City medical school rejected in bid for race equality award

CARDIFF University’s School of Medicine has been turned down for a prestigious race equality award two years after students mocked a black academic in a theatric review by depicting him wearing a giant penis.

More than 30 trainee doctors took part in the review, which involved students blacking up and making racist, sexist, and homophobic comments.

But ethnic minority students at the medical school complained they felt unsupported and marginalised, to the extent that some left without completing their training.

Now the Equality Challenge Unit, which assesses university departments that volunteer for their commitment to diversity, has turned down Cardiff Medical School for a bronze award in its charter mark scheme.

During the process students and staff from ethnic minorities were surveyed to see whether they had experienced racism at the school.

A Cardiff University spokesman said: “Cardiff University is committed to supporting, developing and promoting equality and diversity in all of our activities.

“That’s why we were the first university in Wales to apply for the Equality Challenge Unit’s Race Equality Charter Mark.

“We were disappointed that our application was unsuccessful.

“The application process provided us with a reflective and honest assessment of our position, informed by colleagues from all sections of the university community and our students.

“It also ensured that BME staff had the opportunity to engage with the process.

“Staff and student working groups discussed and analysed data and provided commentary as part of the process.

“It’s also worth pointing out that out of 162 UK universities only 39 are members. Out of the 39 only nine have been successful in achieving a charter mark.

“As a university we are not afraid to acknowledge we have challenges to overcome. That’s why, for example, in 2016 the Vice-Chancellor commissioned an independent review to provide an in-depth review of race equality following an incident in the university’s School of Medicine.

“It’s an important illustration of how seriously we take these issues.”