College of Life Sciences
Supporting individuals to speak out
Speaking out against racist behaviour or racial harassment can be difficult, whether you experience it directly, or witness it. By supporting individuals to challenge and report unacceptable behaviour without fear of retribution and with clear and transparent processes we can evaluate and address the problems.
We seek to raise awareness of the challenges faced by individuals from minority ethnic groups and learn from our diverse experiences, in particular at the intersection of protected characteristics, for example race and gender, or race and sexuality.
Key actions
- We will put in place a code of conduct which includes specific reference to racial harassment.
- We will ensure access to trained, confidential contacts who are sensitive to the needs of students from minority ethnic groups.
- We will provide guidance and training on how to challenge behaviours and active bystanding.
- We will monitor and regularly evaluate the scale of the problem and progress made in addressing it.
Progress
Areas of progress and projects supporting individuals to speak out include:
- Restructuring of the Medical School Athena Swan Committee to become an EDI Committee. The Committee oversees and sets the direction of EDI work within the School, understanding intersectionality, and learning from each other as we work towards a more inclusive culture for students and staff in the School. Staff and student MedRACE representatives sit on the Medical School EDI committee, ensuring two-way communication and interaction across these groups.
Introduction of active bystander training for all medical students. E-learning and groupwork with scenarios sourced from Leicester medical students (unique), are reviewed and refreshed annually, and now also being shared more widely outside of the Medical School, and outside of the University at national and regional conferences. Thanks to members of the Leicester University Medics Afro-Caribbean Society (LUMACS) and Leicester Medico-Political Society (MPS) for support with development of the Active Bystander training. (year 1, moving to clinically relevant scenarios in year 3)- Read more about this work in our MedRACE Voices blogs and in our poster created for the Advance HE EDI conference 2022 (download poster, PDF, 33.6MB).
- Development of a code of conduct which includes specific reference to racial harassment
- The student statement has been reviewed with students and revised to include specific reference to racial harassment, e.g. adaptation of the Halo Code to prevent hair discrimination. This is reviewed annually.
- Review of existing complaints procedures and improvements made.
- Students and staff can raise anonymous concerns using the University's 'Report and Support' system, including in a clinical setting. We have referenced this system in all EDI induction teaching and materials to facilitate awareness.
- We have updated student end of block feedback forms to facilitate the reporting of racial harassment and discrimination (and of positive action with regard to EDI, e.g. examples of inclusive teaching).
- Facilitating student-led speaker events and projects
- Examples include:
- Black History Month - Inspirational speakers, such as Miss Samantha Tross, the UK's first Black female orthopaedic surgeon. Displays of Black Pioneers in Healthcare, social media campaigns.
- International Women's Day: A series of inspiring talks by colleagues within and beyond the Medical School on the theme 'Choose to Challenge', social media campaigns.
- Hippocampus podcast on racial harassment and inequalities in medical education
- Conferences and meetings
- MREM and other conferences, online and in person (Advance HE, DIMAH)
- GMC student presentation
