And a word about white denial: White colleagues have asked for guidance on how to tackle when it surfaces amongst colleagues. See your scripted argument step by step here.

STOP PRESS: Troy Heffernan (2021): Sexism, racism, prejudice, and bias: a literature review and synthesis of research surrounding student evaluations of courses and teaching, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, Download study here

Abstract. This paper analyses the current research regarding student evaluations of courses and teaching. The article argues that student evaluations are influenced by racist, sexist and homophobic prejudices, and are biased against discipline and subject area. This paper’s findings are relevant to policymakers and academics as student evaluations are undertaken in over 16,000 higher education institutions at the end of each teaching period. The article’s purpose is to demonstrate to the higher education sector that the data informing student surveys is flawed and prejudiced against those being assessed. Evaluations have been shown to be heavily influenced by student demographics, the teaching academic’s culture and identity, and other aspects not associated with course quality or teaching effectiveness. Evaluations also include increasingly abusive com- ments which are mostly directed towards women and those from marginalised groups, and subsequently make student surveys a growing cause of stress and anxiety for these academics. Yet, student evaluations are used as a measure of performance and play a role in hiring, firing and promotional decisions. Student evaluations are openly prejudiced against the sector’s most underrepresented academics and they contribute to further marginalising the same groups universities declare to protect, value and are aiming to increase in their workforces.

Reading, viewing and website list

Dear reader, there is no set of books we can quickly cover off that makes us proficient in race knowledge. This is because our white-centred experience of ourselves in the world, combined with society’s marginalisation and undermining of non-white ‘others,’ (both benignly and deliberately), has been a societal norm that has benefited us our whole lives. Acknowledgement of this white privilege however is key to our learning.

Our race privilege is a tool (along with other privileges like class, status, health) to be used in our commitment to dismantle racism. Language and confidence to speak out, are further tools we will develop through reading and listening as we pursue continued learning for the rest of our lives.

References and links in the general reference section are from Black sources.

“Black people do not need allies. We need people to stand up and take on the problems borne of oppression as their own, without remove or distance. We need people to do this even if they cannot fully understand what it’s like to be oppressed for their race or ethnicity, gender, sexuality, ability, class, religion, or other marker of identity. We need people to use common sense to figure out how to participate in social justice.”

Roxane Gay, author: Bad Feminist, Hunger, Difficult Women, Untamed State, Ayiti

THE DO’S

• Do be open to listening

• Do be aware of your implicit biases

• Do your research to learn more about the history of the struggle in which you are participating

• Do the inner work to figure out a way to acknowledge how you participate in oppressive systems

• Do the outer work and figure out how to change the oppressive systems

• Do amplify (online and when physically present) the voices of those without your privilege

• Do learn how to listen and accept criticism with grace, even if it’s uncomfortable

THE DON’TS

• Do not expect to be taught or shown. Take it upon yourself to use the tools around you to learn and answer your questions

• Do not participate for the gold medal in the “Oppression Olympics” (you don’t need to compare how your struggle is just as bad)

• Do not behave as though you know best

• Do not take credit for the labour of those who are marginalised and did the work before you stepped into the picture

• Do not assume that every member of an underinvested group feels oppressed

Above is an extract from a project created by Amélie Lamont. Twitter: @amelielamont