One incident of racial harassment is one too many

UHR statement on the publication of the EHRC report “Tackling Racial Harassment: Universities Challenged”

Universities Human Resources (UHR) is the representative body for HR teams in UK universities. Our members are often those challenged with getting the right policies in place to support our students and staff. We are grateful for the detailed work of the EHRC in conducting their inquiry, though sad and frustrated by the evidence of racial harassment in our universities that has been uncovered. One incident of racial harassment is one incident too many. If we want to engender and embed a culture of zero tolerance towards racial harassment, then HR teams in our universities have a vital role to play.

No HEI can afford to be complacent and we are disappointed that not all universities responded to the EHRC inquiry. Though the data isn’t complete, the conclusions are inarguable. We need to do more, much more. We support the recommendations of the report:

• Formalised reporting mechanisms that are clearly understood by students and staff are needed, so that we can all gain confidence that episodes of racial harassment can be managed and resolved in a consistent way
• Students and staff making complaints need to be supported through a situation that is personally extremely difficult for them
• We need a clear and consistent process to gather data – both on current incidence of racial harassment and on progress in reducing racial harassment – with regular reviews of progress.

We were pleased to see examples of good practice highlighted within the report, for instance at the universities of Manchester and Cardiff; and we know from our own work that other universities including Keele and Nottingham Trent are also leading in thinking about issues that (as the report shows) are related. These include the BAME student attainment gap, BAME career progression and the scarcity of visible black role models at senior levels in our universities.

UHR will work with colleagues across the sector on these issues, for instance via our membership of the UUK advisory group. Our role is to support HR staff in considering the recommendations, to share good practice and ensure the issues highlighted by this report are at the forefront of our universities’ mission to be the best educational environments in the world.

As UHR, we can co-ordinate, advocate, share. Individual universities can take responsibility and actions on the ground, and our colleague Rachel Adams, HR Director at Keele University reflects below on the combination of activity that is creating cultural shift at Keele on these issues.

EHRC report: Reflections from Rachel Adams, HR Director, Keele University

The ERHC report of its investigation into racial harassment at UK universities makes for sobering and challenging reading. It is clear that universities cannot afford any complacency when it comes to addressing racial harassment through complaints procedures. Such procedures may be adequate in dealing with the most overt incidents of racial aggression but they fail to acknowledge or even to begin to challenge the everyday micro-aggressions that have a profoundly negative impact on students and staff who are subjected to comments and actions that are often wrongly perceived to be harmless “banter”.

As with so many aspects of university life, developing the right culture is at the heart of making sustainable, positive change – easy to say, far more difficult to deliver. For this reason, when Keele University adopted the Race Equality Charter with the clear and unequivocal intention of advancing race equality in the institution, as opposed to collecting another badge, we established a dedicated work stream focused on issues of “Culture and Communication”, recognising the fundamental need for us all to be able to talk openly, and more importantly to listen with confidence, about issues relating to race.

The ERHC report points to the importance of leadership and developing an inclusive culture where people are as comfortable in talking about race-based inequalities as they are in discussing gender and other protected characteristics, where staff and students feel that it is safe to speak up, and have confidence that they will be listened to and that they can trust that action will be taken. Through a number of good practice initiatives at Keele such as the senior team including the VC being mentored by BAME staff members, individual and collective commitments being made by members of our Governing Body to eradicate all forms of racism, a comprehensive Race Equality Lecture Series to further anti-racist dialogue, a student-made video on micro-aggressions, and initiatives designed to decolonise the curriculum, we have made a start. But there is clearly much more to do, as reflected in our ambitious action plan. This features the objective of improving the reporting mechanisms for bullying and harassment in addition to a range of measures that seek to address both the wider cultural and structural issues that underpin the enduring legacy of race-based inequalities.

A sole focus on policy will not result in the required changes, so we will continue to prioritise actions that aim to foster a culture of inclusivity to ensure a positive work and study environment for our community. We welcome the EHRC report and hope that it will facilitate meaningful dialogue and action across the sector.