UNIVERSITIES in Britain are institutionally racist and must offer more support to students of colour who do not feel that their complaints are properly addressed, a vice-chancellor has claimed. 

“There’s mixed experiences, but many aren’t good,” Professor David Richardson of the University of East Anglia told BBC3 documentary Is Uni Racist?

“There is a lot of evidence that points towards universities perpetuating systemic racism, being institutionally racist, and I have acknowledged that on behalf of the sector.”

The documentary focuses on how complaints of racist abuse have been handled by universities, looking at the stories of four students. 

It found that those who complained felt that their universities had failed them, highlighting how they were often not allowed to know the outcome of the case because of data protection laws. 

The students said that their wellbeing and learning had been significantly impacted by these experiences. 

The documentary features 19-year-old Zac Adan, who said that he had been pinned to a wall after being accused of “looking like a drug dealer” by security guards at the University of Manchester. 

Mr Adan said the incident had made him feel that “the university’s reputation was way more important than the welfare and wellbeing of students.”

Others said that they were afraid to report racist abuse because they believed that it would harm their grades or job opportunities. 

Prof Richardson, who is also chairs the University UK advisory group, said: “We need to acknowledge that and put in place better support to make them feel safe and to help them be reassured that this will not damage their grades.”

A 2019 inquiry by the Equality and Human Rights Commission found that universities had failed to address tens of thousands of racist incidents every year and that a quarter of ethnic minority students had experienced racial harassment. 

The University and College Union (UCU) said the problem also affected university staff. 

“Universities have been quick to claim their anti-racist credentials in recent months, but they themselves are part of the problem,” general secretary Jo Grady said yesterday. 

“This issue does not just impact students. For example, there are just 155 black professors working at universities in the UK.”

The UCU called for real action and “not just warm words” if institutions are to “become truly inclusive and equitable.”

Manchester University said it was doing “significant ongoing work to strengthen our approach to equality, diversity and inclusion in collaboration with our students and staff.”