Race Equality Charter

The Race Equality Charter framework enables universities to identify and critically reflect on the institutional barriers faced by minority ethnic staff and students. The charter acts as an avenue for the University to raise the profile of race equality and maintain dialogue about what race equality looks like in practice at Oxford.

In February 2024, the University announced its successful Bronze Renewal for the Race Equality Charter award, in line with the Equality Objectives approved by Council. This builds on our success with the first Bronze award conferred in 2018. Through an extensive consultation process beginning with the work of the Race Equality Task Force, the University community agreed the following strategic areas of action for students and staff:

• Engage all members of the University community to address racism wherever it is found;
• Tackle bullying and harassment across the University;
• Increase the proportions of Black and minority ethnic staff in senior academic, research and professional service roles;
• Attract, admit and support students from all backgrounds;
• Ensure teaching and wider student experience are inclusive and embed race equality;
• Embed inclusive research practices across the university;
• Close the ethnicity pay gap;
• Create and maintain a robust institutional framework for the leadership, governance and coordination of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI);
• Ensure University decision-making and governance structures are representative of the University community and inclusive in practice and culture

The 2023 application was spearheaded by the Race Equality Charter Working Group, a subgroup of the Equality and Diversity Panel. Progress toward the 2023-2028 Action Plan will be monitored by the Joint Committee for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.