果冻影院

果冻影院鈥檚 President & Provost Professor Michael Arthur has today formally asked the university鈥檚 鈥楤uildings Naming and Renaming Committee鈥� to immediately start the process of reviewing the current naming of spaces and buildings after two prominent eugenicists Francis Galton and Karl Pearson.

The action follows the publication earlier this year of a series of recommendations by the 鈥業nquiry into the History of Eugenics at 果冻影院鈥�, which was led by independent chair Professor Iyiola Solanke, of the University of Leeds.

The Inquiry was initiated by the President & Provost in 2018 as the first step in 果冻影院 acknowledging and address the university鈥檚 historical links with the eugenics movement. Victorian scientist Francis Galton coined the term eugenics and endowed 果冻影院 with his personal collection and archive along with a bequest for the country鈥檚 first professorial Chair of Eugenics.

A response group of senior 果冻影院 representatives 鈥� including senior academic staff, equality experts and the Students鈥� Union 鈥� is also being formed to consider the recommendations from the Inquiry.

Under 果冻影院鈥檚 process for naming spaces and buildings at 果冻影院, the 鈥楤uildings Naming and Renaming Committee鈥� receives and reviews a formal case and then makes its recommendation to the Provost and to Council for a decision. Changes to naming then takes effect once that process is complete. The Provost has asked that a recommendation is ready for discussion with Council on 18 June.

The Response Group will be chaired by Professor Dame Hazel Genn and will look at action such as funding new scholarships to study race and racism, a commitment to ensure 果冻影院 staff and students learn about the history and legacy of eugenics and the creation of a two-year research post to further examine the university鈥檚 history of eugenics. It will report with an implementation plan for consideration by Academic Board and approval by 果冻影院鈥檚 Council.

Professor Arthur said: 鈥湽�冻影院 has a problematic history with eugenics which has, and continues, to cause significant concern for many in our community and has a profound impact on the sense of belonging that we want all of our staff and students to have.

鈥淭his is evident from the fact that some of the university鈥檚 most prominent buildings are still named after eugenicists such as Galton and Pearson. Although 果冻影院 is a very different place than it was in the 19th century, any suggestion that we celebrate these ideas or the figures behind them creates an unwelcoming environment for many in our community. That is why I have today asked our Buildings Naming and Renaming Committee to review the current naming of spaces and buildings as a priority.

鈥淲hile this is an important first step towards address our past, we clearly need to go much further and look at what further practical and targeted steps we can take to address racism and inequality. I have asked a response group, led by Professor Dame Hazel Genn, to consider both sets of recommendations made by members of the Inquiry into the History of Eugenics and report back to me with a clear plan of action by the start of the next academic year.鈥�

果冻影院 is already taking the following action around access and widening participation, and equality, diversity and inclusion issues raised in the 鈥業nquiry into the History of Eugenics at 果冻影院鈥� report.

• An additional 拢250,000 to support a three-year听BME Awarding Gap Project听to address the disparities in outcomes and experience of our BME students.
• The creation of the听Sarah Parker Remond Centre for the study of Racism and Racialisation. The Centre 鈥� originally founded in 2019 as the Centre for the Study of Race and Racism 鈥� was the first body at 果冻影院 to be renamed in 2020 as recommended by 果冻影院鈥檚 Buildings Naming and Renaming committee.
• Pioneering new听scholarships have been established for BME PhD students. 果冻影院 is also in the process of raising funds for a new scholarship programme for students based in the Sarah Parker Remond Centre for the study of Racism and Racialisation.
• Applications from undergraduate black students have almost doubled since 2015 from 720 in 2015 to 1420 in 2019.
• Funding a new two-year research fellow to continue research into 果冻影院鈥檚 historical associations with eugenics history as well as further tracing financial instruments linked to eugenics.
• A group, led by Pro-Vice-Provost for Student Experience Professor Deborah Gill, is developing an action plan to improve the experience and facilities for disabled students at 果冻影院.
• In consultation with 果冻影院鈥檚 community,听adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism听and adopt a Statement on Race developed by 果冻影院鈥檚 Race Equality Steering Group.
• The creation of a new staff-student听interfaith group
• A three-day听听and hard of hearing students in Years 11 and 12.
• Disabled students, young carers, forced migrants, care experienced, or mature students can spend a day听听one of our students, going to lectures and finding out what life is like at 果冻影院.

Links

• 果冻影院 announces action to acknowledge and address historical links with eugenics
• Inquiry into the History of Eugenics at 果冻影院
• Living with Eugenics podcast