Black Staff Group is now open to all UCU staff who identify as black

Oct 13th, 2020 | By | Category: Latest
This group is open to all UCU staff who identify as black, and managers are asked to accommodate any staff who wish to attend the group’s meetings.

DRAFT Terms of Reference for

UCU Black Staff Group

UCU Black Staff Group is intended to:

1. Help formulate, provide advice and feedback and, where appropriate, participate in UCU’s initiatives to encourage greater diversity.

2. Contribute towards the formulation of key policy and strategy.

3. Provide a networking opportunity for black and minority ethnic staff across the union.

4. Assist in monitoring the implementation and effectiveness of race equality-related policies and procedures (for example, the union’s policy on recruitment).

Attendance:

1. Core membership will be drawn from across the union for individuals who identify themselves as Black.

2. As and when required, experts from other parts of the union or external guests will be invited to attend to brief the membership on matters of concern/interest.

Meetings:

1. The Black Staff Group meets once every three months. Meetings will take place on a [day / am or pm?]

The Role of the Chair and Secretary:

1. The Chair will be elected from the membership or, the members may wish to rotate the Chair for future meetings

2. The Chair of the group will report annually to the Senior Management Team on any relevant issues.

3. The Secretary will be elected from the membership or, the members may wish to rotate the Secretary for future meetings.

4. The Secretary will work alongside the Chair in drafting the agenda and circulating any relevant papers.

_______________________________________

Colleagues,
You are invited to the first meeting of the newly reconstituted UCU Black* Staff Group. 
I have heard from many of you with regard to setting up a UCU Black Staff Group. I have spoken with Jo and some members of the senior management team and there is clear support for establishing and sustaining the group.
Please join the meeting on Wednesday 14 October – 13.00-14.00 on MS Teams to speak with other black members of staff to agree the aims and objectives of the group. A draft ToR is attached to kick-start our discussions. You can join the meeting here  Join Microsoft Teams Meeting
 


Please note that joining the meeting this way does not update your calendar automatically. You will have to do this separately.

Agenda to be agreed at the outset of the meeting:

  1. Agree Terms of Reference (including name of group)
  2. Roles such as chair, secretary to be decided
  3. Key issues for the group
  4. Future events/meeting schedule
Look forward to catching up with you next Wednesday.
Please feel free to drop me a line at cnicholas@ucu.org.uk if you have questions about the meeting.
Best wishes
Chris
  • I have used the UCU terminology (see below) and included the name of the group as an agenda item.
*UCU internally uses the term ‘black’ in a political sense to refer to people who are descended, through one or both parents, from Africa, the Caribbean, Asia (the middle-East to China) and Latin America. It refers to those from a visible minority who have a shared experience of oppression. The word is used to foster a sense of solidarity and empowerment.

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