resource particularly helpful, please email the EDI team so we can add it to this page.