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 is
The University of Manchester?
Academic Staff
Female
BME
Lecturer
S/L / Reader
Professor
46%
34%
22%
16%
12%
8%
Professional Support Services
Grade 1- 4
59%
Grade 5 – 6
54%
Grade 7
45%
Grade 8 – 9
49%
13%
10%
4%
6%
Academic staff by level and ethnicity 2009/10 - 2012/13
100%
90%
209
(27%)
140
(21%)
215
(27%)
120
(18%)
164
(22%)
130
(19%)
80%
70%
701
(83%)
60%
629
(88%)
702
(92%)
66
(10%)
78
(11%)
80
(11%)
507
(73%)
54
(8%)
58
(8%)
64
(8%)
2012/13
137
(16%)
497
(73%)
2011/12
123
(16%)
490
(66%)
2012/13
108
(14%)
439
(37%)
2011/12
451
(57%)
2012/13
40%
450
(59%)
2011/12
50%
30%
10%
2010/11
2010/11
0%
Lecturer
Senior Lecturer/ Reader
BME
White-british
Other white background
2010/11
20%
Professor
BME professional support services staff by grade
14%
331 (13%)
302 (13%)
286 (13%)
277 (13%)
12%
147 (10%)
10%
123 (9%)
110 (8%)
8%
103 (7%)
13 (6%)
11 (6%)
6%
26 (4%)
8 (4%)
22 (4%)
22 (4%)
4%
22 (4%)
7 (3%)
2%
0%
2009/10
2010/11
Grade 1-4
Grade 5 and 6
2011/12
Grade 7
2012/13
Grade 8 and 9
How diverse is the (UG) student body?
2012/13
15356 (58%)
2011/12
4245 (16%)
17179 (61%)
2010/11
4508 (16%)
17985 (63%)
2009/10
10%
20%
30%
6044 (22%)
4670 (16%)
18216 (64%)
0%
6269 (24%)
5428 (19%)
4554 (16%)
40%
White - UK
50%
BME - UK
60%
Non-UK
70%
80%
5038 (18%)
90%
100%
Statistics – Local Picture
• University of Manchester – degree attainment by broad
ethnicity category (home UK students) 2012
70%
2474 (58%)
60%
504 (50%)
50%
573 (41%)
40%
405 (29%)
30%
20%
261 (26%)
839 (20%)
167 (17%)
775 (18%)
248 (18%)
178 (13%)
77 (8%)
10%
178 (4%)
0%
First class honours
Upper second class honours
White - UK
Lower & undivided second class
honours
BME - UK
Non-UK
Other honours/Pass
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