º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ's Race Equity Timeline
2010
- Respecting Diversity mandatory training at the University is reworked to better include race and LGBT+ matters
2014
- Race Equality becomes part of formal discussions at the University
2015
- Unconscious Bias courses are developed at the University in line with Athena Swan
2016
- The University’s entry for the Race Equality Charter (REC) is proposed
2018
- º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ signs up to the Race Equality Charter
- The BAME Staff Network is relaunched
2019
- Anti-racism module incorporated into the Ready, Set, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ initiative for new students
2020
- In response to the Black Lives Matter movement, a range of support initiatives are launched at the University, including:
- A compassionate leave policy for BAME staff experiencing race-based stress
- Additional funding provided to offer specific BAME counselling for staff
- A change in the Mitigating Circumstances policy for students took away the requirement for supporting evidence if they were experiencing race-based stress
- The Careers Network launches the Future Black Talent Programme
- Alumnus Mike Wedderburn interviews members of the University’s Senior Leadership Team about their commitment to tackling racial inequality
2021
- The first Race Equity Town Hall event takes place in October 2021
- º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ signs up to the Halo Code
- Students invited to take part in survey and focus groups to discuss Race Equality at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ
- The CARE x Citizens UK anti-racist leadership training begins
- University endorses the Race Equality Charter Action Plan
- The BAME Staff Network produces the 10 Race Equity Guiding Principles
- The BAME Student Council and Doctoral Researcher Consortium are launched to contribute to the race equity agenda at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ
- The University’s Race Equality Charter application is submitted
2022
- º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is awarded with the REC Bronze Award
- The first Pro Vice-Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion is appointed to the University
- The University publishes information about its Race Pay Gap
- The first EDI Officer (Race Equity Specialism) and EDI Coordinator appointed
2023
- The EDI Operational Board is established
- The EDI Committee is established
- The first Black in Sport Summit takes place in March
- The first BAME staff network conference takes place in June
- The first African/Caribbean celebratory event is hosted by the BAME staff network
- Denise Coles is voted as University Staff Member of the Year at the º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ Experience Awards for her EDI officer role
- The first CITHEI conference takes place in July
- Professor Sheryl Williams is appointed as Professor
- Denise Coles is appointed as EDI Manager
- Veronica Moore is appointed as EDI Director
2024
- A partnership is established with The Race Equality Centre (TREC) in Leicester
- The first anti-racism collaboration event at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ Town Hall brought together University staff and students with local organisations
- Veronica Moore (Director of EDI) has joined the University Executive Board to provide strategic EDI input (whilst the Pro-Vice Chancellor for EDI role is vacant)
- An anti-racist working group is established as part of EDI governance structures
- Richard Taylor (Chief Operating Officer) and Veronica Moore (Director of EDI) are appointed as University Leadership Group sponsors for REACH (Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage) Staff Network
- The EDI Core plan is approved – including specific targets for improving race equity
- Rakhee Patel, EDI Officer for Sex, Gender and Sexual Orientation, is nominated for a Vice Chancellor’s Award in EDI Enhancement
- Professor Sheryl Williams, alongside colleagues from EDI Services, Access and Participation and Student Success Academy, are nominated for a Vice Chancellor’s Award for Enhancing the Student Academic Experience for pioneering a positive intervention programme to address the ethnicity degree awarding gap