What this petition aims to achieve:

- An education programme for students surrounding matters of racial diversity and increasing inclusivity.

- Encouraging increased communication between the University and public venues frequented by students throughout the city, to help stop and tackle issues of racial harassment.

- Increased diversification of professors and the student body, encouraging more BAME professors and students to apply, in addition to widening access to application resources and open days.

As students at other universities such as Durham petition for their University to tackle racism and the lack of diversity, Newcastle needs to do the same and more. We all have a role to play in this.

Despite taking considerable actions against previous racial incidents at the University it is simply not enough to just treat isolated incidents when they become known on social media. Likewise, publishing a black square for #blackouttuesday on Instagram in response to the George Floyd tragedy is not enough.

The NUSU has stated:

“Students needed a response where the University admits its shortcomings and failings, outlines targets (to which the University are held accountable) that have been set to reduce inequalities for black and ethnic minority people, as well as highlighting the positive progress that has been made so far. The email, like many other university responses across Higher Education, epitomizes institutional white fragility: the inability to admit to complicity in racism and instead using the story so far, as a form of defense mechanism.” (NUSU, 2020)

NUSU, 2020: https://www.nusu.co.uk/news/article/6013/Why-the-George-Floyd-and-BLM-movement-is-relevant-to-us-students-and-staff-at-Newcastle-University

Durham University petition: http://chng.it/HjYGT6sLDw

An education programme for students surrounding matters of racial diversity and increasing inclusivity

Although the Report and Support System is a move in the right direction for Newcastle University, it is generally unheard of amongst students. The University should be actively encouraging ALL students to come forward if they have witnessed a racist incident and this should not be solely down to the students who have experienced it.

Moreover, it is not enough to just support victims of racism or to show a hate crime video at induction week. Compulsory workshops about anti-racism, inclusion and Newcastle's Race Equality policy are needed in order to reinforce the message to students that racist behaviour is not tolerated. In particular, this should be aimed at committee members in societies because these are the people most likely to influence large groups of students. By educating those to educate others they are associated with, information and attitude will be spread through all aspects of university life. This will help prevent a repetition of racist incidents such as the one involving Newcastle University Men’s Hockey team in November 2019 which was only dealt with because it reached public social media!

https://reportandsupport.ncl.ac.uk​

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/newcastle-university-investigating-after-student-17267529

Encouraging increased communication between the University and public venues frequented by students throughout the city, to help stop and tackle issues of racial harassment

The University needs to take responsibility in communicating with local bars, clubs and venues in the city to help prevent racial harassment of BAME students. This must involve work with police too as many incidents go unreported.

Increased diversification of professors and the student body, encouraging more BAME professors and students to apply, in addition to widening access to application resources and open days

An article from The Courier Online, 2020 highlighted the results from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) in 2018/2019. It was reported that out of the 450 professors at Newcastle University, just 20 were identified as Asian, ZERO Black, and 5 Mixed race. Evidently, the admissions teams have a long way to go in order to achieve a more diversified teaching body.

By educating students more about racism, increasing their confidence to report issues and increasing the diversity of professors hopefully more BAME students will feel welcomed to the city. However, the admissions and marketing team should be doing more to promote the Newcastle University to areas of the UK where there are more ethnic minorities in order to increase the volume of BAME students applying. The UCAS report, 2016, stated that out of 3,400 placed applicants in 2016, 145 identified themselves as Asian, 35 Black and 120 Mixed race.

The Courier Online, 2020: http://www.thecourieronline.co.uk/black-professors-at-newcastle/

UCAS, 2016: https://www.ucas.com/files/newcastle-university-2016-sex-area-background-and-ethnic-group

Moving forward

In order to tackle racism and the lack of diversity at Newcastle University, action needs to be taken. The time is now to support the Student Union and provide Newcastle students (past, present and future) reassurance as to when these inequalities will be addressed so that accountability can be held if pledges of support are not kept.

I hope this inspires other students to also call on their universities to do the same.

(THIS PETITION WAS NOT SET UP IN CO-ORDINATION WITH THE NUSU)

Be better and do better.

The NUSU is running a safe space support session on Monday 8th June at 4pm- email welfare.union@ncl.ac.uk to join and get zoom link.

******UPDATE: we are now requesting that the University put part of the focus on a localised approach and each academic school, as well as sports and societies, need to make a pledge of how they will support tackling racism and lack of diversity********

See Open Letter to Newcastle University Medical School below:

http://chng.it/mGvN4xJ4YY