Race and ethnicity in higher education

Doctors of colour clasp hands in a circle

What underpins the success of a racial justice network?

A small online meeting of ethnic minority medical students in 2020 has now grown into a well established staff and student community. Here are six features that underpin its success

Kate Williams, Shameq Sayeed

University of Leicester

A Black artist holds a paintbrush out to the camera

Helping Black students thrive in art education

How to make art school a welcoming, inclusive environment for Black students, and support them into artistic careers

Emily Moore

Royal College of Art

A group of people having a discussion at a table

Foster allyship to support marginalised groups in higher education

How to initiate change, create safe spaces for difficult conversations and nurture a culture of allyship in your department

Reuel Blair, Tizzy Gill

Nottingham Trent University, Birmingham City University

Students listen to a lecture

Five ways to embed anti-racist pedagogy

With the race awarding gap widening, facilitating conversations about race between staff and students is crucial. Embedding anti-racist pedagogy in your classroom can pave the way – here’s how

Yaz Osho, Danielle Chavrimootoo

University of Westminster

Two female students study together

What I learned about South Asian women when we built a space for them

Instead of building broad-spectrum equity programmes and hoping for the best, what about a more tailored approach? Sobia Razzaq explains how a careers programme tailored to final-year students from South Asian backgrounds helped them find confidence and community

Sobia Razzaq

University of Westminster

Bicultural competence

How to prepare graduates for a bicultural and global future

Embedding Indigenous perspectives into curriculum requires more than symbolic gestures. Here’s how universities can move from compliance to transformation – and the practical steps we’ve learned from our journey

Joce Nuttall, Liz Brown

University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

podcast graphic

Campus talks: getting back to the basics of equity, diversity and inclusion in higher education

Two US experts in EDI discuss how universities can continue to support and advance equality of opportunity in the face of mounting challenges to ‘diversity’ work

Paulette Granberry Russell, Frank Dobbin

National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, Harvard University

Protestors on the Stand Up to Racism & Facism march in London in 2015

A common enemy approach to anti-racism in higher education

We need to rethink how we understand and advance anti-racism work in universities, treating racism as ‘our common enemy’ and adopting a unified approach to tackling it, writes Paul Miller

Paul Miller

The Institute for Equity, University Centre

STEM students in a lab

Four ways to boost diversity in environmental science

The barriers to STEM subjects start long before students apply. From rigid entry requirements to a lack of representation, here are four, with practical ways to build a more inclusive environmental science pipeline

Abby Onencan

The University of East Anglia

Spotlight graphic for How to build belonging at your institution

How to build belonging at your institution

Advice and strategies for creating a university campus where all students and staff feel accepted, valued and respected

Eliza Compton, Campus contributors

Campus

Advice on purposefully creating a sense of belonging among black students in majority white universities

How can we support Black neurodivergent students?

Black neurodivergent students face distinct barriers at the intersection of racism and ableism, so here are ways universities can go beyond generic policies to offer truly inclusive, intersectional support

Patrice Seuwou

University of Northampton

A student smiling to camera

Tackling accent bias: the ‘last acceptable form of discrimination’

Accent bias undermines Black international students’ confidence and belonging in UK universities. Institutions must tackle this exclusion through awareness, training, and a proactive celebration of linguistic diversity

Patrice Seuwou

University of Northampton

A Black woman engineer building a robot

What I needed as a Black woman in STEM

Factors that influence the success of Black women in STEM, including community building, EDI responsibilities and invisible labour – and how to provide support

Carlotta A. Berry

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

A woman holding a megaphone while protesting

Faculty must stand together to confront the American illiberal peril

What happens now that university presidents are willing to stand up individually and collectively in the face of governmental hostility? Chris Dietrich examines the historical context leading up to it and suggests some ways to resist

Chris Dietrich

Fordham University

The inside of a university library

White privilege doesn’t exist for working-class men in higher education

Consider social class a protected characteristic and remove financial barriers to make HE accessible to white, working-class men, writes Mark Butterick

Mark Butterick

University of Leeds

Two students smiling to camera

Making admissions processes fair on Black students

How we can use alternative criteria and targeted outreach to promote fair access to higher education for Black students

Patrice Seuwou

University of Northampton

A professor helps a student in class

Five ways coaching can improve the university experience of Black students

The ethnicity awarding gap continues to be an issue in UK universities, especially for Black students. Could coaching be the answer?

Yaz Osho

University of Westminster

podcast graphic

Campus talks: what Indigenous knowledge brings to higher education

Two Indigenous university leaders explain how their institutions support First Nations’ participation in higher education, create space for community and build trust in postcolonial environments

Angie Bruce, Te Kawehau Hoskins

University of Manitoba, The University of Auckland

A group of people put their hands together

Five steps to decolonise your university curriculum and pave the way for a better future

How can universities reset their curricula and embrace a range of experiences? Here are five ways to start down the path of decolonisation

Steve Larkin

University of Adelaide

Academics work together around a table

Start the journey of anti-colonial work with these first steps

Many non-Indigenous staff are worried about doing anti-colonial work for fear of getting it wrong. Sue Sharpe shares four tips for getting started

Sue Sharpe

Australian National University

Young black PhD student

Co-creating PhD programmes for Black UK students offers a route to reparative justice

How to co-create, recruit and deliver PhD programmes for Black students: lessons from a scholarship and development programme aimed at diversifying doctorates

Heather Lambie

University of Glasgow

Black and Asian researchers working in a lab

Media training can combat low BME representation in academia

Advice from Imperial College London’s new media training academy to help BME researchers build their profiles and increase the reach of their research

Maxine Myers

Imperial College London

A Black man has his blood pressure taken

‘You can change the world with a haircut’: engaging communities at risk

With Black and minority ethnic communities disproportionately affected by high blood pressure, academics found innovative ways to reach them. Here’s how to launch a community outreach programme that works

Nicola Thomas

London South Bank University

Latin woman looking thoughtful with book

How to bring Indigenous knowledge into classrooms and curricula

Academic institutions have a mandate to engage and serve the Indigenous communities whose land they occupy, writes Edward Polanco. Here, he offers tangible techniques for amplifying these voices on campus

Edward Polanco

Virginia Tech

Wilberforce House Museum, the birthplace of William Wilberforce, politician, slavery abolitionist and social reformer.

A model of authentic knowledge exchange to advance social inclusion

An example of how knowledge exchange can help remedy social injustice and bring forward previously overlooked perspectives, based on a project at Hull’s Wilberforce House Museum

Nick Evans

University of Hull

A student in the library makes notes

Black students are succeeding in spite of academia, rather than because of it – we need a reset

The narrative that widening participation is enough is creating isolation and disillusionment among Black PhD students. How can universities move beyond it to empower Black academics?

William Ackah

Birkbeck, University of London

Male librarian sorting out books

Empower minority staff and students to thrive at your institution

Practical strategies to reduce representation burdens, build diverse talent pipelines and foster inclusive environments in higher education

Pallavi Banerjee

The University of Exeter

Old books in a library

To combat antisemitism in HE, teach students about Jewish history

When done well, history education can be a bridge to greater understanding, tolerance and respect, writes Hannah Ewence. Here, she offers guidance on a more nuanced approach to teaching Jewish history to university students

Hannah Ewence

University of Chester

A magnifying glass searches out a wooden figure in a collection

Recruit your next president using the forensic model

In their new book ‘The New College President: How a Generation of Diverse Leaders is Changing Higher Education’, Terrence J. MacTaggart and Eileen B. Wilson-Oyelaran offer their step-by-step guide to finding the strongest non-traditional presidential candidates

Terrence J. MacTaggart, Eileen B. Wilson-Oyelaran

Association of Governing Boards

Young man wearing headphones while working on a laptop

Culturally sensitive support for Black international students

Ongoing support, cultural sensitivity and strategic planning can create an environment where Black international students feel valued and empowered to succeed

Patrice Seuwou

University of Northampton

A group of multicultural students smiling to camera

How can HE institutions become fairer and more inclusive?

Rather than treating inclusivity as a tick-box exercise, institutions should be implementing strategies to ensure they champion it

Sankar Sivarajah

University of Bradford

A Black student in a lecture hall

Equity without whiteness: what leaders get wrong in pursuit of an equitable campus

How can equity be advanced within a system that protects the status quo, and how can university leaders make a difference? Jordan Harper, Rozana Carducci and Adrianna Kezar examine how

Jordan Harper, Rozana Carducci, Adrianna Kezar

Morgan State University, Elon University, University of Southern California

A multiculutral group of staff having a group discussion

Tackling bias and microaggressions in higher education

Actionable strategies and insights to help higher education institutions attract and retain ethnic-minority staff

Pallavi Banerjee

The University of Exeter

A Black student walking around campus with books in hand

Improving the digital experience for Black international students

Strategies UK institutions should take to enable Black international students’ smooth transition into university

Patrice Seuwou

University of Northampton

academics having a meeting

A practical guide to navigating the language of diversity

Navigating the language of diversity is a continuous journey that requires commitment and effort

Yusra Siddiqui

The University of Exeter

EDI training

We must acknowledge our positionality to inclusively engage the community

The work that can lead to change involves building relationships and understanding, and developing and sharing knowledge in partnership with our communities. Put simply, community engagement must engage the community, writes Nilufar Ahmed

Nilufar Ahmed

The University of Bristol

Lawyers shaking hands

Seven structural changes to help bring Indigenous perspectives into curricula

Impermanence of resources, priorities and personnel makes curriculum reform a challenge. Here, Kirstie Smith and Simon Young offer strategies based on their experience in a regional law school

Kirstie Smith , Simon Young

The University of Southern Queensland

A woman lecturer leads a classroom discussion

In a precarious academy, how can migrant academics survive – and thrive?

In this extract from their book, ‘Migrant Academics’ Narratives of Precarity and Resilience in Europe’, Olga Burlyuk and Ladan Rahbari explore the ways precarity presents itself in academia

Olga Burlyuk, Ladan Rahbari

University of Amsterdam

male university student outside

Fulfilling a mission and serving Indigenous students

Universities can do much to support Indigenous students, strengthening the institution’s community, increasing visibility and highlighting the needs of Native Nations students and faculty through deliberate action, writes Melissa Faircloth

Melissa Faircloth

Virginia Tech

Maori woman weaving

Uncovering Indigenous insights: let’s research together

Meaningful engagement with Indigenous communities requires researchers to shift away from conventional methodologies and towards more collaborative and participatory approaches. Here, Sarah Wiki-Bennett shares six key tenets

Sarah Wiki-Bennett

University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

Group of professional people in a meeting

Confessions of an Athena Swan chair

Serving on an EDI or gender-equity committee can be not only rewarding but strategic for the advancement of your professional journey, writes Jana Sadeh. Here’s how to do it well, based on her experience

Jana Sadeh

University of Southampton

Australian Indigenous artwork (detail)

Indigenising teaching and learning through the Big Five ideas of traditional knowledge

Educators should familiarise themselves with the foundational values and beliefs that inform Indigenous Knowledges in order to integrate them into their teaching in a meaningful way, write three First Nations lecturers

Cally Jetta, Emerson Zerafa-Payne , Paul Carmody

The University of Southern Queensland

Young student standign on a staircase in a library

Challenge strategic silencing to improve the experiences of global majority students

Universities have the power to create a more inclusive and empathetic world by promoting open dialogue, accountability and cultural diversity, write Christina Dzineku and Craig Mahoney

Christina Dzineku, Craig Mahoney

Independent academic, The Education Group

Two people sit at a table covered with post-it notes at an event

Community-engaged research can give a voice to marginalised people

Our biggest challenges cannot be resolved by ‘expert’ research alone – community knowledge is essential. Tara Mahoney and Scott Neufeld argue that researchers should let communities set the agenda

Tara Mahoney, Scott Neufeld

Simon Fraser University

Four Black students pose on campus

The importance of Black spaces in white academia

An epistemological approach is needed to build more inclusive environments, argues Blanca Elizabeth Vega in this excerpt from Black Scholarship in a White Academy

Blanca Elizabeth Vega, Robert T Palmer, Sosanya Jones, Alonzo M Flowers

Montclair State University

Bob Marley's portrait and "One Love" at the entrance to the Bob Marley Mausoleum compound in Jamaica

What Bob Marley can teach us about inclusive pedagogy

As One Love hits cinemas, educators can take inspiration from the life of Bob Marley to create a more inclusive educational experience. Lucy Gill-Simmen shows how

Lucy Gill-Simmen

Royal Holloway, University of London

Close up portrait of black woman

Finding – and raising – my voice as a Black female leader in higher education

Women of colour face a formidable set of challenges in the quest to find their place and voice in higher education. Menah Pratt shares the lessons learned in her journey – from the power of persistence to harnessing her creativity

Menah Pratt

Virginia Tech

A group of students smiling at eachother

Weaving gold from EDI straw: an intersectional approach

In this resource, the University of Manchester’s three academic leads for EDI explain how they work together and learn from each other

Dawn Edge, Rachel Cowen, Jackie Carter

The University of Manchester

black female professor working in the library

Effective levers to foster women – specifically women of colour – into leadership roles

Gender and race disparities persist in leadership roles within academic institutions. Here, Menah Pratt shares her advice on effective levers to foster women of colour into leadership roles

Menah Pratt

Virginia Tech

Black female academic at desk

Leaving a legacy as a Black female leader in higher education

Women of colour can leave a legacy that endures far beyond their tenures, writes Menah Pratt. Here, she shares her experience with racism and sexism and describes actions that leave a mark on institutions and students and defy under-representation

Menah Pratt

Virginia Tech