8 Living Black at University Commission Report 2022/23 9 Living Black at University Commission Report 2022/23 SUMMARY OF ACTIONS COMPLETED Create and share an DEI data maturity framework. ( Recommendation 9) The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Data Maturity Framework was created to help universities and accommodation providers address gaps in their ethnicity data – which can, in turn, highlight gaps in the experiences of minoritised staff and students. Written by Dr Nick Cartwright (Lecturer in Law at the University of Leeds, Senior Advisor to the Halpin Partnership and Visiting Fellow in Race Equality and Education at the Centre for Advancing Race Equality), the framework shows how universities and accommodation providers can gradually improve how they collect, use and analyse data, in order to support a more inclusive environment. Based on a simple model to show progressive data maturity practices, the framework includes practical examples across both the staff and student journey. Create a toolkit pack that enables universities to replicate the Living Black at University research with their own students. ( Recommendation 9) The Halpin research team collaborated with the Commission conveners to create a toolkit for HE institutions and accommodation providers who want to replicate the research with their own students. Run a 1-day conference to bring together DEI leads and accommodation leaders, to showcase actions and to deliver training. ( Recommendation 1) More than 100 delegates attended the first Living Black at University Conference, held in Newcastle in March 2023 and featuring presentations, DEI training and a Q&A session with a student panel. Following the success of the first conference, a second conference will take place in 2024. Pilot a Black services guide resource for incoming Black students, and share the template with the sector as part of a toolkit. ( Recommendation 2) To address the much-discussed finding that a lack of culturally relevant services contributed to Black students’ sense of isolation, the Commission committed to piloting a Black services guide so that accommodation teams could easily signpost to services like international supermarkets and Black haircare. Unite Students and Newcastle University ran the pilot in Newcastle during the 2022/23 academic year. The Newcastle guide was compiled by Jessica Eve and Andrew Nartey, who interned with Unite Students through the 10,000 Black Interns programme. Student feedback was resoundingly positive when the guide was launched in October 2022. For the 2023/24 academic year, Unite Students has rolled out a full Black services directory to cover all 23 of their cities, with the information being compiled by the 2023 intern cohort. A toolkit to support the wider sector in creating these guides was launched at the Living Black at University Conference, and has already been used by the University of Kent and the University of Leeds to support their 2023/24 student intake. Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Data Maturity Framework 1 EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION DATA MATURITY FRAMEWORK A change model for Higher Education Institutions by Dr Nick Cartwright Research Toolkit 1 RESEARCH TOOLKIT Using research to improve Black students’ accommodation experience CULTURAL SERVICES TOOLKIT A guide to supporting acclimatisation and belonging Write to Professor Edward Peck , the Department for Education’s first Higher Education Student Support Champion, to highlight the need for inclusive practice and cultural competence within student support services. (Recommendation 7) This area is being explored further by Professor Peck’s team.