Today, the UniversitiesUK published a new set of recommendations to ‘decisively tackle racial harassment’ in response to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)’s challenge to universities last year (EHRC, 2019).
UniversitiesUK acknowledges that structural racism or the decolonising agenda are beyond the scope of the proposals. It has five themes (Culture, Whole-institution response, Prevention, Response, Evaluation. Below is a transcript of its 12 key recommendations.
Recommendation 1
Vice-chancellors, principals and senior leaders are recommended to afford priority status to tackling racial harassment, and to demonstrate this visibly through taking ownership, responsibility, accountability and oversight for tackling it. It is recommended that this is supported by engaging with those with lived experiences of racial harassment, by dedicating specific resources to its eradication, and engaging with governing bodies or university courts.
Recommendation 2
Work with the entire university community, including students’ unions, trades unions and staff networks, to understand the impact of racial harassment on campus. Ensure that the voices of students and staff from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds with lived experience of racial harassment are given due prominence, and be clear that tackling these issues is everyone’s responsibility and should not fall to a minority of colleagues.
Recommendation 3
Universities should develop a strategy for addressing racial harassment, ensuring this is embedded consistently throughout all areas of the institution and informed by decision- makers across the university. Clear success measures should be identified and progress regularly reviewed by senior leaders and the governing body.
Recommendation 4
Regularly review policies and procedures to understand possible biases or increased potential for racial harassment. Increase racial and cultural competence and awareness of the impact of racial harassment and racial microaggressions throughout the university’s services, including in wellbeing, counselling, disability support and careers services.
Recommendation 5
Be confident in holding open conversations about racism and racial harassment across the institution. Define racial harassment, using clear examples of terminology, including microaggressions, and being clear that the impact on the victim is important in determining harassment. Ensure these definitions are widely communicated and understood.
Recommendation 6
Increase staff and students’ understanding of racism, racial harassment and microaggressions and white privilege, through training that is developed from an anti-racist perspective. This should go beyond unconscious bias training. Set targets for completion and carefully evaluate all training activities to ensure they have the desired effect.
Recommendation 7
Ensure that staff and students are aware of expected behaviours online and the sanctions for breaching these, highlighting that incidents will be treated with the same severity as those happening offline. In the light of the Covid-19 pandemic, review the efficacy of university support for online safety and welfare, and how effectively this meets the changing needs of students and staff.
Recommendation 8
Where these do not already exist, universities should develop and introduce clearly defined channels for reporting incidents of racial harassment, including the option for anonymous reporting where possible. Details of the system should be communicated routinely to all staff and students to encourage usage. The provision of appropriate support to the reporting party should be a key consideration in designing reporting systems.
Recommendation 9
Universities should systematically collect data on reports of incidents of racial harassment, including where issues were resolved informally, and take action to respond to emerging trends. This data should be reported to senior members of staff and governing bodies and discussed with partners, including trades unions and students’ unions. Universities should create a centralised mechanism for recording incidents to understand the true extent of the issue and prevent information being held only locally.
Recommendation 10
Universities should review their procedures for handling racial harassment complaints to ensure that these follow sector frameworks and guidance from ACAS and the EHRC to deliver fair, transparent and equitable outcomes for all parties involved. This should be done in collaboration with staff and students from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, trades unions and students’ unions. Gather, analyse and review satisfaction data to ensure procedures remain fit for purpose.
Recommendation 11
Institutions should develop robust evaluation measures for their activities to prevent and respond to racial harassment. These should incorporate the experience of staff members and students who have used reporting systems and complaints procedures. Established measures should also be kept under review as changes to circumstances, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, may require new action or changes in approach.
Recommendation 12
UUK will carry out a review to evaluate the impact of this guidance and identify areas for further improvement by summer 2022.
A full read of Tackling Racial Harassment in Higher Education is highly recommended for its accompanying case studies and numerous other highly practical recommendations.
Graciano Soares is Chair of the University of Brighton Race and Faith Network. He is Co-editor of Talk it out!