1. Exploring Minority Ethnic Student Experience: A Qualitative Study Dr Tansy Jessop (Learning and Teaching) Prof Anne Williams (Dean of Education)

2. Context 5,500 students of whom 300 from ethnic minorities (5.6%) City demographics mainly white (4% BME) Difficulty recruiting BME students/staff WP agenda, legal duties, and mission Learning and Teaching Committee

3. Research Methodology Qualitative paradigm Interview conversations Stories matter, shed light on social reality Interpretive - “A view from somewhere” (Diversi, 1998) Trustworthiness

4. Themes Ambiguity and uncertainty about identity Tensions between belonging and feeling different on campus The value of curriculum and black academic staff Downplaying racism

5. Ambiguity and uncertainty about identity Self-defining is complex: “who am I?” Sense of loss: “where are my roots?” Uncertainty linked to cultural and social capital Parallel issues with non-traditional students (eg. BTEC, 1 st generation, mature students)

6. Sometimes I feel like maybe I don’t have an identity.. At some stage I forget that I’m Asian. I mean I question how “other” I am to be honest. I don’t know, sometimes I feel like I’m cut off from my culture, because I don’t speak the language, I don’t partake in particular Indian traditions. I’ve only been to India once. I’m living “out” at uni (Rosalia).

7. Tensions between belonging and feeling excluded Small, friendly, personal campus ethos Shared accommodation Ethnicity only one aspect of identity (Malik, 2007; Modood, 1994) Initial reactions to ‘whiteness’ Drinking, clubbing culture Some ‘monochrome’ curriculum and few black academic staff

8. My best friends are white, funnily enough (Angie). A lot of my friends are white, and if I do meet black students, I would nod, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to socialise with them (Lizzie) I feel like this is home and I do call it home…I love it as a place, and I love the people here (Jodie)

9. One of my first observations after a few hours on campus was to see if I could find a few black students on campus. I saw none. On the way back, I was still looking…I saw none (Michael).

10. Curriculum and black academic staff Curriculum content described as patchily diverse Strong call for more African, Asian and global curricula “We come to value what is present, and devalue what is absent” (Gay, 2002) Black academic staff create a safe space for students to express themselves

11. One of my lecturers, you can see he is very proud of his heritage by the way he dresses. I remember for one of his modules, I had to write an article, and I ended up writing about chastity among young British Asian females…I thought in some ways it helped knowing that he could understand in some way on a cultural level (Rosalia).

12. Downplaying Racism Clean bill of health? (5/6 students) Researcher effect? Subtle forms of racism Inappropriate humour, awkwardness, tip- toeing, colour-blindness, “exoticisation” Complaint procedures remote - place the onus on the victim of racism

13. There are times when I make fun of myself. A friend of mine tries to do the same thing, but it doesn’t sound right coming from him. I can do it, but don’t you try (Rosalia) Sometimes in some of the modules some students find it difficult because they feel that it might offend me or something. I think it’s probably easier if they are free about these things, because when they are uncomfortable. It makes me feel uncomfortable (Lizzy).

14. Conclusions Complex set of stories Resonances with other similar HEIs Legal framework not enough How do students resist racism, express power, articulate a political voice Curriculum a meaningful way of promoting equality and diversity. HEIs with small BME populations need more intentional focus on equality and diversity (60% of UK HEIs)

15. Postscript: So what? L&T Committee; Race Equality Action Forum (REAF); REAF Events, setting up ACAS branch; SU Black Student Representative; Student Services: Mentoring Scheme; PGCLTHE: module and case studies Curriculum Audit and E&D Project.