SMG Commitments
As a response to the 'Understanding Racism, Transforming University Cultures' report, the Senior Management Group (SMG) at the University have publicly committed to taking an anti-racist approach to University processes and systems, each committing to at least one anti-racist objective.
These objectives have been created to align with the report's Action Plan and the University’s new strategic values of Ambition & Excellence, Curiosity & Discovery, Integrity & Truth and Inclusive Community.
As well as individual commitments, SMG agreed to include an ethnic diversity Key Performance Indicator (KPI) as a component of the University's latest Strategy. The agreed KPI is to grow the percentage of UK Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic(1) colleagues.
[1] We have used Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic to denote those social groups who have been subject to historic and contemporaneous forms of racism and exclusion. We are attentive to the fact that such aggregate forms of conceptualisation are not ideal and can sometimes mask important differences between groups. However, gaps in the declared data currently prohibit further breakdown into separate ethnic groupings.
Professor Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice-Chancellor
"I have publicly committed to the work that needs to be done at the University to make progress on our journey towards becoming an anti-racist institution. My objective takes two strands; committing internally to our staff and students as well as publicly to our external audiences. Externally, I will use the platform I have to regularly send a public anti-racist message, committing to the wider civic responsibilities of my position and using opportunities to speak about our University's journey towards becoming an open and inclusive place to work and study. Internally, I want to enforce an anti-racist message regularly to staff and students."
University Values: Ambition and Excellence; Curiosity and Discovery; Integrity and Truth; An Inclusive Community
Progress to 2023
"I continue to use my internal and external platform to promote URTUC and the UofG anti-racism message whenever possible. SMG had a session with John Amaechi in November 2021, and we received further anti-racism training from Challenge Consultancy in 2022."
Dr David Duncan, Chief Operating Officer (COO), University Secretary and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Operations)
"My objective is to address the lack of ethnic minority representation within University leadership. As it stands, there is a lack of ethnic minority representation within our governance bodies - this is something we are actively working to change. I also aim to focus on addressing this area by working with the Principal and Director of People & Organisational Development on revised succession plans for leadership roles, with ethnic diversity as a priority."
University Values: Ambition and Excellence; Curiosity and Discovery; Integrity and Truth
Progress to 2023
“We now have two members of the University Court who are from minority ethnic backgrounds. The two lay members also play an active role on key sub committees of Court. There are more vacancies on Court over the next 12 months, so there will be further opportunities to attract people from ethnic minority backgrounds. I am particularly keen to see stronger representation from the Chinese community and from African-Caribbean backgrounds.“
Ms Uzma Khan, Director of Strategic Planning, Deputy COO and Vice Principal - Economic Development & Innovation (Governance) and Race Equality Champion
"My new objective is to support the data and analytics infrastructure to enable us to make better decisions and drive successful outcomes for our Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff and students."
University Values: Ambition and Excellence; Curiosity and Discovery; Integrity and Truth; An Inclusive Community
Progress to 2023
My 2021-23 objective was to support the development and implementation of an ethnic minority network for staff. The Global Majority Network for staff of colour was established in April 2022.
Professor Martin Hendry, Clerk of Senate & Vice Principal (Academic Services)
"I will work with colleagues in the Equality and Diversity Unit, Planning, Insight and Analytics and others to establish a methodology that would allow Senate Office to assess their student facing processes for any evidence of racial bias, with an initial focus on the Student Conduct process."
University Values: Ambition and Excellence; Integrity and Truth
Progress to 2023
This is Professor Martin’s first commitment since assuming their post in 2022.
Professor Frank Coton, Vice Principal (Strategy & Resources), Senior Vice Principal and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic)
"My objective will be to review the academic career development and associated promotion processes at the University with a focus on ethnicity and disability. This review should give us confidence that our academic career pathways and the way we develop colleagues to progress along these pathways, for example through our Early Career Development Programme (ECDP), fully support ethnic minority and disabled academics."
University Values: Ambition and Excellence; Curiosity and Discovery; Integrity and Truth; An Inclusive Community
Progress to 2023
“This year, my objective will be to evaluate and act upon the outcomes of a series of focus groups conducted with ethnic minority and disabled staff members that were aimed at understanding their lived experience of the academic career development and associated promotion processes at the University. The aim of this work is to ensure that these processes are not discriminatory towards our ethnic minority or disabled staff members. We are currently evaluating options to either more fully understand the background issues raised in the focus groups or to implement change. The objective would be to incorporate and relevant process changes before the end of 2023. “
Professor Chris Pearce, Vice Principal of Research
"My objective will be to review Postgraduate Researcher (PGR) recruitment, considering data by ethnicity and including any disparities between ethnic minority and white researchers. This will enable us to identify one point in the PGR journey where we may be losing ethnic minority talent that require specific and targeted action. Focusing on actions that address diversity at PGR recruitment has two advantages: it allows us to increase diversity at the earliest entry point to a research career, and also suggests approaches that could be applied at other career stages."
University Values: Ambition and Excellence; Curiosity and Discovery; Integrity and Truth; An Inclusive Community
Progress to 2023
James McCune Smith PhD Scholarships established in 2021.
Professor Moira Fischbacher-Smith, Vice-Principal (Learning & Teaching)
"As the Vice-Principal of Learning & Teaching, my ongoing anti-racist objective will focus on progressing the commitment in the Learning & Teaching Strategy to decolonising the curriculum, beginning with supporting a 'Decolonising the Curriculum' workshop. For the coming year, I intend to work with others on understanding how best to close the awarding gap for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students, and to ensure priority is given to developing learning and teaching practices, and assessment practices in particular, are inclusive.”
University Values: Ambition and Excellence; Curiosity and Discovery; Integrity and Truth; An Inclusive Community
Progress to 2023
Decolonising the Curriculum Conference held in May 2021; Learning and Teaching Committee Away Day in October 2021; Community of Practice established and mapping exercise to find out activity levels across the University held in January 2022.
Professor Jo Gill, Vice-Principal and Head of the College of Arts
"This year, I will adopt a number of approaches to building and sustaining a diverse and anti-racist culture within the College of Arts. Actions will include: working with colleagues via our newly established EDI Forum to tackle racism and to develop and implement inclusive processes and opportunities; and improving the racial and ethnic diversity of our staff at all levels by adopting new approaches to recruitment, selection and support, informed by good practice within and beyond the sector, for example, by exploring the potential for investing in ‘cluster hires’.
In collaboration with the Library and External Relations, I will review the first phase of ‘The Glasgow Diversity Story’ and design and launch the second phase, working in partnership with students, colleagues, and community partners, in order to further illuminate the history of racial and ethnic diversity within the University and in its wider context."
University Values: Curiosity and Discovery; Integrity and Truth; An Inclusive Community
Progress to 2023
Prof Gill took up their post in August 2022 and so the above commitment is their first. A Research Associate has been appointed to support the project.
Professor Iain McInnes, Vice Principal and Head of College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences
“My objective for the next year is to build upon the University’s campaign to tackle racial inequality, Together Against Racism. I will ensure that the uptake of the web resource available through this campaign within the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences (MVLS) is maximised by both the MVLS College Management Group and the wider MVLS community. This action will lead to a deeper understanding of the causes and consequences of racism and will support all members of the community to engage in active allyship.”
University Values: Ambition and Excellence; Curiosity and Discovery; Integrity and Truth; An Inclusive Community
Progress to 2023
MVLS has established a cross College Race Equality Group, which is considering data. Professor Lubna Nasir has been appointed to the College Manegament Group to ensure Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is a priority for the College.
Miss Rachel Sandison, Vice Principal, External Relations and Deputy Vice Chancellor (External Engagement)
"This year, my objective is to continue to support the delivery of the second phase of the anti-racist campaign on campus, which focuses on allyship and support. This follows the successful launch of the campaign in October 2022, which details experiences of racism and racial harassment and how all students/staff can address it. This will involve a commitment to hosting a variety of regular events with an anti-racist focus, including the creation of a public Racial Justice lecture series."
University Values: Ambition and Excellence; Curiosity and Discovery; Integrity and Truth; An Inclusive Community
Progress to 2023
The Anti-racism Campaign was launched in October 2022. Discussions with Prof Satnam Virdee on the racial justice lecture series have commenced.
Professor Sara Carter, Vice Principal & Head of College of Social Sciences
"This year my objective is to support the School of Education establish a new Centre for Race & Education which will help develop the evidence base around the awarding gap in education at different levels and in different geographies.”
University Values: Ambition and Excellence; Curiosity and Discovery; Integrity and Truth; An Inclusive Community
Progress to 2023
Prof Carter’s commitment for 2021-2023 was to provide an analysis of the awarding gap data. The analysis was completed for the whole University and presented at the Learning and Teaching Committee Away day in October 2021, and to the Equality and Diversity Strategy Commitee (EDSC). This will be folded into the Learning and Teaching Strategy work relating to course design and assessment. The analysis was also presented to the College of Social Sciences College Management Group, College Council, and some School Executives and actions will be taken forward by the Learning and Teaching leads within the Schools and College.
Mr Gregor Caldow, Executive Director of Finance
"Myself and all Finance Leadership Team members will take part in diversity training. I will use team meetings and townhalls to both celebrate diversity but reinforce expected behaviours consistent with our core values. With the broader Finance teams support, I will establish an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) group/committee within Finance to provide a collective and diverse voice and a space to celebrate and promote the diversity within our teams."
University Values: Ambition and Excellence; Curiosity and Discovery; Integrity and Truth; An Inclusive Community
Progress to 2023
The Finance Leadership Team completed both an online course and also held a virtual training event on 'Race Literacy for Leaders' that was externally facilitated. An EDI team has been established and they have presented at a number of Finance Townhalls.
Mrs Christine Barr, Director of People & Organisational Development
"As the Director of People and Organisational Development, I will continue my objective to actively support strategic diversity & inclusion attraction, recruitment and retention aspirations with a particular focus on ethnicity, aligned with the University’s Key Performance Indicators (KPI) to grow the percentage of UK Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic colleagues. I will do this by implementing a long-term plan based on evidence identified through detailed data analysis and a series of actions to positively reflect a more meaningful impact in our Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic applicant conversion rates, post application. This will be achieved through partnership working with key University Service stakeholders including our recognised trade unions, and wider consultation with the campus community."
University Values: Ambition and Excellence; Curiosity and Discovery; Integrity and Truth; An Inclusive Community
Progress to 2023
A preliminary exploration of recruitment data is taking place. Initial data analysis indicates lower numbers of UK Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic applicants in comparison to non-UK Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic, non-UK White and UK White applicants.
Professor Dame Muffy Calder, Vice Principal & Head of College of Science & Engineering
"This year, my objective will be to focus on the journey of young ethnic minority people from school into University, working specifically on widening access in computer science and improving the computer science curriculum in schools across the UK to attract more ethnic minority students into the field. I will work with colleagues nationally to produce a white paper through the learned society."
University Values: Curiosity and Discovery; Integrity and Truth; An Inclusive Community
Progress to 2023
A working group which reviews school curriculum design is considering this; it meets quarterly and is currently canvassing ideas.