1. Cracking the Concrete Ceiling:
Systemic Change for the Advancement of BAME Leaders in Higher Education

2. Tracy Bell-Reeves
deputy director, leadership development, Leadership Foundation for Higher Education
Jan Fook
visiting professor, Royal Holloway, University of London

3. Why this topic?
“Cracking the Concrete Ceiling” – why this title Under-representation of BAME staff at senior levels in HE – lots of talk but little action? What has changed recently? Current profile of this issue in the public sector – good time to press home the point Personal interests/background? Core to work of LFHE, ECU and thereby, ‘NewCo’.

4. Creating systemic change in BME leadership
3 years funder investment:
Diversifying Leadership programme
Diversifying Leadership sponsor toolkit
Senior Leaders in Higher Education project
Cracking the concrete ceiling research
E&D toolkit for governors
EDI senior leaders retreat
Research:
How can we make not break black and minority ethnic leaders in higher education? (Gurnam and Kwhali, 2015), Why does ethnicity matter in higher education? (Morrow, 2015), The experience of BME academics in higher education: Aspirations in the face of inequality (Bhopal, 2014)

5. Cracking the Concrete Ceiling project overview
Aims to shed light on how personal experiences intersect with contextual factors in supporting the leadership of BAME staff in HE, through follow up study of participants in the Diversifying Leadership programme and their HE environments
Mixed method approach (longitudinal interviews with participants; surveys, case studies of HEI’s
Researchers: Prof. Jan Fook; Dr Terri KIM (UEL); Prof. Udi Archibong (Bradford U); Amanda Aldercotte & Kevin Guyan (ECU)

6. A different perspective: Senior leaders in Higher Education – steps to success?
Aims to provide an online resource hub to support BAME progression
Focus is on conditions of success for senior BAME leaders and factors which helped enable advancement
Roundtable discussions
Individual interviews
Researchers: Vijaya Nath (Leadership Foundation): Jan Fook (RHUL)

7. Main themes and issues arising from the DL programme
Cultural and sub-cultural differences within the BAME group
Providing a political analyses and the implications of this
Maintaining a distinctive cultural identity at the same time as playing the game?
The significance of providing a group for identification and support

8. Main themes/issues arising re the institutional environment and the BAME experience
Internalisation of microaggressions
Prejudicial interpretations of behaviour
Difficulties in making change when you are someone of difference
The role of the hidden workplace culture and access to this for BAME people? Addressing unconscious bias training?

9. Strategising Suite of initiatives at all levels
Visibility in the environment
Working with hidden cultures
Seeking greater depth than unconscious bias in order to introduce transformational change
Getting the unsaid said….working with power
Unsettling stereotypes
More complex training?
Importance of networking
Importance of having senior role models
Importance of creating/modelling diverse environments

10. Questions From what you’ve seen and heard so far:
- what works in your view?
- what makes it successful?
- what could you add? (what are you not doing?)
- what would be helpful for you to help influence change?
- is the greatest challenge?
- where are your positive stories?