‘Zero’ black staff hold senior jobs at universities
BLACK academics now hold “officially zero” top roles in universities, official figures show.
Last year, there were 540 senior academics in managerial roles such as vice-chancellors or heads of faculty, of whom 475 were white.
The Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa) recorded there were no black academics in this category at all, down from five the previous year.
Chris Skidmore, the universities minister, said: “It is unacceptable that the number of black academic staff in senior positions has fallen as this does not represent our British society.
“Universities need to make more progress and I urge all vice-chancellors to address the barriers that are holding back black and ethnic minority staff from senior positions.
“A true representation of Britain at the top levels of our universities will support the progression of BME staff, as well as improving students’ experience.”
Because of the way the statistics are rounded, a count of zero could mean one or two black academics were in this category but it would have been rounded down to zero.
Valerie Amos became the country’s first black university leader when was appointed in as the director of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies in 2015.
Later this year she will take up a new position as the head of an Oxford college.
A Universities UK spokesman said: “The evidence is clear that black and minority ethnic staff continue to be under-represented at academic levels in higher education.
“It is crucial that the leadership of every university takes steps to identify and address the underlying cultural issues and commit to taking action.”
Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union, said: “These figures confirm the lack of representation of black and minority ethnic staff at the top table in our universities.
“It is going to take systematic change and some difficult conversations if we are going to make any headway.
“Universities’ failings on equality when it comes to representation and pay are one of the reasons staff have been forced into strike action recently.”