A review into racism and anti-semitism at UCLan has been published, sparked by a notable incident this summer

What sparked the report?

A student complaint was made in March 2022 about a racist and antisemitic incident that took place between UCLan students in 2020, in which a white student had been pictured with a swastika and the phrase “I hate N****s written across his chest during a drinking game. The student and his girlfriend, who wrote the slur and symbol on him, were temporarily suspended.

The details of this incident and the image were posted by complainants on social media in June 2022, whilst the complaints were being investigated under the formal university processes. The complainents themselves, a pair of black female students, were then suspended for bringing the university into disrepute while an investigation was ongoing. UCLan says the publication of the incident during the investigation made it difficult for the university to speak openly due to the confidentialities involved, resulting in considerable national and social media interest and coverage.

Following the incident, the university decided to initiate an institutional review (adopting an anti-discriminatory framework) to learn lessons and make improvements. Entitled “A Review of Racial Equality and Anti-Semitism’, it was conducted between August and November 2022 by university colleagues across a broad spectrum of services and included an external review by AUA Consulting of the university complaints process. Its findings have now been shared “in the spirit of openness and transparency.”

What does UCLan say about the report?

A UCLan spokesperson said: “Following an incident in the summer, we have conducted a thorough institutional review into racism and anti-Semitism. We want to reiterate that we take any allegations of this nature incredibly seriously and to reassure our community that they will be treated with respect and compassion should they need to come forward.

“The key learnings we have taken from this review can be found on our website. Some of the changes we’re making as a result of the review’s findings include implementing anti-racism training for colleagues across the University; making improvements in the support provided to both colleagues and students involved in allegations of racism; committing to better communication as part of our complaints process; ensuring any student complaint is handled in as timely a manner as possible; and working hard to instil a sense of belonging in our community. Supported by the work already underway around Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, we hope this will further drive the creation of a healthy, safe and positive environment and one which embraces diversity and fosters a culture of learning and belonging for all.

“We know that issues such as racism and anti-Semitism are difficult societal issues; but we are absolutely committed to playing our part in tackling them head on, and we want our students, staff and graduates to know that their voices will be heard if they need to speak out about experiencing or witnessing discrimination- our Report and Support website means you can remain anonymous if you wish. There is also a wide range of mental health and wellbeing support for anyone dealing with these issues.”

Ebrahim Adia, Chair of the Review Panel, and Pro Vice-Chancellor for Academic Leadership at UCLan, added: “The publication of this Review’s findings is a vital step in the University reflecting on its ethos and the values that really matter to us. As an institution, we continuously strive to improve the experience of our students and colleagues and I now look forward to supporting the implementation of the Action Plan to deliver change and ensure we’re being true to our guiding principles of inclusion and belonging for all.”

What were the key recommendations for UCLan?

-Review how they manage their complaints process including more regular communication with complainants and escalation of complaints when required.

-Develop a more robust and thoughtful approach to supporting staff and students in relation to allegations of bullying, harassment and discrimination.

-Broaden the pool and diversity of staff involved in complaints, grievances and disciplinaries, and ensure that all are provided with anti-discriminatory training.

-Review resources available to accelerate investigations of student complaints and disciplinary processes.

-Gather further evidence of the extent to which anti-Semitism is present.

-Establish institutional protocols for internal and external communication when dealing with critical cases, including the disclosure of information pertaining to complaints by drawing upon recent UUK Guidance.

-Ensure that a package of anti-racism training is introduced to staff as part of the Equality Diversity and Inclusion development plan.

-Strengthen academic quality processes, protocols, resources and approaches to staff development to further embed anti-racist approaches in the curriculum.

-Update the university recruitment and selection processes ensuring the engagement of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion team and Black, Asian and ethnically diverse colleagues.

-Review and improve the protocols for the management of critical incidents (including leadership, communication, delegation of responsibility and accountability).

-Review university policies using the newly developed university anti-racist framework.

What are UCLan’s next steps?

Work is ongoing to ensure that the recommendations from this review are now implemented as soon as possible.

The university says it is committed to supporting staff and students who experience racism and encourages the use of Report and Support to report incidents and get help if needed, including access to mental health and wellbeing support.

The action plan delivery will be led by the Race Equality Charter Mark Self-Assessment team and progress will be monitored by the University’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee.