Universities have become the latest institutions to be accused of harbouring racism. A professor at Manchester University has lashed out with claims of racial discrimination. Dr Aneez Esmail, a leading medical academic said, "I do think that as an organisation Manchester University, like so many British universities, is institutionally racist." The most high profile case to face Oxford in recent years has been that of Nadeem Ahmed, a student at the Oriental Institute, who was asked to leave the university in June 1999 having been made to sit unofficial 'flawed' exams by his tutor. Although he was unsuccessful in his legal action, Ahmed has been widely backed by anti-racist groups, including the Oxford Majlis Asian Association.
A recent survey by the Association of University Teachers has revealed racial tensions and prejudices. Out of 10,000 interviewed, 25% of ethnic minority staff felt that they had been unfairly treated in interviews, and worryingly, ethnic minorities make up less than 4% of the student body, in traditional universities. Similarly, not one academic in any of the top 3 positions at a UK University is from an ethnic minority, and out of 11,000 university professors, only 208 are black or Asian. - 24th Jan 2002From: http://www.oxfordstudent.com/
9 comments:
Yet 6.5% of all UK university academics are classified as "non-white". That's about the same as the proportion of ethnic minorities in the UK population.
Nadeem Ahmed was not unsuccessful in his legal action against the Oriental Institute; the informal tests were found by the court to have been "intellectually" and "technically flawed" and the High Court did not award costs to University's legal representatives.
Nadeem Ahmed was also supported by a number of prominent academics at the University including Sir Michael Dummett, former Emeritus Professor of Logic at Oxford University, the Irsish Poet Tom Paulin, the Times Higher Education Supplement as well as CAFAS (The Council for Academic Freedom and Academic Standards). Nadeem still lives and teaches in Oxford but it is still unknown whether or not the teaching staff at the Oriental Institute have finally let him continue undisturbed with his academic life in the department by appointing him an academic supervisor. Bullying takes different forms.
I have experienced racism within my university and the people who were racism against me got away with it.
Institutional racism has existed in the past, and is currently a problem within America's elite universities and colleges..An astounding example of this is described in our latest book " Between the Rhetoric and Reality" 2009, Amazon.com;Simpkins&Simpkins..Check out the Prologue and Epilogue..
Manchester University is extremely racist and they have procedures in place to deal with anyone who speaks out. They wont continue to get away with it for much longer.
Having worked at Kingston University I experienced racism and people got away with it. I was told when I got the job by the team leader that "there are many other jobs out there" after she offered to take me out for an introductory tea and in hindsight she was doing me a favour a telling me how it is. I was one of a number of applicants who applied and been offered the job there was departmental grooming of new applicants into particular work areas and I was the last and on weeks without work and ended up sharing a workload. A colleague who joined at the same time as me complained about departmental behaviours and etiquette. The international department is actually the British Government department how offices are related to based on countries and associations. I worked for about a year and went through disciplinary procedures without a union rep as I was naïve believing that reason and fact coming first their was no basis to the charges from the department. There was no basis for them and they were thrown out until the Director chose sides in the end and without union rep once the idea of pre disciplinary has happened then the dismissal is possible. When I worked in the department there was racism from apparent colleagues and the team leader has remarked "there is racism in the town council."
I have been bullied by a few people at the School of Mechanical Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of Manchester and shockingly the director of undergraduate program was also involved. I was traumatized and suffered from long periods of post-traumatic stress.
Yes, the University (of Manchester) is inherently racist. The equality and diversity policy might as well be a blank page! There are local "clans" and banding against ethnic individuals. I was bullied multiple times and the individuals (and their clients....) got away with it. In fact many were promoted! This has been traumatizing, gave me low self-esteem and made me feel isolated and worthless. And there is little that can be done. I tried to raise myself above it by doing even more work and getting successful at it, but the denigration was there and bullying in various other abject forms occurred again and again...!!!! Having been there some 6 years,I met some fanstastic individuals, but, sadly there is a proportion which, feels they own the place, and behave atrociously to some of their colleagues etc. I moved on because of this, and I am now gladly away. But I cannot help thinking about those who I am sure will again experience the above...
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