A network which aims to promote and advance racial justice within the University of Edinburgh and higher education. Our three key areas of activity and our remit can be found here. Welcome Our network supports the University’s 2030 Strategy with particular championing of its key strategic area of “People”. We will continue to welcome and bring together people from a wide range of backgrounds and experience, both close to home and across the globe. We will encourage and take care of one another. We will provide support in times of difficulty and celebrate every success. We will build relationships that are mutually beneficial, long lasting and constructive. We will value the contribution of every individual, regardless of whether they are students, staff, alumni or other contributors. We will support each other’s development and career progress. We will set an example for others by conducting ourselves with integrity, transparency, honesty and clarity at all times. We will always value and protect freedom of expression, while respecting the boundaries dictated by law, decency, ethics and respect for others. We will be open to change to best support our academic mission and ensure we have policies and procedures that are people focused, efficient and effective. The University of Edinburgh Staff Race Diversity Network is run and led by its members and will maintain independence from University leadership. Our purpose is to promote and advance racial justice within the University of Edinburgh and higher education. Our values and principles We recognise that racism impacts the daily lives and experiences of racially minoritised staff and students in the University. Increased understanding of these experiences at interpersonal, structural and systemic level is an important first step towards building an anti-racist culture. We recognise that issues of injustice and marginalisation operate intersectionally and commit to being attentive to this circumstance in all our operations and activities. We recognise that it is the responsibility of all staff and students in the University to be racially literate. Racial literacy is the ability to recognise, respond and counter racism. We recognise that advocacy for, and representation of, racially minoritised students and staff at all levels within the institution are essential to safeguard their experience and sense of belonging within the University. We recognise that, in order to further our agenda, communication is vital between members of our own and allied networks, with the broader university community as well as the wider Edinburgh community. We commit to regular, open and transparent communications but also to preserve confidentiality where necessary and appropriate. We recognise that promoting racial justice requires institutional support and resource. We will continue to lobby the senior leadership, including the Principal’s Senior Leadership Team, the University Court, and allies of our network for time allocation and budget for committee members to do this work. Our purpose We have three key areas of activity: Promote university-wide change Increase engagement with our network Develop ties with racially minoritized communities in Edinburgh Our remit To provide networking opportunities and hold regular discussion on race matters and provide a mechanism for enabling staff to come together to share information and support, by providing a space for the safe discussion of race issues To provide a confidential environment to share experiences of working within the University to gather information about the experiences of staff to establish good practices in relation to race To provide a forum with which the University can consult on project and policy on race-related matters in relation to equality of treatment for staff and help inform the University’s approach to promoting an inclusive and supportive culture To provide a point of contact and work with Equality and Diversity committees(s) to develop effective solutions in planning and policy development for BME staff To raise the race profile of staff within and beyond the University To enable the sharing of best practice, knowledge, ideas and thoughts on operational, research and academic work in relation to race. Membership Membership is open to any member of staff, including postgraduate research students, that supports the values and purpose of the network. We aspire for a good balance of academic and support staff, at all grades, with representation of all genders and gender expressions, and different ethnic groups. Members must maintain the confidentiality of sensitive information and are expected to make a meaningful contribution to the group. Members are encouraged to attend events organised by the group. Edinburgh today Our University is not as diverse as we wish it to be as only 10.8% of our staff are from a black and minority ethnic background. We also have more than 40,000 students, including 9,000 international students from more than 160 countries. University facts & figures factsheet University policies Dignity and Respect Policy (777.8 KB PDF) Reports Reports from the Equality Diversity Monitoring and Research Committee (EDMARC). EDMARC This article was published on 2024-03-06
