Welsh Universities achieve Race Equality Charters: Universities play their part in an anti-racist Wales

This year universities in Wales were awarded the Advance HE Bronze Race Equality Charter Award. This significant achievement, which was encouraged in the Welsh Government’s Anti-racist Wales Action Plan shows our higher education sector’s commitment to becoming anti-racist universities. Achieving the Charter was an important recognition of the work universities have done so far and sets the foundation for the next steps. To successfully be awarded the Charter, universities needed to ensure a whole institution approach is informed by evidence, data and the voices of staff and students with lived experience. By understanding staff and students’ experiences, universities have been better able to build on their existing work to make universities a safe and inclusive space for learning, working and living.

The eight universities achieved the charter in record time, supported by Medr funding. The funding allowed universities to make progress at pace towards tackling anti-racism, in line with the Welsh Government’s anti-racism expectations. Actions have a clear focus on barriers to recruitment, leadership, progression and retention. These pillars form an important part of delivering for future generations of students and a more equal Wales.

And what has changed?

The charter is a recognition of universities’ commitment to tackling racism. Charters are not an end in themselves, rather they confirm intentions which are backed by action plans which must be achieved as part of a next review milestone.

By using an anti-racist lens as advocated through the Charter, governance and management systems are challenged to meet expectations, identify and scrutinise disparities, collate data and assess support needs for staff and students from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds. This whole university approach reaffirms that everyone has a role to play in ensuring an equal Wales.

What next?

Medr is committed to supporting the tertiary education sector on its anti-racism journey.  We welcome the tertiary sector providers’ ongoing commitment to tackling anti-racism and their contribution to Welsh Government’s Anti-racist Wales Action Plan. Medr with oversight of tertiary education is consulting on its new regulatory conditions, including as they relate to equality of opportunity, staff and learner welfare and the learner voice. We will continue to ensure that the tertiary education sector plays its full part in meeting the Welsh Government’s expectations of becoming an anti-racist Wales by 2030.