Overview
Despite the best efforts of allyship movements over the past decade, issues around equity – particularly racial equity on campuses persist. Further, many universities are now engaging in conversations about racial justice, diversity, equity and inclusion; and some (cl)aim to be ‘anti-racist’; while this is promising, the evidence of this vision is often hazy. What therefore is an anti-racist campus and how do we get there? Is ‘allyship’ part of the problem – or an integral part of the solution? In seeking to respond to these questions, this session uses allyship as a starting point to action; and proposes that for lasting change to take place in race equity, stakeholders must move beyond a general understanding of allyship to understanding this within the context of race. We aim therefore to provide a space to deepen our understanding of allyship so that these conversations can be turned into action.
Programme content
The blended module involves two half day virtual workshops with circa one hour of independent reflection and reading. The content will include:
- Reframing diversity, equity and inclusion
- Allyship and beyond
- Developing a vision for an anti-racist campus
- Barriers and enablers to the vision
- The use of language within conversations about equity.
Learning outcomes
On completion, participants should be able to:
- To redefine and develop a shared understanding of foundational terms
- To operationalise the concept of an ‘anti-racist’ campus
- To develop a literacy around race to enhance
- To revisit the notion of ‘allyship’
- To identify race equity detours and discuss practical ways to overcome them
Who should attend?
The programme moves from simple to complex and should therefore appeal to a range of audiences within the sector; whether professional services, new to academia, senior academic staff, or those in leadership roles. While this session will primarily reflect on the EDI landscape of the UK higher education sector, there will be underlying issues and approaches that will be of interest to our global members.