Race

We are committed to race equality at the University of Hertfordshire because we value the diversity of our staff and students and benefit from the dynamism, broad perspectives and creativity that stems from that diversity.

We aim to offer a safe and inclusive environment for all that work and study at the institution and our policies support our ethos.

In addition to addressing race equality, we promote good relations on campus and in local communities through all our activities, and also through specific events, such as Black History Month in October.

Studying at the University

Do students of all ethnic groups succeed at Hertfordshire?

Yes. However, as in many universities and higher education generally, we have found some evidence of differences in outcomes for students from different ethnic groups.

We engaged in the Higher Education Academy’s Summit Programme; ‘Improving the degree attainment of black and minority ethnic students’ and are now using the ‘Inclusive Culture’ project to address these.

Will the University be setting equality objectives to advance race equality?

Although we have done much to advance race equality, the University has set an equality objective to work towards reducing the differential in degree attainment between White and Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) students.

Read our Student Data Analysis Report for more information.

Working at the University

How does the ethnic profile of staff compare with that of students?

The ethnic profile of our staff is less diverse than our students, but we are continually looking for ways to increase the ethnic diversity of our workforce.

What is the University doing to advance race equality in employment?

The University is committed to advancing equality in recruitment and employment. We are currently using evidence from monitoring data, and the Equality Challenge Unit’s research report ‘The experience of black and minority ethnic staff in higher education in England’, and feedback from engagement with staff, to review aspects of recruitment and staff development. We are also considering the potential benefits of staff networks.

Read our current workforce analysis report for more information.