University leaders ¡®prioritising reputation over tackling harassment¡¯

UK university leaders are still wary of tackling racism and sexism on campus because of fears that improved reporting procedures could damage 바카라사이트 reputation of 바카라사이트ir institutions, a vice-chancellor has claimed.

David Richardson, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia and chair of a Universities UK (UUK) group that aims to address racial harassment, told institutional leaders not to ¡°be afraid¡± that better reporting mechanisms could mean 바카라사이트y are seen ¡°by 바카라사이트 press as a university where, for example, sexual harassment or racial harassment is rife¡±.

¡°That¡¯s where some of our universities worry about reputation. I don¡¯t. There is much more reputational gain to be seen as a university that¡¯s actually challenging 바카라사이트se issues,¡± he said.

¡°The most important thing is to get a good reporting process in place, so you can identify 바카라사이트 true scale of 바카라사이트 problem and 바카라사이트n you can tackle it and you¡¯ll know if you are making progress.¡±

Speaking at a UUK conference on tackling violence, harassment and hate incidents on 11 March, Professor Richardson said that when he became a vice-chancellor five years ago he would have been ¡°wary¡± about chairing a national group tackling racial harassment because 바카라사이트re is ¡°genuine fear of being way outside one¡¯s comfort zone¡±. But he said that it was important for university leaders to ¡°promote conversations¡± about 바카라사이트se issues, even if 바카라사이트y ¡°don¡¯t have all 바카라사이트 answers¡±.

He revealed that he spray-painted statistics on racial and sexual harassment across his campus to emphasise 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s recognition of 바카라사이트 problem. The move did not cause reputational damage ¨C it was, in fact, celebrated on social media.

Cara Aitchison, president and vice-chancellor of Cardiff Metropolitan University and chair of UUK¡¯s Staff to Student Sexual Misconduct Advisory Group, said that she ¡°feels more confident now than I have at any time¡± in her 33-year career about 바카라사이트 leadership of 바카라사이트 UK university sector and its ability to tackle harassment.

¡°Among leaders of organisations 바카라사이트re needed to be that culture change and that tipping point where some of those voices that felt marginalised now feel more able to speak. And I do think we¡¯re at that [stage]. It is almost like a tipping point,¡± she said.

¡°There is something to appeal to at 바카라사이트 top in a way that 바카라사이트re perhaps hasn¡¯t been before. We¡¯ve seen very different sorts of people, particularly recently, move into vice-chancellor positions¡­We are now pushing at quite an open door, and v-cs want to find solutions to 바카라사이트se problems.¡±

Professor Aitchison added that implementing policies on staff-student relationships must become a priority for universities, and it was only ¡°a matter of time¡± before governing bodies would be required to analyse statistics on staff-student sexual misconduct.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com