The University will submit its application for the bronze Race Equality Charter (REC) award in February 2021.

As the time to submit the application nears, we want to ensure that staff and students have the opportunity to add their voice further and respond to the near-final action plan and submission. Draft PDFs are now available on the Race Equality Charter Sharepoint site. We invite all staff and students to read and reflect on the documents, before completing short forms that will capture feedback.

The Race Equality Charter gives us a framework in which to identify, explore and address issues affecting the representation, progression and success of BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) students and staff at the University. Bronze status recognises the work the institution is doing to create “a solid foundation for eliminating racial inequalities and developing an inclusive culture that values all staff and students. A bronze award acknowledges commitment and preparation to act.”

One of the main ambitions for the Race Equality Charter self-assessment process was to give all staff and students the chance to be involved in the process in a variety of ways and to have their voices heard. We had an open call inviting staff and students to apply to be on the on the Self-Assessment Team (SAT) at the start of the process.

Since then, the REC Self-Assessment Team has been gathering input and feedback from staff and students over the last two years to shape the submission and action plan. Engagement and involvement has included a University-wide staff and student survey, focus groups and town hall meetings.

Not all elements of the submission are available to all at present. Some sections have not been included in this opportunity for feedback, as they contain confidential information, along with data that could identify individual members of staff.

Once the final application is submitted, the whole document will be published on our public-facing web pages with these specific elements redacted. For now, we have published the draft with those entire sections removed.

We are sharing on Sharepoint so that the documents are available to any staff and students who wish to view and comment on them. We ask that you do not share the documents beyond the University community at this point, as they are draft – not final – documents. The submission must be written according to a standard framework determined by Advance HE and has a strict word limit.

Feedback will be carefully considered and used in the final shaping and tone of the submission.

To view the documents and access the feedback forms, visit the Race Equality Charter Sharepoint.

The feedback forms will be closed at 5pm on Friday 11 December.