http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2005/apr/08/highereducation.raceineducation
However, they seem to have learned nothing, and have no monitoring in place, no proof of any equality impact assessments being carried out, and seem to believe that equality measures are a waste of time.
Here is the freedom of information request sent to Keble College Oxford University.
1 November 2010
Dear Keble College, Oxford,
Please supply me with details of your monitoring of employees and students and the results of your Equality Impact Assessments as required by law under the Race Relations(Amendment)Act 2000 in regard to:
1. disciplinary action (students & employees)
2. training (employees)
3. promotion (employees)
4. leaving your employment-showing reason for doing so-i.e. termination & grounds.(employees)
5. admissions (students)
6. achievements (students)
CAMPAIGN FOR RACIAL EQUALITY AT OXFORD UNIVERSITY
Here is the (long overdue) response:
Roger Boden
Keble College, Oxford
21 January 2011
Dear Mr Lewis
I'm do apologise. Your request seems to have fallen between the cracks in our overstretched administration. As I'm sure you will appreciate, as a Charity we have an over-riding obligation to employ our resources in pursuit of the Objects for which we were founded, and it sometimes proves difficult to balance that imperative with all the other demands that we face - as employers subject to a vast array of legislation, recipients of public funds subject to extensive reporting requirements, holders of data subject to Data Protection Legislation, operators of buildings subject to stringent Health and Safety legislation, not to mention our obligations under Freedom of Information legislation. I generally work a 60 hour week as it is. Am I required to work more hours? We could of course employ more people, but that would drive us into deficit. I am required, year-on-year, to achieve 'efficiency gains' to offset funding cuts. What further efficiencies would you suggest?
It would be very helpful to me, as an officer of the College but also a donor to the College, if you could not only restate your request but also explain why you think this is a priority use of the scarce resource that I have at my disposal, and what activities or funding you think I should defer in order to apply the resources necessary to respond to your enquiry.
Roger Boden
Bursar
Our response to this nonsense:
Dear Roger Boden,
If you have monitoring in place and have carried out equality impact assessments at Keble College, please provide evidence of this. If you do not carry out monitoring according to racial groups or equality impact assessments, then please would you simply confirm that fact. This is a Freedom of Information request to an institution which receives public funding, therefore I do not believe it is appropriate for you to be asking me questions instead of providing the information requested.
Yours sincerely,
Gregory Lewis
After prompting we received another response which does not provide any evidence, nor fully answer the question about monitoring or formal equality impact assessments:
Roger Boden
Keble College, Oxford
24 January 2011
We monitor the equality impact of policy decisions by having Equality Issues as a standing agenda item at all meetings of the key College committees. So at the end of each meeting we revisit the various agenda items to check whether they raised any equality issues and, if so, whether the Committee addressed those issues and considered their impact when making decisions.
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The full details of this request and all related correspondance can be viewed here: http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/monitoring_equality_impact_asses?unfold=1#incoming-143841
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| Roger Boden, Bursar Keble College, Oxford (left) & Diamond Versi, the accountant who was the victim of racial discrimination at Keble. |
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