Below are the thirty-three recommendations from the Report of the College's independently chaired Anti-Racism Commission (2020-22). These were submitted to Governing Body in January, 2022, and are reproduced below with actions taken to date (June, 2024). You can also find out more about the many ways we are strengthening our commitment to anti-racism in all areas of our work and College life HERE.

Recommendation 1

'Governing Body should consider what action should flow from the research [on evidence about race and racism in the College's history] to date and whether to commission further work. It would significantly enhance the reputation of the College if a suite of such projects has longevity; leaving this kind of work unaddressed may pose reputational risk.'

Action: Governing Body has, through the Senior Library and Archive Committee (SLAC), received a scoping document on our historic collections' relevance to issues of race. It notes that there is no evidence of any corporate investment by the College in the slave trade. It also highlights the strong association with the College of John Wesley (Fellow, 1726-51), a prominent critic of slavery. Further work on Lincoln's global connections highlights opportunities for research on individual alumni's roles in Britain's colonial past. The special collections programme Lincoln Unlocked regularly spotlights - in online exhibitions, talks and blog posts - holdings related to under-represented groups.

Recommendation 2

'The recruitment of BME students, the encouragement of those students to progress to graduate work, and their retention within the academic community thereafter should form a major part of a College Anti-Racism policy.'

Action (i): The Access and Career Development Fellow will hold a focus group with current ethnic minority students to ask them about their experiences applying to Oxford and their perceptions of Lincoln specifically. With our link regions in mind, the College will also widely advertise our multi-faith prayer room space, halal and kosher food options, and cultural celebrations.

Action (ii): College participates across all three strands in the University's Academic Futures programme, which targets refugees, care-experienced and black students.

Recommendation 3

'The College should aspire at least to the University average for BME UG offers and admissions and consider and develop a plan with targets as to how this will be addressed, by when, and with regular monitoring and review of the plan against those targets. The College should build into its access strategy ambitious targets around the recruitment of BME students, conscious of our chief access region in the East Midlands. The access strategy should redress the statistical imbalance and seek to refine that imbalance with more detailed breakdown and analysis within the BME data.'

Action: The College admissions report will now include a section specifically on ethnic minority applications; admission statistics for race and other demographics will appear in the Senior Tutor’s annual admissions update in Hilary Term; in advance of the admissions round in December, admitting tutors in each subject will receive statistical breakdowns of past years for their subject, and be expected to account for how those statistics were taken into consideration in decisions about new offers made.

Recommendation 4

'The College should increase its support for Target Oxbridge as part of its wider commitment to addressing structural racism and inequality, and look for ways to adopt and implement its methodology for the College’s own initiatives.'

Action: The Senior Tutor and the Access and Career Development Fellow work actively with with Naomi Kellman, alumna and founder of Target Oxbridge, to support Target Oxbridge.

Recommendation 5

'Whilst the College acknowledges that Faculties are the admitting bodies, the College should take all active steps, especially targeted advertising of College scholarships, to promote why BME graduates applicants should choose Lincoln.'

Action: College will participate across all three strands in the University’s Academic Futures programme, which targets refugees, care-experienced and black students.

Recommendation 6

'The College should prioritise funding positive action initiatives.'

Action: In addition to supporting the Academic Futures programme (Recommendation 5), the College now supports, in conjunction with the department, an endowed scholarship for a student ordinarily resident in an African country for the Masters in Development Economics, with recruitment of the first scholar for 2024. And through the generosity of a recent graduate alumna, the college established in 2023 the Nupur Patel Bursary for a master's student from an ethnic minority; further match-funding for the Patel Bursary was donated by a Fellow of the College in 2024.

Recommendation 7

'The terms of all endowments and gifts for scholarships must of course be respected; however, to make meaningful progress on race equality there should be a review of the College’s nationality-based scholarship programmes in order to consider building on the success of past or current schemes with new ones which target countries, regions, or racial groups historically under-represented in the College and to reflect changing demographics, or the desire for them, in College.'

Action: See Recommendations 6, 7, Actions.

Recommendation 8

'There needs to be a clear and collective common identification of racist behaviour and an understanding of whose responsibility it is to challenge racism or racist behaviour, and that this cannot be left to BME students, staff, or Fellows.

Action: The College accepts this responsibility in full; committee chairs and student organisation leaders are expected to challenge such behaviour appropriately.

Recommendation 9

'Continue the monitoring, recording, and reporting of welfare needs in general. Specifically, the College should find a more suitable and superior room for its Prayer and Quiet Room.'

Action: In 2022, the Prayer Room was relocated to the former Fellows' Guest Room C, a fine room in the historic heart of the College, newly refurbished for the purpose.

Recommendation 10

'The College should collect and analyse by race (and gender) data on alumni career paths. It should foster mentoring groups for BME alumni and students.'

Action: Aware of the difficulties of collecting and holding such data, the Commission offered this recommendation as an ideal. The Development Office and Development Committee prioritise diversity in all of their programming decisions. Thanks to alumni support, the College established in 2022 the Hartley Leadership Fund, which funds in-depth mentoring workshops on leadership skills for the most diverse range of students possible, with input and participation from alumni of diverse backgrounds.

Recommendation 11

'The College should consider the creation of new Fellowships likely to improve its racial demographic and nurture scholarship on issues of race.'

Action: College directed that this recommendation should be addressed in its Strategic Plan for 2022-27. The Plan's resolutions under 'Global Lincoln' include the establishment of a Visiting Fellowship Programme for overseas scholars. Any such Programme will be conceived with the goal of maximising opportunities for racial inclusion.

Recommendation 12

'The College should, at a minimum, have a strong and prominent statement encouraging applications from BME candidates in all job advertisements and further particulars.'

Action: The following sentence is added to the equality statement in advertisements and further particulars for academic posts: ‘Applications are particularly encouraged from women and black and minority ethnic applicants, who are under-represented in academic posts in Oxford.’

Recommendation 13

'When filling any academic post, the College should carefully consider whether specifications for teaching and research specialisms maximise attractiveness to scholars who address issues of race in their teaching and research.'

Action: Governing Body resolves to apply this recommendation when structuring the research specialisms of all new posts, though noting that such criteria can only be applied with significant relevance to Humanities and Social Sciences subjects, and that faculties and departments have a majority say in specifying research specialisms for many joint appointments. See Recommendation 12, Action.

Recommendation 14

'For all staff given a formal annual review, the College should include in that process a question or space in discussion for issues of race to create a safe, embedded opportunity for airing concerns or complaints relating to race, or for discussing positive steps taken in relation to it in the workplace; this would also allow a structured way for line-managers to review targets and address the ‘due regard’ and ‘fostering good relations’ requirements of the PSED. Serious thought should also be given to whether and how such an aim could be addressed with Fellows who have no formal annual review.'

Action (i): The following sentence is added to Fellow and staff reviews: ‘Do you have any concerns or complaints either within your direct working team, or within the College relating to the protected characteristics of age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex and sexual orientation?’.

Acton (ii): At induction, new fellows to be informed that they could at any time discuss matters relating to any protected characteristic with the Rector, the Sub-Rector, or the Anti-Racism Advocate.

Recommendation 15

'The College should consider whether to enhance the level of training, including anti-racism training, for all academic staff and Fellows and whether this should be mandatory.'

Action: College ensures that it continues to require Equality and Diversity training of all new tutorial Fellows and any who have a role in undergraduate admissions.

Recommendation 16

'Harassment Advisors should undergo further or specific training on race and racism and handling any race-based complaints.'

Action: The College's Harassment Advisors are fellows who are trained as first ports of call for students or staff with concerns about harassment of any kind, including race-based harassment; their role is to listen and to offer appropriate guidance for following the College's complaints procedures, not to handle cases themselves in any adjudicating sense. Harassment Advisors will undertake appropriate training offered by the University.

Recommendation 17

'The College should consider whether regular follow-up (post-appointment) race equity training should be introduced for all staff.'

Action: The College provides annual refresher training (online) and face-to-face equality training for all administrative and domestic staff every three years.

Recommendation 18

'There should be a target that all persons involved in recruitment and appointment exercises undertake anti-racism training or that this forms a specific part of their equality training.'

Action: All members of recruitment and appointment panels will receive Equality and Diversity training.

Recommendations 19 & 20

'Anti-racism training should be part of induction procedures for all students …. which the College should have responsibility for overseeing and arranging; responsibility should fall with the College and not with students.'

Action (i): The College to have oversight and responsibility for freshers’ week training.

Action (ii): Anti-racism training, like consent training, to be integrated as a compulsory component of College Induction for freshers.

Action (iii): Refresher courses in anti-racism to be offered to all enrolled students.

Action (iv): From Michaelmas 2024, the Freshers' Week welcome talk 'Respecting Others' will highlight the College's anti-racist policies and the role of the Anti-Racism Advocate.

Recommendation 21

'Harassment Advisors should, in their annual reports, note if there were any race- related aspects to cases heard by them, insofar as possible without identifying individuals. The College should also consider requiring the same from any other Officer who reports annually on welfare or discipline cases.'

Action: Such reports are made by the relevant Advisors and Officers at the Trinity Term meeting of the Welfare Committee.

Recommendation 22

'The next version of the College's Single Equality Scheme (due for review in 2022) should include an equality objective specific to race and be regularly reviewed by the Equality Committee.'

Action: College adopts the following equality objective in its Single Equality Scheme: 'To eliminate any racial discrimination and promote racial equality.' College notes that this is the requirement under the Public Sector Equality Duty, and that further detail on how this objective is to be achieved will be incorporated in the Single Equality Scheme, which is reviewed annually by the Equality Committee.

Recommendation 23

'That the College should appoint a dedicated Anti-Racism Advocate—a new College Office held by a Fellow—with responsibility for, inter alia, ensuring that anti-racism practice informs all decision making.'

Action: At the request of the Commission before the submission of its final report, this post was created by Governing Body in Trinity Term, 2021, and filled by the appointment of Prof Peter McCullough for a three-year term. Prof McCullough will be succeeded in Michaelmas 2024 by Dr Kimberly Palladino.

Recommendation 24

'The College should, before the end of the present incumbent’s term, review the [Anti-Racism Advocate's] post, including its duties, the perception of the post by different College constituencies, and its effectiveness.'

Action: In Trinity Term 2024 Prof McCullough submitted to Governing Body a detailed report on the Anti-Racism Advocate's post; the review was informed by experience over the past three years, and discussions with students, staff and fellows. The report, which included the recommendation that the post be renewed, was accepted by Governing Body.

Recommendation 25

'The College should consider how to broaden the pool of Fellows who might be appointed to such roles [of Anti-Racism Advocate].'

Action: As with other college posts held by Fellows, the Nominations Committee will make informed recommendations to Governing Body for filling the post, based on a range of factors including candidates' experience, work-load and interest in filling the role. College accepted the recommendation in Prof McCullough's 2024 review of the post (Recommendation 24) that a different Fellow be appointed to the role for each 3-year term, to maximise familiarity with the role and relevant policies across the Fellowship.

Recommendation 26

'All College committees must be proactive in setting and evaluating an anti-racist agenda within their respective remits.'

Action: This principle noted and accepted by chairs and convenors of all College committees as part of Governing Body’s acceptance of the Commission’s Report.

Recommendation 27

'Recognising its great early success and its obvious contributions to racial awareness at Lincoln, the College should take steps to encourage and embed Lincoln Unites more fully into the fabric of its annual life. Since LU operates with a President and a Committee, a view should be taken on whether it would be advantageous (for visibility), or even necessary (for bookings, funding, and other College support), for LU to register like other clubs and societies through the Senior Dean, Junior Relations Committee, and Governing Body.'

Action (i): Lincoln Unites was registered as a College society in September, 2021, with the Anti-Racism Advocate as its senior advisor.

Action (ii): In Trinity Term, 2024, Governing Body accepted the Anti-Racism Advocate's recommendation that College support the JCR in its plans to increase attendance by offering Lincoln Unites events across the year, rather than in a single week in Hilary Term.

Recommendation 28

'The College should monitor the nature and type of events – whether student-led or not – and seek their continuity year-on-year; one example raised was in relation to embedding an annual Diwali celebration, rather than this being an event dependent on ad hoc student initiative.'

Action: See Recommendation 31 (below)

Recommendation 29

'The College should request that the JCR and MCR adopt policies whereby annual reports by their Presidents and committees evaluate their activities (including elections and expenditure) from an anti-racism perspective, with Presidents making a summative annual report to the Junior Relations Committee on their Common Rooms’ contributions to anti-racism.'

Action: The JCR and MCR Presidents, or their representatives, keep activities under continuous review from an anti-racism perspective, and report formally on them to the Trinity Term meeting of the Junior Relations Committee. In response to the Anti-Racism Advocate's review in Trinity Term 2024, reporting on anti-racism initiatives and concerns is to be transferred to the Welfare Committee from Michaelmas 2024.

Recommendation 30

'The College should monitor and audit seminars/events at College for demographics of invited speakers.'

Action: College acknowledges concerns over the legal difficulties of collecting and holding such data for audit, and reaffirms its view that event organisers continue to be encouraged to keep diversity as an important consideration in their programming decisions. See Recommendation 26, Action (ii).

Recommendation 31

'There should be a rolling evaluation of whether these events/initiatives are sufficient and feedback invited from participants and across the College both as to quantity and quality and breadth of issues addressed and whether these are the right kind of events for our community, or if there is need for other types of activities, and evaluate or inform ourselves against the practices of other colleges.'

Action: Feedback and actions on events are reviewed on a rolling basis by the Anti-Racism Advocate, in conjunction with relevant committees, officers and student group leaders.

Recommendation 32

'The College should consider the establishment of a Lincoln public-speaker series on Race and Racism (or Structural Inequalities). ‘Anti-racism’ as a topic in this context should be understood as distinct from more general themes of ‘diversity’.

Action: The College granted the Anti-Racism Advocate a budget to support lectures, seminar series and anti-racism events, to be determined in collaboration with student representatives, staff, and other College departments and Officers.

Recommendation 33

'The College should have regular roundtable event(s) where BME students, staff and/or Fellows can discuss their experiences. If the pool for such is too small, it should proactively encourage participation in similar University-wide events.'

Action: The Chaplain and Welfare Coordinator piloted termly ‘Race Matters’ round-table discussions in the academic year 2022-3. From Michaelmas 2024 Anti-Racism Advocate will support the Chaplain, the Student Welfare Coordinator and the Common Room presidents to encourage such discussions.