Advance HE

University secures Race Equality Charter bronze award

The University of Exeter has secured a Race Equality Charter bronze award that recognises the University’s commitment to and efforts towards advancing race equality in higher education. 

The Advance HE charter provides a framework through which institutions work to identify and self-reflect on institutional and cultural barriers creating disparity in experiences and outcomes for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic colleagues and students.

A Bronze award recognises that an institution has a solid foundation for enhancing race equity and developing an inclusive culture that values and supports all colleagues and students, acknowledging commitment and preparation to act. This is reflected in the REC’s five fundamental guiding principles which the University signed up to as part of its membership of the charter.

Provost, Professor Janice Kay, CBE, said: “We are delighted to have received this award, recognising the hard work that our University is doing towards becoming an anti-racist university as part of our Strategy 2030. This is a key work strand of the Wellbeing, Inclusion and Culture Committee (WICC) knowing that this is just the start of our race equality journey. Our race equality action plan, developed in consultation with our community as part of our REC application, aims to address the many barriers we still have to overcome.”

Assistant Director (Culture and inclusion), Shraddha Chaudhary said: “The genesis of our ambition to submit to the REC came from our students and staff as we collectively saw it as an evidence-based way to further race equity at Exeter. I’m grateful to our REC team and Race Equality Group members for persevering through the difficult conversations, and reflections undertaken as part of this process. It is now time for us to start delivering the promised actions which will make a difference to the day-to-day experience of colleagues and students across our Exeter and Cornwall campuses.”

Through continued collaboration with its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Team led by the previous Race Equality Charter Manager, Niema Bohrayba, the BME Network, Student Societies and the Race Equality Group with leadership by our Provost, the University has identified gaps, listened to students and staff and co-created impactful actions to guide its practice over the next five years. This is one step in the direction of continuing the journey towards becoming an anti-racist university as aspired in the 2030 Strategy.

Date: 23 September 2022