Members of OUSU’s Campaign for Racial Awareness and Equality (CRAE) are discussing plans to create a position of Tutor for Race in the University.
Wadham College already has its own Tutor for Race working as a member of the welfare team, but this project aims to guide all colleges towards more effective handling of BME students’ difficulties.
One of the problems frequently cited by students and staff of ethnic minorities in Oxford is the lack of a stable, trustworthy point of call, disabling them from communicating or reporting abuse. CRAE hopes that this will be changed by the creation of a university Tutor for Race. Yussef Robinson, who is BME Rep at St Hilda’s, told Cherwell, “Without these institutional roles exceptional and unrecognised levels of personal effort are required to combat racism. This places a huge burden on students and staff of colour. A Tutor for Race helps to alleviate this, that is why it’s so essential.”
Robinson added, “Racism is endemic within the University. Oxford has committed itself to diversity and yet has failed to enshrine anti-racist advocation at an institutional level.”
Dr Justine McConnell, currently occupying the position in Wadham, equally supports the idea of increasing the interaction between college and university student unions to respond to the problem of racism more directly. She mentioned Wadham’s Race Symposium held on 13th February this year as a successful example of collaboration between the two. She told Cherwell, “Colleges and the University working together seems to me likely to be the most effective approach. It seems to me that more interaction between groups concerned with racial equality is always a good thing.” She added,“That was one driving force behind the Wadham Race Symposium a couple of weeks ago. The event was organised primarily by three Wadham undergraduates.” As well as collaborating with the University Assessor Patricia Daley and the Chair of the Staff BME network, Nita Fisher, McConnell “also worked with those at other institutions, including SOAS, as collaboration and learning from each other is always a productive approach.”
CRAE told Cherwell, “As a wider student body, we are becoming more aware of racism being a serious problem at Oxford and that, as a result, many BME students report feeling uncomfortable and excluded, on account of their race or ethnicity.
“It is equally clear that many BME students simply do not feel that there are sufficient effective channels through which they can report their experiences with racism (micro- and macro-aggressions alike) or raise concerns about race.
“According to the CRAE 100 Voices report, 87.2 per cent of BME students would not feel comfortable discussing an issue of race with their college administration, and 60.9 per cent would be uncomfortable talking to their welfare team.
“This is where the Tutor for Race comes in. At the moment, many BME students feel they have no point of contact with tutors, to address their concerns.
“We envisage the Tutor for Race to act firstly as a contact and source of support for BME students – someone who can relate to these students. Secondly, they will act as a bridge between the student body and the college administration. This could include beginning conversations, with tutors and students at a college level, on decolonisation of the curriculum.
“Equally important is the need for representation. The Tutor for Race does not need to be a person of colour (Wadham’s Tutor for Race, Justine McConnell, is white): after all, the fight for racial equality is one which we should all be part of. It does, however, need to be a person who will understand and represent BME students’ interests at Governing Body and push for race equality across the college, similar to the Tutor for Women role.
“For racism to be countered, we need to be talking about race and other issues – a Tutor for Race, in collaboration with the student body, is a fantastic way for this to be achieved. Wadham is the only college with a Tutor for Race at the moment, but every college needs a Tutor for Race. Get in touch with us and help make that happen.”
