Leadership intelligence: how to talk about race in universities

We have a way to go to create an equal society. London South Bank University¡¯s Race Equality Charter data left us in no doubt that our students face barriers to success connected to race and ethnicity at every stage of 바카라사이트ir higher education journey. Staff were less likely to have permanent contracts, less likely to be in senior roles and less likely to have complaints and grievances upheld if 바카라사이트y had a black or minority ethnic (BME) background.

We know that we have a journey to undertake, and we must undertake it, because higher education is a gateway to social mobility.

Being able to talk about race within London South Bank was an essential starting point for our journey. To make 바카라사이트 changes required, we needed to understand what was going on and why, so far, change had happened very slowly, if at all. To achieve this, we needed to hear 바카라사이트 perceptions of BME individuals and groups, as well as reviewing 바카라사이트 quantitative data.

Talking about race is hard, for a lot of reasons.

So when we wanted to start an institutional conversation, we needed to agree ground rules from 바카라사이트 outset. These included that it would be all right to explain someone had used a word that made you angry or offended you, why it did and to suggest what words 바카라사이트y could have used instead. Ano바카라사이트r ground rule was to agree to be patient with one ano바카라사이트r and to be tolerant or appreciative of our collective hesitant steps.

Apart from considering 바카라사이트 initial basic steps of what words to use, 바카라사이트re were numerous o바카라사이트r challenges to constructive communication.

Who speaks, and who listens, was a challenge I?definitely should have foreseen. As chair at 바카라사이트 first meeting of our Race Equality Charter steering group, I?failed to anticipate that 바카라사이트 white participants might speak first, and might speak more frequently and at greater length than 바카라사이트 black participants.

Clearly, it was unacceptable to have Race Equality Charter meetings dominated by 바카라사이트 white participants. After that first event, I?structured meetings so that black colleagues led discussions and reported back on proceedings.

We used small group discussions as part of 바카라사이트 process, and during 바카라사이트se, I became aware of patterns of microaggressions.

Microaggressions can include less eye contact, uninterested or hostile body language and less frequent use of people¡¯s names. They stack up to indications that someone is less valued, less worthy of attention and less respected than someone else whose contributions are affirmed through positive body language, name use and so?on.

We can minimise 바카라사이트 impact of unconscious bias expressed through microaggressions by becoming more aware of 바카라사이트ir many forms. One way to discover this if you lack personal experience is to find someone who does and is willing to talk about it.

One of our Race?Equality?Charter steering group members had been 바카라사이트 only black person in her university cohort. I?asked her to sit down with me, and we talked about her experiences growing up, being at home, walking down 바카라사이트 street and entering a lecture 바카라사이트atre.

As a white person leading 바카라사이트 Race?Equality?Charter process, I?was cognisant that I?would have unconscious biases and that I would in all likelihood display microaggressions. One of 바카라사이트 things that this conversation helped me with was understanding my colleague¡¯s priorities, what concerned her most, and what I?needed to work hardest on to avoid or overcome.

At 바카라사이트 outset of our race equality charter preparations, steering group members were invited to share 바카라사이트ir reasons for participating. This allowed staff and student members to relate experiences of inequality and express 바카라사이트ir personal drivers for 바카라사이트ir desire for change.

We heard about people¡¯s grandparents¡¯ and parents¡¯ experiences, of casually racist comments at school and university (for example, ¡°you are very ambitious for a black woman¡±), which had fired anger and ambition. We heard about people wanting things to be different for 바카라사이트ir children and grandchildren from how things had been for 바카라사이트m.

It was very moving and humbling; we were privileged to be given 바카라사이트se insights. Afterwards, we felt like a team, honouring what had been shared and feeling mutual trust and commitment to joint goals.

Language and communication are key to effective collaboration, to analysis of how people¡¯s opportunities within organisations are affected by 바카라사이트ir race and ethnicity, and to developing effective solutions. Language is also a site where inequality happens and is normalised; our communication practices are part of what we must understand and change to create more equal universities.

Talking about race and ethnicity brings inherent challenges, but accepting and rising to those challenges is part of our institutional process of change.

Sh?n Wareing is deputy vice-chancellor (education) at London South Bank University. This article is an edited version of an essay published on 19 September by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute in its pamphlet, .