Race Equality Charter
We are a member of Advance HE's Race Equality Charter. Signing up to this charter demonstrates commitment to improving the representation, progression and success of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff and students within higher education.
Guiding principles
REC members are committed to following these five guiding principles:
- Racial inequalities are a significant issue within higher education. Racial inequalities are not necessarily overt, isolated incidents. Racism is an everyday facet of UK society and racial inequalities manifest themselves in everyday situations, processes and behaviours.
- UK higher education cannot reach its full potential unless it can benefit from the talents of the whole population and until individuals from all ethnic backgrounds can benefit equally from the opportunities it affords.
- In developing solutions to racial inequalities, it is important that they are aimed at achieving long-term institutional culture change, avoiding a deficit model where solutions are aimed at changing the individual.
- Black and minority ethnic staff and students are not a homogenous group. People from different ethnic backgrounds have different experiences of and outcomes from/within higher education, and that complexity needs to be considered in analysing data and developing actions.
- All individuals have multiple identities, and the intersection of those identities should be considered wherever possible.
Bronze Institution Award application
The University joined Advance HE's Race Equality Charter (REC) in 2020 and received the REC Bronze Award in October 2023.
The REC helps member institutions in their work to identify and address the barriers facing racially minoritised staff and students, while also providing a framework for action and improvement. There are currently 99 REC members in the higher education sector and 44 of them, including Middlesex University, hold awards, which demonstrates the significance of this great achievement.
As a University, we have an important part to play in helping to make the world a more inclusive place for our students, colleagues and our global community. This Bronze Award indicates that we are on the right path to developing a more inclusive culture and progressing towards creating even greater opportunities for us all, regardless of our background or experience. Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) is our central focus and this will continue.
Read our Race Equality Action Plan (pdf)
Read our Race Equality Charter Application (pdf)
Self-Assessment Team (SAT)
The main focus of the SAT is to:
- Reflect on a range of quantitative and qualitative data to identify both challenges and opportunities with regards to race equality;
- Evaluate relevant policies, practices and activities;
- Respond to the findings of the above and establishing race equality-based priority areas and appropriate aspirations and targets;
- Develop an evidence-based, comprehensive action plan to underpin advancement against the agreed priorities over the whole award period (four years), after which time the University will apply to renew or upgrade their award;
- Evaluate the effectiveness of actions undertaken on an ongoing basis, to ensure actions are delivering desired impact against objectives, and evolving the action plan in response to evaluation;
- Aim to gather data of our contractors and their experiences of the university and build this into our narrative.