Our commitment to change

Monday 15 June 2020 We need to change. We have been listening to students and others about their concerns, and their insistence that the future must be better than today.

We agree. These are not problems that happen somewhere else, nor are they something new.

We have been thinking deeply about racism here in the United Kingdom and what we must do as an arts university.

We have been reflecting on the different forms racism takes every day; from callous words to appalling acts of violence on the street, to institutional racism that withholds opportunity and denies fairness.

We have been thinking about how much more we and others need to do. We want Norwich to become a more diverse community; we regret that it is not that today. We are going to change.

How we will change

1. We will step up efforts to recruit Black academics and people of colour to join our teaching and student support staff.
   We have taken advice in the past but have made too little progress; we must do more.
2. We will step up efforts to attract Black students and students from a diverse range of backgrounds to join Norwich.
   We have made small progress as our strategy has evolved and we want to do more.
   We are finalising details of a new scholarship scheme that will open in the 2020-21 academic year to support underrepresented communities to study at Norwich.
3. We will ensure Black practitioners form a cornerstone of the visiting speaker and lecturer programme for all courses.
4. One of our senior academics is leading a critical review of our curriculum content and the cultural references we use.
   This is running in parallel with a review of resources in the university library; the aim is to ensure teaching and learning reflects a greater diversity of cultures, histories, and perspectives than in the past.

There is work underway across Norwich’s policy and practice. We can do better.

We want to open a dialogue with all staff and students to contribute ideas, thoughts and suggestions on underrepresented themes, fields, creatives, voices, or movements. We welcome your contribution to the library and curriculum project. Please send any ideas or comments to change@norwichuni.ac.uk.

To Black students and people of colour who are part of our community or about to join Norwich; we are listening. We will act.

We are committed to change and will strive to become the diverse community that we all wish to see. As we make long-term changes, we ask that you are active in letting us know any issues that concern you. Racism and discrimination in any form will not be tolerated in our community.

Black Lives Matter.