Race Equality Principles for Irish Higher Education
Recent years have seen significant changes across Irish HE, a notable feature of which has been the growing ethnic diversity in both university student and staff populations. Against this background, the HEA conducted a National Race Equality Survey of staff in higher education institutions in 2021, and one of the key findings from the survey was the evidence of a consensus across higher education staff that race inequality exists in the Irish higher education system.
Subsequent to the survey report, IUA universities worked with the HEA on the development and publication of a race equality implementation plan in September 2022. The plan aimed to advance race equality work across the sector, and one of the key actions included in implementation plan is the development of a national statement of Anti Racism Principles higher education institutions.
The Anti Racism Principles for higher education, which have been endorsed by the IUA universities, are as follows:
- Race inequality is an issue in Irish higher education. Racism, although context specific, is a problem in Ireland and racial inequalities are present on a daily basis in our higher education institutions.
- Higher education institutions which allow race inequality to exist cannot perform to their full potential.
- Anti-racism policies and initiatives must focus on long-term culture change and on fixing the system, not fixing the individual.
- Racism is not always overt and can manifest itself in everyday interactions, processes, behaviours, etc. (e.g. microaggressions).
- Race inequalities are experienced differently by people from similar and different ethnic backgrounds.
- The complex nature of the intersection of race inequality with other characteristics protected under Irish equality legislation must be taken into account when developing anti-racism actions and policies.
Alongside the endorsement of the Anti-Racism Principles, universities have also entered into specific commitments which ensure translation of the principles into action, as follows:
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- We will embed a commitment to race equality as part of our institutional culture and strategic priorities.
- We will highlight the structural, institutional, and historical dimensions of racism which have informed past and current practice in HEIs and the societies in which they are situated.
- We will educate our staff and students in relation to the structural, institutional, and historical dimensions of racism, as well as the more commonly recognised individual racism seen in acts of discrimination and abuse.
- We will encourage an open dialogue on advancing Race Equality.
- We will adopt an intersectional and intercultural approach when developing anti-racism actions and policies.
- We will address questions of race equality within the strategic plans of our institutions.
- We will record student and staff data disaggregated by ethnicity to inform our anti-racism policies and actions, and to monitor retention and career outcomes for students and staff from minority ethnic groups.
- We will put in place measures to enable a fair and transparent recruitment process for all staff, regardless of ethnicity.
- We will address race equality issues in relation to progression and retention of students and staff from minority ethnic groups.
Let’s Talk about Race
IUA universities have collaborated to develop an online race equality awareness programme entitled ‘Let’s Talk About Race’. The core objective of the programme was to improve our levels of awareness and understanding of racism and how it manifests itself in the Higher Education sector.
This is a necessary step in equipping us all to take on our individual and collective responsibility to combat racism.
The programme can be accessed by staff and students through your own institutions web pages.
IUA’s Head of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion is Tony McMahon