Race Equality Charter

Actions to ensure the required progress include (but are not limited to):

• Engage with recruitment agencies and head-hunters who specialise in sourcing diverse candidates for Executive Leadership Team (ELT) positions.
• Ensure that job openings are actively promoted to the local Ethnically Diverse communities to encourage a wide range of applications.
• Access the current positive action training program to improve its effectiveness and monitor the impact of these efforts on ethnically diverse representation within LJMU.
• Review the promotion and celebration of events and festivals to enhance engagement with local Ethnically Diverse communities.
• Collaborate closely with the Ethnically Diverse Staff Network and local ethnically diverse communities to develop a strategy that positions LJMU as an employer of choice for local ethnically diverse individuals.
• Create a tailored development programme for ethnically diverse staff by using the appraisal process to identify suitable growth opportunities, ensuring that all line managers are prepared to have meaningful development conversations.
• Establish clear and transparent career paths for staff by offering support from the beginning of their employment, including induction that outlines career progression and leadership training opportunities for those interested in higher grade roles.

Discover LEAD Programme

Planned actions to develop an inclusive culture include (but are not limited to):

• Regularly monitor issues related to racial tension by utilising the reporting tool and conducting biennial surveys. Take appropriate action, such as organising workshops, to address specific issues that arise.
• Implement a centralised reporting system, as recommended by the Harassment Working Group, to provide a safe and supportive environment for staff members and students to raise concerns. Ensure that this new system is well-publicised and included in induction materials. For more information, visit our Report and Support webpage.
• Enhance transparency in the Grievance Processes for staff and complaint processes for students, clearly outlining expectations at each level and including contact points within the process guide/timelines.
• Utilise the Biennial Surveys to gather staff and students' perspectives on reporting incidents of harassment and the effectiveness of the grievance procedures.

Implemented and planned actions to address this include (but are not limited to):

• Enhance the representation of ethnically diverse students from the UK in undergraduate programmes that currently have a significant underrepresentation.
• Conduct a thorough examination of the experiences of ethnically diverse students throughout the recruitment and admission process, as well as their journey during their studies.
• Extend invitations to ethnically diverse student advocates to share their experiences and promote LJMU at recruitment events, thereby increasing representation and outreach in these communities. You can sign up via Unitemps.
• Organise a focus group with current ethnically diverse students at LJMU to discuss access targets, gather feedback on potential barriers, and identify actions that LJMU can take to improve ethnically diverse recruitment.
• Analyse student engagement with Student Advice and Wellbeing services to determine if there are any differences between ethnic groups in accessing these services.
• Investigate the factors that influence ethnically diverse students' intentions to remain at LJMU instead of leaving, using a combination of surveys and focus groups.
• Utilise the information gathered on barriers faced by ethnically diverse students interested in pursuing postgraduate study to develop a strategy for recruiting ethnically diverse postgraduate students. 

Actions to ensure the required progress include (but are not limited to):

• Utilise the results of the curriculum review to drive forward the decolonisation of the curriculum in subjects and put forward the revised curricula for revalidation.
• Conduct a research study to explore the impact of various assessment and marking criteria on different student groups, focusing on ethnicity. Investigate how students from ethnically diverse backgrounds perceive and utilise feedback.
• Utilise the study findings to adjust assessment methods to reduce disparities among ethnic groups. Furthermore, modify feedback approaches to ensure consistency in interpretation and utilisation across different ethnicities.
• Encourage students to attend skills support sessions to enhance engagement and consider adjusting better accommodate their needs.
• Monitor the participation in academic skills support sessions among various demographic groups to evaluate the impact of the changes on session attendance.
• Gather module evaluation feedback from across the University to identify any common issues affecting students from different ethnic backgrounds. Use the feedback to inform module leaders and implement necessary changes to training and guidance.
• Develop an institutional dashboard displaying data on attainment gaps to facilitate easy access for academic staff and professional services in monitoring the effectiveness of ethnicity-related interventions.
• Collaborate with the Decolonising the Curriculum Discussion Group and Teaching and Learning Academy to establish a toolkit/checklist for all staff on decolonising the curriculum.