Problem Statement and Purpose
London Higher (the representative body for over 50 universities and higher education institutions in London) and its members are committed to working towards building inclusive institutions that represent the global and wonderfully diverse city in which we are situated. We work with many talented professionals from the Global Majority, placing equality, opportunities for minoritised groups and a commitment to addressing imbalances front and centre.
Through the Global Majority Mentoring Programme, we aim to:
Improve career progression for Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff by providing a platform to match mentors and mentees.
Give mentees a chance to be partnered with a mentor from a different institution, broadening pan-London collaboration and giving mentees a space to seek tailored support from their mentor.
Give the opportunity to network with other Black, Asian and minority ethnic professionals from institutions across the capital.
Improving career progression and diversifying the talent pipeline at all levels of the higher education (HE) sector, and indeed beyond is a fundamental aim of the GMMP. With institutional buy-in, driven participants, and dedicated facilitators, London HE can and should be a model for success for other sectors across the capital. Alongside 1:1 mentoring, we facilitate networking and development sessions to allow diverse colleagues to share challenges, good practice, and support one another to succeed in the HE sector.
It is also a springboard to provoke introspection and a wider examination of equitable practices across HE, so that talented staff from global majority backgrounds are empowered to succeed and lead.
Methodology
Mentees are carefully matched with a more senior mentor from outside their institution for 1:1 mentoring sessions over the six-month programme. Alongside this, London Higher also facilitates networking opportunities for participants, including with prominent public sector organisations/charities. We are sponsored by an executive search firm, who run a yearly workshop to provide advice on CVs, cover letters, LinkedIn, interview preparation, negotiations, and the headhunting process.
Diversity in leadership is a core tenet of the GMMP, and ‘Learning Leaders’ is an innovative leadership development workshop series co-designed and co-led by London Higher, the University of Westminster, and 101 Dimensions that provides mentees with a safe and reflective space to think critically about their own leadership qualities, empowers them to find their voice and serves as a catalyst for them to take the next step in their careers. These optional, in-person workshops aim to meet the Programme’s ‘career progression’ objective, upskilling mentees to move upwards in their career trajectory.
Prominent global majority public sector/charity CEOs, pioneers and government officials deliver keynote speeches at each launch & celebration event, allowing mentors and mentees to learn from diverse leaders across multiple fields.
Findings
We are delighted to say that the programme has been successful and received high levels of satisfaction from participants. Mentors reported feeling very supported by programme organisers and scored the programme very highly for meeting personal expectations (9.2/10), programme aims (9.8/10). Mentee evaluation shows that the programme scored highly on meeting personal expectations (7.9/10), and meeting programme aims (8.4/10). Over the last two editions, the Programme has gained traction. Notably, the Deputy Mayor of London for Communities and Social Justice, Dr Debbie Weekes-Bernard, provided the keynote for our 2022 closing event.
Proposals
Mentees wanted to:
establish a personal development plan – we delivered this and tailored pre-programme training.
develop have a clearer understanding of practical next steps to advance their careers – so we organised a lunch & learn with sponsors Minerva to address career development, CV advice and headhunting;
upskill and gain confidence – so we co-designed ‘Learning Leaders’ workshops to upskill and empower mentees.
References
Quotes & References:
‘This programme gave me the confidence and knowledge to apply for an Associate Professor role, and I have since been appointed!’
‘Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this amazing programme. The mentor I had really did have a huge impact on me and my confidence to see myself as a leader. It has also allowed me to develop my knowledge of the higher education sector and what I need to do to develop in the next stage of my career. The leadership programme was very helpful in learning more about what type of leader I am but also able to take time to reflect about leadership as a whole. A week after the leadership session, I was awarded employee of the month with such lovely feedback from my colleagues. I do believe this programme helped me to develop in my role and also gain confidence in leading a team (which has allowed me to take on more solo projects).’
‘The most important insight I gained and achieved through my mentoring experience was understanding and valuing my contribution to my current work environment, the students I support, and my colleagues, and what and how I do this to make that possible. So often we as global majority people undervalue the essential extra work, we put in to create and to sustain the support we specifically provide. This is an integral part of us and provided the 'who', 'what', and 'why' at the core of ourselves. The experience with my mentor on this programme made me more aware of recognising the evidence of this and its value in how and why I do things the way I do.’
If people are needed, rather than quotes:
Dr Randhir Auluck, University of Westminster R.Auluck@westminster.ac.uk
Associate Professor Geoff Paul, University of Sunderland in London geoff.paul@sunderland.ac.uk
Professor Dibyesh Anand, University of Westminster D.Anand@westminster.ac.uk
