Only a third of black academics in the UK believe their workplace is inclusive, according to a new report on early careers in academia.
Produced by the Society of Black Academics, the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and public sector search and leadership specialist GatenbySanderson, the report found that only 34% of black academics felt their workplace was inclusive, and 32% felt they were not paid fairly for their role.
Under four in 10 (38%) thought they got sufficient support for their mental and physical wellbeing.
The researchers examined a range of challenges experienced by black academics early in their careers. They explored the effectiveness of various initiatives, programmes and recommendations put in place to overcome these challenges.
They interviewed 100 black early-career academics in the UK, alongside 24 university staff who were working on initiatives designed to support black academics.
Under half (45%) felt they could be their true selves at work, even though 68% said they had good relationships with their colleagues.
Forty-nine per cent said they were content with their role – something researchers felt could be improved by addressing perceptions of pay gaps. Many respondents felt they were subject to unconscious bias at work and felt there was a lack of clarity around career progression.
Eighty-one per cent of academics interviewed agreed that they faced challenges in the workplace, while 10% disagreed.
“Despite the plethora of initiatives adopted by higher education institutions, the evidence indicates that navigating the sector as a black academic ‘feels like flying blind’, without support, conspicuous but invisible for promotion, opportunities and pay,” said Dr Mercy Denedo, project manager for the report and an academic at Durham University Business School.
Training was cited as the most effective initiative to improve inclusivity, alongside initiatives to ‘decolonise’ aspects of curricula and research. Around a third of universities have black staff networks, which help support positive change.
The report sets out a number of recommendations for universities to improve inclusivity and support for black academics, including access to better, open-source diversity data, boosting support networks, and increased mentoring and sponsorship opportunities.
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