Anti-racist education within the Academy holds the potential to truly reflect the cultural hybridity of our diverse, multi-cultural society through the canons of knowledge that educators celebrate, proffer and embody. The centrality of Whiteness as an instrument of power and privilege ensures that particular types of knowledge continue to remain omitted from our curriculums. The monopoly and proliferation of dominant White European canons does comprise much of our existing curriculum; consequently, this does impact on aspects of engagement, inclusivity and belonging particularly for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) learners. This paper explores the impact of a dominant Eurocentric curriculum and the Decolonising the Curriculum agenda within higher education and its influence upon navigating factors such as BAME attainment, engagement and belonging within the Academy. This paper draws on a Critical Race Theory (CRT) theoretical framework to centralize the marginalized voices of fifteen BAME students and three academics of colour regarding this phenomena. Aspects examined consider the impact of a narrow and restrictive curriculum on BAME students and staff and how the omission of diverse histories and multi-cultural knowledge canons facilitates marginalization and discriminatory cultures.

Here, we offer a synthesis of recent evidence and new developments in relation to three broad aspects of Black and minority ethnic (BAME) students’ participation in UK higher education (HE). First, we examine recent trends in ethnic group differences in rates of access to, success within, and positive destinations beyond HE. Secondly, we examine the nature of UK universities as exclusionary spaces which marginalise BAME students in a myriad of ways, not least through curricula that centre Whiteness. Finally, we consider the impact of the marginalisation of BAME students on mental health. We argue that progress towards race equality in each domain has been hampered by white-centric discourses which continue to identify BAME students and staff as ‘other’. We highlight the important roles that academic communities and HE policy-makers have to play in advancing ethnic equality in UK universities.

(2020). Fighting the tide: Understanding the difficulties facing Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Doctoral Students’ pursuing a career in Academia. Educational Philosophy and Theory. Ahead of Print.

Precarious employment is considered a social determinant impacting the health of workers, families and communities. The Academy is known to utilise non-standard employment contracts, coming under widespread criticism from its social partners for exploitative practices. Whilst there is much research suggesting certain groups (e.g. early career researchers, women) are disproportionately affected, less is known about the impact of precarious employment on staff of colour. Utilising a critical race theory framework, the current study attempts to close this knowledge gap by exploring the experiences of staff of colour. Eighteen participants across 10 universities engaged in focus groups, revealing three key themes: systemic racism, job insecurity and lack of career progression. Whilst results supported existing research, limitations of the current study are discussed. Recommendations for future practice include a call for legislators and policymakers to create clearer definitions and to better standardise rights and benefits across standard and non-standard employment practices.

Black and minority ethnic (BME) communities continue to experience differential outcomes within the United Kingdom (UK) mental health system, despite increased attention on the area. The trauma of racism for BME academic and professional staff within higher education remains problematic against a backdrop of cultural and organisational institutional racism. Within higher education (HE), BME staff consistently face barriers in terms of accessing contextually appropriate mental health interventions that recognise the sophisticated nature of insidious racism in all its overt and covert manifestations. This paper attempts to address the issues facing ethnic minority staff within the Academy with regard to accessing mental health services at university. Importantly, this paper explores the impact of racial discrimination on BME faculty within the sector and the impact upon mental health, in addition to considering the paucity of psychological interventions available in dealing with discriminatory episodes and the need for universities to diversify healthcare professional cohorts. This study utilises the narratives of 40 BME academic and professional university staff to examine the impact of negotiating racial inequality and discrimination at university and the impact upon mental health. Other aspects examined consider the impact of belonging, isolation and marginalisation on mental health and how this consequently affects BME university staff. Conclusions and recommendations provided advocate greater diversification of mental health support systems for BME staff within universities. Conclusions drawn will also consider how existing systems can function to dismantle racial inequality and improve mental health invention for ethnic minority service users.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the research and higher education sectors globally. The consequence of closure policies and other pandemic responses meant that primary, secondary, and tertiary education providers were forced to adapt their teaching and learning practices, many shifting to online platforms. Within the global Academy, Covid-19-related research was thrust into the public sphere while other research was deprioritised, delayed or cancelled. These various changes have implications for every corner of the teaching, learning and research triangle, and are one of the central foci of this special issue. With research and data from 16 countries and 5 continents, these articles explore the far-reaching impact of Covid-19 on higher education globally; accompanied also by a particular thread around lived experience, especially centring the voices of minoritised or marginalised members of the staff and student community. This is especially valuable given that understanding other countries’ successful strategies in handling the pandemic can forge global solidarity and collective growth. Together these stories, woven into 18 research articles, provide a rich and expansive landscape from which to promote equity and better understand the needs of the people the Academy serves.