Diversity Questions

Many individuals and institutions are now tasked with responding to different forms of diversity questions, which take into consideration some of the following elements:

1. Student attainment differentials
2. Student experience differentials
3. Whitewashed curriculums
4. Inclusive pedagogy
5. History/history erasure
6. Staff recruitment
7. Staff development
8. Staff experience

In response to the above elements many individuals, departments, institutions and organisations contact Shades of Noir to advise, train and support. As such we have developed a series of questions that should help respond transparently, develop a better understanding and build strategies and policies responding to specific contexts for impactful and purposeful changes towards social justice environments.

Student attainment differentials

• How do you collect this information?
• Have you disaggregated data by all protected characteristics?
• Have you collected intersectional data?
• Have you spoken to students and student union?
• Have you gained qualitative and quantitative data?
• Are staff with intersectional protected characteristics
• leading this work and are they remunerated for this?

Student experience differentials

• Who are the voices that you record, why and what happens with the voices and the people behind them?
• What processes are in place to anonymously record student experiences?
• How do you level the playing field for marginal communities of students?
• What are your processes with complaints and do complaints data reflect attainment data?
• How do you engage with and or embed departments that specialise in supporting vulnerable and or marginalised students?
• Are staff with intersectional protected characteristics leading this work and are they remunerated for this?

Whitewashed curriculums

• Who are the authors of the publications that you promote and include within your resource lists?
• Do your resources include contributions from communities of intersectional protected characteristics?
• Where do you see social justice embedded in the curriculum?
• How do you manage misappropriation in the curriculum?
• How do critical intersectional race theories present themselves in the curriculum?
• Are staff with intersectional protected characteristics leading this work and are they remunerated for this?

Inclusive pedagogy

• What is the data of representation of intersectional protected characteristics within your team?
• Have you or your team actively engaged with contributions from communities of intersectional protected characteristics?
• How do you embed social justice teaching?
• Where does critical intersectional race theories present itself in your teaching approach?
• What actions do you take to ensure a supportive environment?
• Are staff with intersectional protected characteristics leading this work and are they remunerated for this?

Herstory/history erasure

• How and where is colonisation represented in the curriculum?
• What narratives and cannons are valued more?
• Where do you access history/herstory from?
• What archives do you use and or engage with?
• How do you check that your information is accurate, critical and international?
• Are staff with intersectional protected characteristics leading this work and are they remunerated for this?

Staff recruitment

• What is the current and previous 3 to 5 years of data of your intersectional staff data?
• Where do you share your data?
• What strategies and or policies do you employ to reduce discrimination and both unconcious and concious bias?
• Where do you advertise vacancies to reach the full spectrum of society?
• What do you articulate and how do you deliver fair recruitment practices?
• Are staff with intersectional protected characteristics leading this work and are they remunerated for this?

Staff development

• Do you collect data on staff development?
• Have you identified departments, communities and or individuals that either do or do not engage or are unable to access development?
• Do you have mandatory training for all staff to affirm the ethos of the institution?
• What are the staff development programmes that counter bullying, harassment and or discrimination?
• Do you have a clear and transparent process articulating how staff development contributes to staff career progression?
• Are staff with intersectional protected characteristics leading this work and are they remunerated for this?

Staff experience

• Who are the voices that you record, why and what happens with the voices and the people behind them?
• What processes are in place to anonymously record staff experiences?
• Do you collect data of staff experience?
• What do you do with the data collection to inform your strategies, policies and processes?
• How do you engage with and or embed departments that specialise in supporting vulnerable and or marginalised staff?
• Are staff with intersectional protected characteristics leading this work and are they remunerated for this?