BME Staff, Seniority & Mentoring

1. BME Staff, Seniority & Mentoring Dr Debra Cureton

2. Overview • BME Staff and Seniority in HE • The National Picture • The Local Picture • The Equality and Diversity Unit initiatives: • Staff Mentoring Scheme • Research into BME Seniority at UoW

3. The National Picture

4. BME Staff & HE • BME staff represent • 8.6 % of HE academic staff • 6.9 % of professional and support staff. • academic staff from BME groups is • 22.3 % among non-UK nationals, • 6.1 % among UK nationals (HEFCE, 2008, based on 2006-07 HESA data).

5. Differences between BME groupsAcademic Staff • Comparatively Less black, Asian and mixed/other • work in HE academic posts • qualified to be in academic jobs • A notable exception are those of Chinese ethnicity, who are over-represented (AUT, 2005, based on HESA 2003-04 data).

6. Differences between BME groupsNon-academic Staff • less Black, Asian and mixed/other are underrepresented • in HE non-academic posts • who hold NVQ level 4 qualification • Again Chinese staff are a notable exception (AUT, 2005).

7. BME Staff & Seniority • The work of Carter et al. (1999) and Macpherson (1999) led to further developments in institutional equity and diversity policies • However, significant disparity between white and BME seniority still exists. • This varies considerably across type of institution and subject area (HEFCE, 2008)

8. The Local Picture What is the UW Picture? What is the UW doing about this?

9. Equality & Diversity Initiatives • The local picture requires: • immediate preventative action • research to uncover the UW picture • The Equality & Diversity Unit funds: • the staff mentoring scheme • Bespoke research

10. Staff Mentoring Scheme • Institutional wide mentoring scheme • Voluntary, formal, peer to peer mentoring scheme • Involves 247 members of staff • Trained 130 mentors • Facilitated 124 mentoring matches (March, 2010)

11. Progress? • Nov 2009 • 8.6% of scheme participants are from BME backgrounds • 22% of BME staff involved were mentors • 78% of BME staff involved were mentees • March, 2010 • 16% of scheme participants are from BME backgrounds • 34% (11%)* of BME staff involved were mentors • 66% (21%)* of BME staff involved were mentees • * of all scheme participants

12. Research • BME staff Seniority • Snapshot of BME Seniority at UoW • BME staff progression at the UoW • Managerial attitudes to staff progression at the UoW • Mentoring Research • Mentoring Scheme Evaluation • UoW staff attitudes towards mentoring • Mentoring and work based stress

13. What we’ve found so far….. • Barriers • Help and support • Availability of promotion • Experience/ Perceptions of experience • Variety of Administration roles • Disadvantaged • Feedback • Impacts • Undervalued/worthless • De-motivated • Angry • Staff apply for internal promotion • Multiple motivators • Experience • Encouragement • Aspiration/ Self Motivation • Support, help and encouragement • Facilitators • Equality and Diversity awareness • Demonstrating enhanced skills • Resilience

14. Next Step • Triangulation of research • Identifying actions • Working together to produce solutions

15. Thank you • Questions? • Comments!