Summary of the impact

Research on `Building the Antiracist University', led by Professor Ian Law at Leeds since 2001, provided resources for organisational change that have had a continuing and developing impact since 2008. This case study shows how resources developed from research findings have changed professional practice, shaped organisational policies and wider policy debate, thereby challenging established norms, modes of thought and practices. The dissemination of an anti-racist `toolkit' has helped managers in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to develop organisational responses to racial and ethnic diversity on campus. The reach of this approach has developed, since 2008, beyond its original focus on higher education and into new policy domains, as well as internationally. Thus, the evidence illustrates a process of accumulating impact on other sectors of public policy and in stimulating debate about the renewal of anti-racist strategies by the Council of Europe and the European Commission. The theoretical frameworks, substantive findings and outputs of research carried out at Leeds have stimulated attention to institutional racism and the organisational change, using the toolkit approach.

Underpinning research

The introduction of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 placed, for the first time, a statutory duty on HEIs in the UK to eliminate racial discrimination and promote racial equality. In many institutions there was a knowledge vacuum and little guidance on how to move forward. This research project was designed to fill this gap. The research, carried out between 2000 and 2002, was conducted by Ian Law (University of Leeds 1991-), Deborah Phillips (Leeds, 1988-2008, now University of Oxford) and Laura Turney (Leeds 2000-2002, now Scottish Government), and supported by the HEFCE Innovations Fund [G1].

The initial project surveyed the organisational dimensions of institutional racism and race equality in the HE Sector, using the University of Leeds as its case study. Email surveys of 2,000 staff and 2,500 students, plus 30 interviews with heads of schools and administrative units were carried out together with analysis of ethnic origin datasets on admissions and employment and documentary analysis of policy and practice. Findings confirmed the prevalence of racist discourses and incidents in HEI settings, with approximately 25% of staff and students identifying these practices. Major spheres where no attention had been given to these issues were identified, for example in teaching and learning and purchasing, demonstrating the need for fundamental organisational change. These findings informed the development of a `toolkit', in downloadable PDF document format, which can be used to assess racism across most aspects of a HEI's operations [1].

The toolkit was launched online in 2002 at a national conference in Leeds which for the first time addressed racism in the HEI sector — bringing together 140 practitioners, academics, researchers, community and trade union representatives and policy makers. The aims of this event were to translate the identification of a lack of focus on this issue into a policy problem, to propose solutions beyond compliance with minimum legal requirements, and to begin the process of long-term dialogue with HEIs to achieve institutional change. 1,500 toolkit executive summaries were also distributed in hard copy, as well as a critical case study of the University of Leeds.

The toolkit combined research evidence with new instruments for organisational analysis. The research included the development of a novel theoretical framework synthesising racism, whiteness and Eurocentrism, to interrogate HEI policy and practice. New methodologies for organisational analysis were developed and new qualitative and quantitative evidence generated. The conceptual and theoretical framework was developed from that originally elaborated by Law in research funded by the Commission for Racial Equality concerned with identifying racism in mainstream news items [2]. The toolkit applies these concepts to the main organisational areas of HEI activity including leadership and management, teaching and learning, employment, research, purchasing and contracting and external relations. The toolkit also provided a set of methodological and management tools for investigating, understanding and intervening in institutional racism in higher education institutions. The toolkit was presented in the context of a set of invited research papers: Institutional Racism in Higher Education, edited by Law, Phillips and Turney [3]. In subsequent development, further research was commissioned by the Council of Europe's Directorate of Education into the causes of intercultural conflict on campus and their effects, and an assessment of the potential value of the antiracist toolkit to European debate on intercultural dialogue on campus [4]. This was conducted by Law in 2009.

The wider application of the research to European public policy debate led to the development of a collaborative EU FP7 project [G2] that sought, in part, to extend the reach of the anti-racist toolkit approach across public policy domains beyond higher education. This research, co-authored by Law, Sayyid (Leeds, 2005-) and Dr Katy Sian (Leeds 2010-2012, now at Manchester), examines the discursive construction of racism in the workplace, schooling and the media, with a focus on Muslims. Informed by a fundamental critique of the `post-racial' and of the limitations of human rights strategies, it identifies the significance of contemporary racism in governance strategies and develops new agendas for addressing these processes [5].

References to the research

The toolkit project was initiated through an award from the HEFCE Innovations Fund of £49k in 2002, and developed subsequently within a multi-country €1.8m FP7 project in 2010 (£208k to Leeds).

G1.Institutional Racism Toolkit
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/projects/detail/projectfinder/projects/pf1804

G2.TOLERACE — The semantics of tolerance and (anti-)racism in Europe: institutions and civil society on a comparative perspective http://ec.europa.eu/research/social-sciences/projects/479_en.html

Details of the impact

The original version of the Toolkit had been widely disseminated within the UK HE sector during the previous RAE period but, since 2008, the reach and significance of its impact has increased, both beyond this sector, and internationally. The key benefits reported within organisations have been improved understanding, management and intervention to address institutional racism and institutional responses to ethnic diversity. It thus contributed towards the pattern of improved experiences and opportunities of black and minority ethnic students (e.g. as indicated in HEFCE's equality analyses of National Student Survey data). The initial mechanism for this influence, up to 2010, was the utility of the Toolkit in assisting many HEIs to develop their first racial equality schemes in response to changing legislative requirements.

Beyond its early utilisation, the original Toolkit has since become more deeply embedded in frontline professional practice and continues to be cited by many HEIs as a key resource for staff in responding to institutional racism and diversity today. Key users include professionals in the Higher Education Equal Opportunities Network (HEEON), and evidence of impact on practitioners is documented in communications from an increasing number of HEIs who have been using the material for strategy and staff development purposes in the wider process of institutional change. These include, for illustration, a wide range of adaptations in local staff training guides, good practice guides and resource packs [A]. Beyond this frontline utilisation in professional practice, national utilisation in the HE sector includes, for example, the 2009 Equality Challenge Unit's review of the national experiences of black and minority ethnic staff in higher education [B].

Widening the scope of impact beyond this initial focus on higher education, there have been requests to use or adapt the anti-racist Toolkit in other sectors too, notably from practitioners in the public and voluntary sectors engaged in developing similar toolkits. For example, in 2008, the London Councils developed the framework concept in their publication of Challenging Institutional Racism — A toolkit for the voluntary sector [C]. Thus, the examples so far illustrate the accumulating reach of impact arising from the first phase of research as it affected the development of organisational strategies and professional practice interventions in the UK, since 2008.

At the same time, the significance of the underpinning research approach was recognised beyond the UK. As part of the European Year of Intercultural Education, the Council of Europe invited presentation of the research messages at its 2008 Strasbourg conference. This led, in turn, to the development of a Council of Europe publication [4] highlighting the causes of intercultural conflict and how new strategies to address these could be implemented. The research findings thus stimulate new debate in the field and, through engagement with key policy actors, the development of the Council of Europe's policy and practice approaches to intercultural dialogue on campus. In corroborating this impact the Council of Europe's Head of Education confirmed `the value of this toolkit in the development of antiracist strategies in this sector across Europe' [D].

Knowledge transfer at the European level led to a second phase of international collaborative research, through an EU FP7 project, approved for funding in 2010 [G2]. Within this project, the original framework shaped development of a new toolkit for the analysis of racism, related discrimination and institutional responses, proposed for use by the European Commission. Like the original Toolkit, this is designed to provide target actors with clear key messages and recommendations regarding (anti-)racism and integration. The multi-national project team adopted the toolkit approach in 2011, which informed national policy interventions. In 2012, 17 participatory workshops were carried out with 166 participants (including policy and decisions makers, and activists) in Portugal, Spain, France, Denmark, Germany and the UK. Engagement with bodies such as the High Commission for Immigration and Intercultural Dialogue (Portugal), Equality and Human Rights Commission (UK), The Danish Institute for Human Rights, the French High Authority for the Fight Against Discrimination and for Equality, The Federal Anti-discrimination Agency (Germany), and the National Office Against Racial Discrimination (Italy) produced programmes of action in relation to institutional racism in employment, education and the news media which are now in process of implementation. Thus, the toolkit has been `recognised as applicable in fields outside higher education, including the mainstream news media, and in re-thinking and development of national governance strategies for racial and ethnic diversity' [E].

The UK knowledge transfer workshops (in 2012) engaged representatives from national organisations such as the Muslim Council of Britain, the Islamic Centre for Human Rights and the Runnymede Trust, who gave highly positive feedback and are now collaborating in implementation of the toolkit. The EU project culminated with a joint conference (Lisbon, February 2013) involving policy makers and NGOs, including the European Roma and Travellers Forum, SOS Racismo, Fundación Secretariado Gitano and Plataforma Gueto. Further presentations to the European Commission and the European Parliament are planned for 2014.

Beyond these European developments, the anti-racist Toolkit approach has been adopted internationally in the HE sector. For example, `the value of this toolkit for the development of racial equality strategies in higher education in the South African context' was confirmed by the Executive Dean of Nelson Mandela University [F]. Most recently, its expanding reach was confirmed in feedback from the Associate Vice Provost of Ohio State University, and the Vice Provost and Chief Diversity Officer of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, at a World Universities Network seminar (November 2012). Its significance has been acknowledged in North America, with recognition in a recent report on racism in the academy by the Commission on Race and Racism in Anthropology/American Anthropology Association (2012) [G], and in its utilisation as a resource by the National Anti-Racism Council of Canada (2013) [H].

Sources to corroborate the impact

A. For example the Toolkit is included in:

a. St. Andrew's University Racial Equality and the Curriculum Staff Guide (2013)
(http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/staff/policy/tlac/equalitydiversity/racialequality/)

b. Birkbeck, University of London, Criminology and Criminal Justice Staff Guide (2012)

c. Plymouth University's 7 Steps to Adopting Culturally Inclusive Teaching Practices (2010), Newcastle University's School of Medical Sciences Education Development Resources (2013) (http://www.medev.ac.uk/resources/506/project/)

d. Institute for Education, University of London Respecting Difference, good practice guide for PGCE Tutors in issues of race, faith and culture (2008)
(http://www.ioe.ac.uk/RespectingDifference.pdf)

e. University of Huddersfield's Race Equality Resources (2013)
(http://www.hud.ac.uk/equality/race/)

B. Equality Challenge Unit (2009) Experience of black and minority ethnic staff working in higher education: literature review http://www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/files/experience-of-bme-staff-in-he.doc/view?searchterm=anti-racist (p7, 32)

C. London Councils (2008) Challenging Institutional Racism — A toolkit for the voluntary sector (2008)
http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/policylobbying/crime/publications/challenginginstitutionalracis matoolkitforthevoluntarysector.htm

D. Letter confirming impact on Council of Europe debates over intercultural education: Head of Education, Division for Higher Education and Research, Directorate of Education and Languages, Directorate General IV — Education, Culture and Cultural Heritage, Youth and Sport, Council of Europe, Strasbourg, France.

E. Letter confirming impact on European debates over antiracist strategy: TOLERACE Executive coordinator, CES, University of Coimbra, Portugal.

F. Letter confirming impact on South African HEIs: Executive Dean, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

G. Faye Harrison, Racism in the Academy, CRRA/AAA (2012)
http://www.aaanet.org/cmtes/commissions/upload/02_Harrison-2.pdf

H. The Toolkit is used as a resource by the National Anti-racism Council of Canada,
http://action.web.ca/home/narcc/issues.shtml?x=77816&AA_EX_Session=7846213daea5f0ed6 894e1b7f1219a36