Survey to explore race and ethnicity of higher education staff

Data on race and ethnicity in third level institutions, including UCC, will be gathered for the Higher Education Authority study. File Picture.

Data on the race and ethnicity of staff in higher education institutions will be collected for the first time to highlight and tackle any lack of diversity in Irish academia.

The Higher Education Authority (HEA) is today due to launch the Race Equality Survey which will be the first of its kind to be carried out in the Irish education sector.

Conducted by the HEA's Centre of Excellence for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion, the survey will gather and evaluate the experiences of staff in higher education.

Historically, there has been a lack of data on minority ethnic groups in higher education in Ireland, according to Dr Ross Woods of the HEA.

“Since 2019, the HEA Centre of Excellence has been working with higher education institutions to progress the collection of national data on ethnicity," said Dr Woods.

“A key part of this work has been agreeing terminology and categories for ethnicity data collection that may be used across the higher education sector.” 

This data needs to ensure that any inequalities that exist can be addressed, he added.

“Collecting equality data is not a simple case of just asking for it. A lot of groundwork needs to take place to ensure that people from minority ethnic groups feel comfortable giving this information and that any terminology used is not discriminatory itself.” 

In September, a report published by the British Council in Ireland and the Royal Irish Academy supported the HEA’s move to collect figures on the ethnicity breakdown in Irish academia.

Data on the ethnicity of staff in higher education will be submitted to the HEA from this month.

“The HEA is committed to addressing inequalities in higher education and to supporting Irish institutions to create an environment where individuals are able to thrive, irrespective of their ethnic background,” said HEA chief executive Dr Alan Wall.

Higher education institutions have the ability to be leaders in inclusion and equality, according to Higher Education Minister Simon Harris.

“In order to do that, we must ensure our higher education institutions are diverse and free of discrimination," said Mr Harris.

“This survey by the HEA will give us an insight into race equality in this sector and, crucially, it will allow us to identify and address inequalities that exist in the system.

“I would strongly encourage staff to participate and have their say.” 

The survey has been designed with expert input from the National Athena SWAN Intersectionality Working Group.