Charters and Frameworks (Alt text)

As part of the EDI Report 2023-24, learn about Northumbria's engagement with EDI charters and frameworks (alternative text)

Race Equality at Northumbria poster

The Race Equality Charter aims to improve the representation, progression and success of Black, Asian and other Minority Ethnic (BAME) staff and students within higher education.

It provides a framework for the University to identify and self-reflect on institutional and cultural barriers standing in the way of ethnically marginalised students and staff.

The Race Equality Charter is underpinned by five fundamental guiding principles.

1.Racism is an everyday facet of UK society and racial inequalities may manifest themselves in everyday situations, processes, and behaviours. Racial disparities are a critical issue in outcomes for staff and students, recognising that racial inequalities are not necessarily overt, isolated incidents.  

2.The UK higher education sector will not reach its full potential unless it can benefit from the talents of the whole population and until individuals from all ethnic backgrounds can benefit equally from the opportunities it affords.  

3.In tackling racial inequalities, it is important that actions are aimed at achieving transformational and long-term institutional culture change, avoiding a deficit model where actions are aimed at changing the individual. 

4.Staff and students from racially minoritised ethnic backgrounds are not a homogeneous group. People from different ethnic backgrounds have different experiences of, and outcomes from and within, higher education, and that complexity needs to be considered in analysing data, developing solutions, and implementing actions.  

5.Embracing intersectionality, from analysing data to developing actions, can better support institutions to tackle racism within the higher education sector. 

REC Self-Assessment and Action Plan Development

Since 2020 our Race Equality Steering Group, supported by our Race Equality Consultative Group and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Staff and PGR Network, have been using the REC framework to carry out a thorough self-assessment, reviewing our data and learning from our global majority colleagues and students about their experiences and their ideas for change.

Our aim is to create a culture in which our staff and students feel supported to discuss, question, challenge and recommend action around issues pertaining to race and race inequality in a safe environment.

We plan to submit our self-assessment to Advance HE for a REC Award in July 2024, including a five-year action plan to help deliver change. Some summary themes from our draft Action Plan are below:

Northumbria Race Equality Action Plan Themes (Draft June 2024)
Embedding consideration of race equality to create a culture of belonging for all our community.	Ensuring race equality is considered through policy and process development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.	Increasing ethnic diversity across our workforce.	Ensuring racially equitable experiences across student access and success.
Embedding Race Equality as part of our EDI commitments for students at all campuses.	Embedding Equality Impact Assessments and the use of data to inform policy, processes and practices.	Increase representation and close ethnicity pay gaps by developing a more diverse workforce, across all of the University, and at all levels.	Through structures and colleagues CPD, ensure race equality is embedded into teaching, learning and assessment.
Through our actions, activities, and resources, enable a continuous dialogue about race equality with colleagues and students.	Recognising our dominant cultures, question the norms and assumptions embedded within existing processes.	More nuanced use of demographic data to inform activities across recruitment, retention, and progression.	Advancing student success for all, in-line with our APP commitments to closing BAME progression and awarding gaps.
Developing colleagues, line-managers and leaders to support and advance our race equality aims, as allies and inclusive leaders.	Developing awareness and trust in our reporting mechanisms, and the actions taken, following a report of racial discrimination or racism.	Ensure all colleagues from BAME backgrounds feel supported to enhance and develop themselves and their careers.	Continuous review of UG student admissions processes and REC datasets, to ensure there is no differential by ethnic group.
Enhancing our regional relationships to support sense of belonging for ethnically diverse members of our community.	Involve stakeholders in review of policy and process implementation, to understand the impact on ethnically marginalised colleagues and students.	Make progress towards our ethnicity targets, working with targeted Faculties to address trends of under-representation.	Supporting employability through commitments to experiential learning and Graduate Futures’ opportunities.

Find out more:

Gender Equality at Northumbria poster

The Athena Swan Charter is a framework which is used across the globe to support and transform gender equality within higher education (HE) and research.

Established in 2005 to encourage and recognise the commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) employment, the Charter is now being used across the globe to address gender equality more broadly and not just barriers to progression that affect women.

Northumbria University has held an Institutional Athena Swan Bronze Award since 2015 and all academic department now hold an Athena Swan Bronze award. In March 2024, Research and Innovation Services (RIS) was one of the first professional service departments to successfully receive an Athena Swan award nationally.

Advancing Gender Equality at Northumbria

‘Your feedback has driven our actions’.

Our Institutional Athena Swan Application (2019) outlines the University's gender equality ambitions that we have been working towards. We have highlighted some of the key changes implemented so far.

New Academic Development Review Process

In 2022, we introduced a new process to address structural factors that can serve as barriers to individuals from under-represented groups. This process aims to provide a more holistic, transparent, devolved, and inclusive approach. It replaces the requirement to ‘apply for promotion’ with ‘a request for colleagues to participate’.

Significantly improved Maternity, Adoption and Paternity pay

Maternity/Adoption Pay has been increased to 26 weeks at full pay, regardless of service, and for those that meet the qualifying criteria, an additional 13 weeks of Statutory Maternity/Adoption Pay. Paternity leave has also been increased to 4 weeks at full pay.

Neonatal Support introduced

We have introduced Neonatal Support offering up to 8 weeks at full pay for neonatal care.

Menopause & Domestic Abuse Support

We have increased the resources available to staff and ensured effective signposting to areas of support.

Reporting Tool for Unacceptable Behaviours

An online tool has been introduced to facilitate reporting concerns relating to unacceptable behaviours, making it easier for colleagues and students to seek support if they experience or witness unacceptable behaviours. Our policy has also been updated to outline behavioural expectations explicitly.

Proactive Efforts to Close Our Gender Pay Gap

Over the past three years, there has been a consistent decrease in both our mean and median pay gaps, with an overall reduction of 5% and 7.5% since the initial gender pay gap report in 2017. Northumbria University’s mean (11.4%) and median (15.2%) gender pay gaps are lower than averages found within the Education Sector, but we acknowledge that there is still work to be done. We are now also reporting on our Ethnicity and Disability pay gaps.

Introduction of inclusive recruitment processes

We have been working to make our recruitment processes as inclusive as possible. This has included improving our recruitment and selection training, diversifying job boards, improving our recruitment materials, and providing guidance and aide memoires.

University Mentoring Scheme Introduced

To support colleagues to succeed, we have made mentoring accessible to all colleagues by rolling out a University Mentoring scheme. This has been supported by the development of Mentoring guidance and the delivery of briefing sessions.

Proud and Committed Members of the Race Equality Charter

As members of the Race Equality Charter, the University is committed to understanding racial inequalities at Northumbria and developing an action plan to remove or address them.

Strong Women's Network: Thriving and Hosting Events

The Women's Network organises events, works to elevate the profiles of women, arranges speakers, and provides a supportive forum for its members.

DFN Supported Internship poster

Series of photos of interns working and studying

DFN Project Search

Newcastle City Council

Sodexo

Northumbria University

Newcastle City Learning: Achieve your ambitions

Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality Project poster

The Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality Project was established in July 2023. We are using the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index to frame our work to address LGBTQ+ Inclusion at Northumbria.

Policies & Benefits

Focus: The policies and benefits in place at Northumbria and how these support LGBTQ+ colleagues.

Led by: Julie Wilson, EDI Manager, Emily Shorrock, EDI Coordinator

Employee Network

Focus: The work of the LGBTQ+ Employee Network Group, including the support given by the organisation, its commitment to inclusivity and the activities it carries out.

Led by: Antonio Portas

Leadership

Focus: The way the organisation engages and empowers senior leaders and managers to set an LGBTQ+ inclusive culture and recognise LGBTQ+ inclusion as key to their role.

Led by: John Temesi, Assistant Professor in Sport and Exercise Sciences

Employee Lifecycle

Focus: The entire employee lifecycle from recruitment to exit processes and looking at how we engage and support colleagues throughout their journey in the workplace.

Led by: Julie Wilson, EDI Manager, Emily Shorrock, EDI Coordinator

Empowering Individuals

Focus: Engaging individuals to create an LGBTQ+ inclusive culture, empowering LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ colleagues to step up as change makers and allies.

Led by: Jason Whalley, Professor in Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Strategy

Data Monitoring

Focus: How the organisation uses monitoring to understand representation and experiences of LGBTQ+ colleagues.

Led by: Julie Wilson, EDI Manager, Emily Shorrock, EDI Coordinator

External Engagement

Focus: Community and Sector engagement, including outreach and how we support wider LGBTQ+ communities as well as support for LGBTQ+ equality in the sector. Also, how we meet the needs of our service users i.e. our students.

Led by: Neil Bellamy, Senior Credit Controller in Financial