The University of Southampton has revealed the results of their Student Diversity Survey after it was completed by students at the end of last year.
The survey aimed to ask students about their own experience and opinions regarding ethnicity, as well as understanding why students chose Southampton as their university.
In the SUSSED post, the university addressed their opinions on racism, stating:
‘The University and the Students’ Union stand firmly against racism towards members of our community both at the University and across the globe. We are committed to embedding fairness and equality across all aspects of society and we strive to understand and correct inequality where we find it. Through our Race Equality Charter, we will continue to collaborate with our community to challenge and proactively address racism.’
The results of the survey can be found here, but are summarised below:
- Students would like more diversity within options choices on their courses.
- Most students enjoy their courses and they are reflective of expectations.
- Teaching colleagues need to be able to competently discuss race and ethnicity.
- 33% of Black students, 19% of Asian students, 21% of Chinese students, and 6% of White students (who completed the survey) have experienced on-campus racial discrimination
- 77% of students think they are progressing well academically and 81% would recommend UoS
- However, the responses of Black and Chinese students rated these areas lower
The university and SUSU are developing new Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion strategies in order to tackle discrimination and make worthwhile improvements for the future.
Further consultations will be planned for early next year with eligible students being contacted by the university. If you would like to share feedback, you can do so by either emailing diverse@soton.ac.uk or through SUSU’s You Make Change webpage.
