Editorial Comment:

Summary: The Dearing Inquiry into Higher Education recommended that: 'all institutions should... identify and remove barriers which inhibit recruitment and progression for particular groups and monitor and publish their progress towards greater equality of opportunity for all groups'.

There has been significant development on gender equality issues within the HE sector in recent years, but less progress has been made in ensuring racial equality, and the issue has become of increasing importance. Whilst ethnic minorities form about 15 per cent of all home students, this is not reflected in the make-up of teaching staff and those in senior administrative positions. A number of employment tribunal cases involving academic staff alleging racial discrimination against HE institutions have been publicised in recent years.

This is the first major report to focus on the position of ethnic minorities in academic employment. It looks at the representation and distribution of ethnic minority staff and at some of the underlying casuses of the inequalities exposed; examines the policies the sector has in place to achieve racial equality; and explores the views and experiences of minority staff and prospective staff about racism, discrimination and the commitment of their institutions to equal opportunities.