I, too, am Manchester – Barriers to progression for BME staff

Patrick Johnson, Head of Equality and Diversity

This session will cover:

• Overview of the University of Manchester

• Approaches taken to address BME issues in senior positions

• Next steps for Manchester• Group discussion and feedback

Challenges in Higher Education

• Prioritising race equality – getting it on the agenda

• BME staff situated in the lower grades with many on fixed term contracts

• Pipeline issues

• Lack of role models and possibly a lack of confidence

• Indirect discrimination - unfair criteria

• Treated as a homogeneous group • Intersectionality• Inadequate training in relation to race / cultural practices

• Unconscious or may be conscious bias

The University of Manchester

• The largest single-site university in the UK catering for 40,000 students

• We have over 11,000 staff of which:• 48% women and 52% men • 15% black and minority ethnic (BME)

staff

How diverse really isThe University of Manchester?

Academic Staff Female BME

Lecturer 46% 16%S/L / Reader 34% 12%Professor 22% 8%

Professional Support ServicesGrade 1- 4 59% 13%

Grade 5 – 6 54% 10%Grade 7 45% 4%Grade 8 – 9 49% 6%

Academic staff by level and ethnicity 2009/10 - 2012/13

108(14%)

123(16%)

137(16%) 66

(10%)78

(11%)80

(11%)54

(8%)58

(8%)64

(8%)

450(59%)

451(57%)

701(83%)

439(37%)

490(66%)

629(88%)

497(73%)

507(73%)

702(92%)

209(27%)

215(27%)

140(21%)

164(22%)

120(18%)

130(19%)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2010

/11

2011

/12

2012

/13

2010

/11

2011

/12

2012

/13

2010

/11

2011

/12

2012

/13

Lecturer Senior Lecturer/ Reader Professor

BME White-british Other white background

BME professional support services staff by grade

331 (13%) 302 (13%)286 (13%) 277 (13%)

103 (7%)

110 (8%)

123 (9%)

147 (10%)

22 (4%)

22 (4%)

22 (4%)

26 (4%)

7 (3%)

8 (4%)

11 (6%)

13 (6%)

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13

Grade 1-4 Grade 5 and 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 and 9

How diverse is the (UG) student body?

18216 (64%)

17985 (63%)

17179 (61%)

15356 (58%)

4554 (16%)

4670 (16%)

4508 (16%)

4245 (16%)

5038 (18%)

5428 (19%)

6044 (22%)

6269 (24%)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

2009/10

2010/11

2011/12

2012/13

White - UK BME - UK Non-UK

Statistics – Local Picture

• University of Manchester – degree attainment by broad ethnicity category (home UK students) 2012

839 (20%)

2474 (58%)

775 (18%)

178 (4%)

167 (17%)

504 (50%)

261 (26%)

77 (8%)

248 (18%)

573 (41%)

405 (29%)

178 (13%)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

First class honours Upper second class honours Lower & undivided second class honours

Other honours/Pass

White - UK BME - UK Non-UK

Where did this journey start?

• BME Staff Mentoring Programme – 2003• BME Staff network group• Race Equality Scheme• Race in Leadership report and

recommendations 2006/07

Social Responsibility – Goal 3

Social responsibility describes the way we are making a difference to the social and economic well-being of our

communities through our teaching, research, and public events and activities.

For example:

Addressing Inequalities programme: addressing society’s most pressing issues of fairness. It includes research undertaken on global health inequalities, poverty, education, access to natural resources, conflict, ageing, gender, class and ethnicity.

‘The Works’ employment and skills centre for local community

University Strategy 2020 – high level KPIs

To increase equality and diversity at all levels in the staff that we employ until our staff profile is representative of national and local populations.

• Total female academics Senior Lecturer and above until representative of Female lecturer pool - 46% (28%)

• Total BME academics Senior Lecturer and above until representative of BME lecturer pool -16% (10%)

• BME total % grade 6 and above until representative of BME staff employed in Professional Occupations in UK - 11% (7%)

NB: figures in brackets is current percentage

Evidence Based Approach

Annual Performance Review (APR)• We collect data on (age, gender, ethnicity,

disability, sexual orientation and religion and belief)

• Focus on gender and ethnicity in recruitment, staff profile and promotions

• Bi-annual meetings with Deputy VC, Deans and Registrar to discuss identified issues and actions. Linked to Faculty/PSS operational plans

• Supported at a local level by equality and diversity committees

So what are we doing?

• Identifying potential:– Succession Planning / Academic Structures– Professional Support Services working group - To develop a

defined career development programme or interventions for staff from underrepresented groups

• Promotions monitoring – individual discussions; workshops and video; CV mentoring

• Coaching and mentoring (coaching culture)• Recruitment and selection – search committees /

head hunters, targeting specific countries

Next Steps

• Meeting with the President and VC

• Lunch with senior BME staff

• Q&A session with BME staff

• Race Charter mark