New HEPI report urges renewed focus on advancing the careers of Black academics

A new report, Unblocking the Pipeline: Supporting the Retention, Progression and Promotion of Early-Career Black Academics, led by Dr Becca Franssen and published today by GatenbySanderson, the Society of Black Academics (SBA) and HEPI, explores the experiences of Black Early-Career Academics (ECAs).

Based on the results of a survey with nearly 100 staff respondents and 24 interviews with university staff, the report investigates how Black ECAs feel about their workplaces and careers and the strategies used to support them.

The report also includes a Foreword from Professor Udy Archibong MBE, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) at the University of Bradford and a Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing.

The report finds that:

• Most survey respondents feel they have good relationships with their colleagues (68%), but only a minority feel their pay is fair (32%), their workplace is inclusive (34%) and they are supported with their mental and physical wellbeing (38%).

• Black ECAs often feel ‘invisible' and that they are passed over for promotion or not acknowledged for the work they do. But they are also expected to do more additional work, such as sitting on interview panels and mentoring colleagues.

• They also feel distanced from conversations around promotion and progression, which may partly be because Black staff are often poorly represented at the top levels of university leadership.

• Survey respondents did not feel strongly that they should share an ethnic background with their mentor, as long as they receive support around promotion and progression.

• Less than two-fifths of survey respondents (38%) would feel comfortable reporting bullying or harassment to their institution, and a quarter (27%) feel race is a taboo topic where they work.

• Some 64% of respondents say Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) training is in place where they work, but only 38% say it is effective.

• Around a third (36%) say there have been efforts to ‘decolonise' curricula and research and a quarter (24%) say Black academics have been actively recruited.

• Only two-fifths of respondents (38%) believe EDI training is effective at supporting their careers, though this exceeds the number saying it is ineffective (14%), with the remainder unsure or neutral. Similarly, around a third (35%) consider decolonisation efforts effective and 14% ineffective.

A number of staff shared their experiences with us, including the following:

I feel I have to do more and work twice as hard to be recognised and get the promotion which I deserve. There is an invisible barrier that I face as a Black academic. 

Societal and personal issues have made it almost impossible for me to find work in academia. Academia is rigged against black scholars in the UK. 

It would be really helpful to have mentor schemes. Sometimes navigating UK HE as a black early career academic feels like flying blind. 

I feel the positive impact of my PhD supervisor. A leader among leaders. Without her, I think I would have given up already.

The report recommends that higher education institutions should:

• Provide standardised mentorship programmes for all ECAs. Mentors should receive training and be recognised for this work when allocating workload and considering promotion prospects.

• Provide studentships and scholarships targeted at candidates who face disadvantages entering higher education, coupled with ongoing support for those candidates throughout their period of work.

• Show leadership on this issue by sharing best practice, following through on interventions and rigorously evaluating the effectiveness of initiatives.

Dr Becca Franssen, lead author of the report, said:

Black academics are acutely underrepresented in UK higher education. This report seeks to understand why, regardless of initiatives to address this, it continues to be the case. By understanding what universities are already doing, and building on their successes, we have been able to make a series of low-cost, easy-to-implement recommendations to help facilitate the progression and retention of Black academics. This is critical to building diverse, dynamic and vibrant universities that are representative of their student bodies and able to adapt to a changing landscape. GatenbySanderson recognises its responsibility to shape a rich and diverse pipeline of academic leadership seriously and we are pleased to support the Society of Black Academics and HEPI in the important topic. 

Josh Freeman, Policy Manager at HEPI and a supporting author of the report, said:

There is plenty of hard-won progress to celebrate in the report, including the growing number of Black academics and the exciting array of initiatives that institutions are using to drive progress.

But two major issues stand out. One is that despite all this work, the path to academic progression is obscure for too many Black ECAs, meaning the number of Black professors and senior academics remains very small. Effective mentorship and clear principles for promotion are needed to clarify the routes for these staff. The other is that institutions are leaning on Black academics to drive these initiatives, who are expected to work harder without compensation or improved prospects. The system should be formalised so that this work is consistently acknowledged and rewarded.

Dr Ade Oyedijo, Lecturer in Business Information Systems at Manchester Metropolitan Universityand a supporting author of the report, said:

Higher education institutions that are genuinely committed to advancing their Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) goals should prioritise supporting the retention, advancement and promotion of Early Career Black Academics (ECAs). This report aims to assist institutions in identifying significant barriers that inhibit their ability to address the retention and progression of ECAs. It also aims to help institutions identify potential areas for growth and improvement.

Steven Kator Iorfa, doctoral student in the Faculty of Business and Law at the University of Portsmouth and a supporting author of the report, said:

I look into my future as a Black academic in the UK with many uncertainties, and often wonder if I would be better off in industry. Until something is done to remove the barriers hindering the easy progression of Black academics into more senior positions, many ECAs like myself will continue to abandon academia or seek opportunities outside the UK. 

Notes for editors:

1. GatenbySanderson is the UK's leading people advisory firm across public services, education and not for profit. Working within complex, challenging and highly scrutinised environments we deliver executive search, interim leadership and leadership development and consultancy.

1. The Society of Black Academics (SBA) champions Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in Higher Education. We empower Black academics and aspiring scholars, and collaborate with industry professionals to create a more equitable and inclusive academic culture and environment.