Author note: Professor Tim Soutphommasane is the University’s Chief Diversity Officer, and was the Australian Race Discrimination Commissioner from 2013-2018.
Summers in Britain are increasingly becoming a season of discontent: think train, airport, doctor and nurse strikes. This year, the discontent created more than mere disruption. The riots that broke out across many parts of the country were terrifying in their violence.
It is, sadly, a sign of the times. Across the West, anti-immigrant populism and xenophobia have surged. Extremist activity has grown more slippery and social media platforms are enabling disinformation and radicalisation.
Many members of our collegiate University community were understandably unnerved by the summer’s racist violence. Which is why, in the days following the riots, the University stood with other institutions in Oxford city and Oxfordshire to condemn racism and discrimination. Bigotry and hatred have no place in Oxford.
We recognise that many in our student community have experienced a challenging time, given the war in the Middle East. Last academic year, the Vice-Chancellor, senior colleagues and I heard from Jewish students and staff about experiences of antisemitism. We have heard from Muslim students about episodes of Islamophobia encountered on Oxford’s streets.
As we start Michaelmas, it is essential that everyone in our University understands that we do not tolerate any form of racism. We unequivocally reject and condemn any discrimination or harassment based on ethnicity, race or faith – including antisemitism and Islamophobia. And we expect all members of the University – students, staff, visitors and contractors – to treat others with respect, courtesy and consideration.
This commitment goes hand in hand with our position on freedom of speech and protest. We believe that, within the limits of the law, all views should be given the chance of a hearing. It is part of being a vibrant intellectual community that we hear different views, and be prepared not only to challenge others’ ideas but also our own. Protest is something that you can also engage in – provided it is done lawfully, peacefully and in line with our Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech.
We can be proud of our record on free speech. In last year’s Office for Students National Student Survey, students were asked, “During your studies, how free did you feel to express your ideas, opinions, and beliefs?” Our score – 90.8% – was the highest in the Russell Group.
On global issues of significance, there will be many in our community who hold passionate views and commitments. Many of you will want to get involved in political causes, or be parts of movements for social change. Universities are, naturally, a place for you to be involved in this, alongside your studies. But our university must also be a place where every student and member can feel safe and welcomed. As we reminded you in a recent all-student communication you – as a student here – have an important part in ensuring we have an inclusive environment.
As Chief Diversity Officer, I appreciate the importance of striking the right balance, especially when matters of diversity and identity are involved.
There is a cultural challenge here. Earlier this year, partnering with UCL Policy Lab and More in Common, we conducted research on British public opinion about EDI. We found that across British society there is strong support for equality and diversity. But there’s also nervousness about how to talk about matters the right way. According to our findings, 73% of Britons believe that people are made to feel stupid about not knowing how to talk about diversity using the latest language. And 50% personally worry about saying the wrong thing. How, then, can we go about talking about issues?
Answering this goes to the heart of our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan, which the collegiate University is launching this Michaelmas. The plan brings together the vast range of efforts taking place across colleges, departments and divisions in Oxford that relate to EDI. Our aspiration: for Oxford to be a collegiate university where everyone belongs and is supported to succeed, and for us to be a leader on EDI in society.
The student experience and voice are central to our agenda. During 0th week, we ran EDI inductions at 17 colleges to support freshers in having an inclusive student experience. Later this term, through a new training initiative, we will be supporting JCR and MCR presidents on how they navigate challenges around EDI and leadership.
We will also be establishing a racial and religious inclusion task and finish group this term, bringing together staff and students (including the Student Union president and representatives drawn from JCRs and MCRs). It will be tasked with considering student experiences relating to racial and religious inclusion, and how we can strengthen our institutional responses to discrimination.
There is, of course, more that we can do on EDI. And we will. I hope that students in Oxford will join us.
SU perspective:
It may sound cliché but the reason I ran for the role of SU President is because I love the student movement and the vibrant student community of Oxford in particular.
Over the past three years, as a trans and Jewish student, I have been a witness to the amazing things the Oxford community can achieve as a collective force for good, and I am proud to represent students here at Oxford – and for that, I have to thank fellow students for their fierce commitment to fighting for everyone to feel included, and the passion of many for political activism in support of what they see as right. This ability and eagerness to speak up continue to be my favourite feature of Oxford.
The past year, particularly Trinity term, has been incredibly hard for so many students. I have been horrified to see cases of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and racism increasing in the city and university that we call home.
We bear a collective responsibility to uphold the principles of free expression and peaceful protest in the fight against injustice but to also balance this with the rights of all students at Oxford to co-exist in an environment that is safe, inclusive and welcoming. When disruption becomes harmful, we must also bear the responsibility for that collective failure and strive to do better.
I have spent the past three years – and will spend the coming year – advocating for a better University, with the continuing development of policies and processes that truly support EDI efforts. But the reality is that often the threats to inclusion start closer to us than we’d like – it is incumbent on us as students to lead the way in making sure Oxford is free of prejudice and as your President, I am committed to supporting all students of Oxford to do just that.
