No equality for black and minority ethnic academics – Study

Analysis shows that black and minority ethnic (BME) academic staff at universities in the United Kingdom are paid less than their white counterparts and are considerably less likely to hold the most senior jobs, writes Sally Weale for The Guardian.

Research by the University and College Union (UCU) found that BME university staff faced a pay gap of 9% compared with their white colleagues, and black staff a 14% gap. Black academic staff are also severely under-represented in the most senior academic roles, according to the UCU. One in nine white academic staff (11%) hold top positions as professors, compared with one in 33 (3%) of their black counterparts.

Professor Kalwant Bhopal, the deputy director of the Centre for Research in Race and Education at the University of Birmingham, said: “These findings are very depressing. They are not new but should be a wake-up call for universities … If universities are serious about inclusion, social justice and equality then surely the time has come for the race equality charter to be mandatory and directly linked to research funding – and for universities to address the perpetuation and reinforcement of white privilege that continues in higher education.”
Full report on The Guardian site