In response to BAME student issues raised via the Race Equality Charter process, Loughborough University has recently launched a range of initiatives to create more opportunities for minority students.

The LSU BAME Student Council (LBSC) and PGR Consortium are new connected but distinct initiatives developed to address the needs of different student groups. Find out more about these initiatives below:

Recently the BAME Staff Network consulted with BAME student leaders and the LSU to co-create the idea and collaboratively draft Terms of Reference with the main purpose of the initiative being to pool, channel and amplify the collective experiences, knowledge, and expertise of BAME UG and PG students from across the university.

Alongside the purpose, the group decided that the main function of the initiative is to continually improve the working and learning conditions of BAME students at Loughborough University, with the aim of gradually achieving racial equity with white British students. The LBSC will also aim to increase visibility of the challenges and experiences encountered as a result of institutional racism, racial discrimination and harassment in existing organisational culture, processes, attitudes, behaviours, and lack of responsiveness or inaction regarding stated concerns. It will recommend directions of travel and responsive actions to address the above. Simultaneously, it will uplift, amplify, and celebrate the achievements of students in the BAME community.

The LBSC will be a flat, non-hierarchical organisation comprised of as many members are necessary to effectively represent the diversity of the BAME student community at Loughborough across Midlands and London Campuses. It is estimated in the first instance that this will be about 30-35 members. These members will formally meet each Month.

The BAME PGR Consortium has both similar and divergent concerns to undergraduate students, which comprise most of the student organisations and societies at Loughborough. As such the PG community has found it necessary to form a PGR Consortium that is separate from, but linked to the LBSC.

These initiatives will be officially launched at the Inaugural Race Equity Town Hall 2021-22, with the call for participants open from the 25^th of October to November 2021 and the first meeting will be arranged soon after that. The groups will have access to a shared budget of £10,000 dedicated solely to the carrying out initiatives and projects to advance race equity for BAME students at the university.

These initiatives are in collaboration with the BAME Staff Network, a dedicated Student Liaison, LSU Welfare and Diversity Section, and the Doctoral College.

How can I get involved?

BAME students interested in participating in the new leadership initiatives for 2021-22 can register below.

If you have any further questions or would like to find out more about getting involved in the LSU BAME Student Council, the BAME PGR Consortium and the BAME Staff Network, you can contact Dr Angela Martinez Dy (a.dy@lboro.ac.uk).