The University of East London is about to embark on a campaign to try and improve racial equality at the institution.
Elite universities Oxford and Cambridge recently hit the headlines for their perceived lack of diversity in terms of the race and class of their student admissions.
UEL is in a very different position, as the majority of our students (65%) are from BAME backgrounds. However, that is not reflected in the make-up of our staff, especially those in senior positions. There is also the sector-wide issue of an attainment gap in the level of academic achievement reached by students of different ethnicities.
We want to improve the racial dynamics at UEL for the better for everyone. To help facilitate progress towards race equality, we are currently working towards an application for the Equality Challenge Unit’s (ECU’s) Race Equality Charter (REC).
An important first step is for all staff to take part in a survey. We want to hear your views on working at UEL and whether you think there is anything we can do to advance race equality, and value diversity.
Marcia Wilson, the chair of the REC self-assessment team explained how the data from the survey will be used. She said
“The feedback from this survey will help to understand racial inequalities, identify areas for improvement and possible solutions; inform our planning and approach to improving race equality generally and inform our Race Equality Charter application specifically.”
It is important for us to understand the experience of ALL staff at UEL in relation to race equality, irrespective of their race or ethnicity.
The application will be consulted on leading up to submission and made available on the intranet.
Please complete the staff survey which can be accessed here.
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