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      Race Equality Charter

      Race equality charter header

      • What is the Race Equality Charter

      We are a member of Advance HE's Race Equality Charter. Signing up to this charter demonstrates commitment to improving the representation, progression and success of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff and students within higher education.

      Guiding principles of the REC

      REC members are committed to following these five guiding principles:

      1. 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.
      2. 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.
      3. 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.
      4. Black 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.
      5. All individuals have multiple identities, and the intersection of those identities should be considered wherever possible.

      • Race Equality Charter Survey

      In order to move ahead meaningfully as an organisation, we need to take an honest look at where we are. This includes reviewing University Data related to Race Equality and also learning more about the experiences and perspectives of colleagues across our community.

      Our aim is to expose and eliminate racial inequality, and develop an inclusive culture that val­ues all staff – but we can’t make any meaningful advancement until we know how our staff truly feel.

      To help us better understand what we’re doing well, and equally importantly not so well, we’re asking you no matter what racial or ethnic group you identify with, to please find some time to complete this anonymous survey.

      Your responses will help us develop an action plan of what we need to improve and how we need to change.

      We are inviting you to join our focus groups or one-to-one interviews on the issues raised in the survey. Please email REC@mdx.ac.uk to express your interest in taking part in a focus group or being interviewed.

      Take the survey

      • Bronze Institution Award application

      Our aim is to seek the Bronze Institution Award in the first instance which recognises that the University has a solid foundation for eliminating race bias and developing an inclusive culture that values all staff.

      In order to prepare and effectively co-ordinate the submission for the Award, the following key objectives have been identified:

      1. Assess race equality inclusive of intersectionality, including quantitative (staff/student data) and qualitative (policies, practices, systems and arrangements) evidence and identify both opportunities and challenges;
      2. Undertake a critical self-assessment;
      3. Develop a four year plan that builds on the central self-assessment, information on activities that are already in place and what has been learned from these;
      4. Develop and embed an organisational structure, including self-assessment team [SAT], to carry out the agreed actions moving forward;
      5. Submit the complete application by the agreed deadline.

      The submission of the application for the Award will take place in 2021/2022, either by July 2021 or by February 2022, according to Advance HE the assessment process typically takes 18 months. Two months’ notice is required to be given to Advance HE ahead of the formal submission. The actual submission date will be confirmed by the Steering Group in early May 2021 depending on the progress made by the Self-Assessment Team.

      • Guidance from Advance HE

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