The Race Equality Charter (REC) aims to improve the representation, progression, and success of Black, Asian, and minority ethnic staff and students in higher education institutions.

Advance HE’s Race Equality Charter helps institutions in their work to identify and address the barriers facing Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff and students, while also providing a framework for action and improvement. Institutions can apply for a bronze or silver award, depending on their progress.

Bath Spa University has declared our intent to apply for the Race Equality Charter (REC) by signing a declaration stating our commitment to the Race Equality Charter Principles and pledging that the “University will adopt robust, transparent and accountable processes for race equality work”

Graphic of Race Equality Charter logo showing we're working towards

The Principles are:

  1. Racism is an everyday facet of UK society and racial inequalities manifest themselves in everyday situations, processes and behaviours. Racial disparities are a critical issue in outcomes for staff and students, recognising that racial inequalities are not necessarily overt, isolated incidents.
  2. The UK higher education sector cannot reach its full potential unless it can benefit from the talents of the whole population and until individuals from all ethnic backgrounds can benefit equally from the opportunities it affords.
  3. In tackling racial inequalities, it is important that actions are aimed at achieving transformational and long-term institutional culture change, avoiding a deficit model where actions are aimed at changing the individual.
  4. Staff and students from minoritised ethnic backgrounds are not a homogenous group. People from different ethnic backgrounds have different experiences of, and outcomes from and within, higher education, and that complexity needs to be considered in analysing data, developing solutions and implementing actions.
  5. Embracing intersectionality, from analysing data to developing actions, can better support institutions to tackle racism within the higher education sector.

We will be updating this page with our progress. If you have any queries regarding the REC please email BSUREC.

We're looking for staff and students to send in their expressions of interest to be part of the Self-Assessment Team or a sub-team. You can find out more on our Sharepoint pages: