The Race Equality Charter (REC) is a national initiative which provides a framework to improve the representation, progression and success of racially minoritised staff and students, and to address racism within the institution. Over the coming year, we will prepare our renewal submission for July 2026.
Colleagues and students across the University have been driving forward our race equity work, contributing to significant change and progress towards the aims laid out in our action plan.
Highlights include:
- Our Future Talent Programmes aim to address the placement progression gap for Black and South Asian students, compared to those from a white ethnic background. In 2024, 93% of participants said they were confident about successfully navigating the recruitment process after Future Talent (compared to 40% before the programme). The gap for placement uptake has decreased by 5.4% among Asian students and by 2.3% among Black students.
- We have seen improvements in the diversity of our governance and leadership structures. Minority ethnic representation on both Council and Senate has increased from 9% and 17%, respectively, to 25% and 27%. In 2021, no University-level committee had more than 20% minority ethnic membership. Now, half of them do - an important step toward more inclusive decision-making at all levels.
- The REACH (Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage) Staff Network deliver a year-round programme of cultural and religious celebrations. The REACH Mentoring Scheme, launched early 2025, supports Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic staff in their professional and personal development.
- Loughborough University has established an anti-racist partnership with The Race Equality Centre in Leicester. The Anti-racist Working Group launched in April 2024 as part of new EDI Governance structures to support our EDI Core plan. Its membership is comprised of staff and students from across the University, including representation from The Race Equality Centre.
The REC renewal process is overseen by the Self-Assessment Team (SAT), co-chaired by Richard Taylor, Chief Operating Officer and Veronica Moore, Executive Director of EDI Services. The work is led by Emily Segaran, EDI Officer for Race, Religion and International.
Next steps
The REC Self-Assessment Team will analyse the data to identify key themes and inform the next phase of our REC Action Plan. In the months ahead, there will be opportunities for staff and students to share their insights through targeted focus groups and workshops -ensuring the voices and experiences of our community continue to shape meaningful change.
More information
Further details, including our REC Submission and full action plan, are available online.
For queries or to get involved, contact Emily Segaran.