Over the life of the project more than 20 student consultants were recruited and deployed in various ways. All participated in qualitative research. Some operated as researchers while others ran CPD sessions and masterclasses. All students were inducted, trained and supported to undertake key tasks to deliver the project.
At the heart of this development was the space created to participate in ‘Race Talk’, simply time to talk about issues around and about race. The student researchers’ work was informed by Critical Race Theory and other theorised positions around race in The Academy, with students engaging in a number of critical key readings on the subject of race, education/higher education and the BAME disparity, with the RAFA2 questions serving as an academic problem space to be understood. Students produced academic summaries in relation to the texts, the issues raised, and the insights provided on the BAME disparity. These are included in the RAFA2 eToolkit Book Club section.
For the students engaged in RAFA2, one of the most positive outcomes was the agency they gained from having real engagement with staff on the issues raised by the project. RAFA2 provided BAME students with an opportunity to speak to staff directly about their concerns, and to meet with staff for the purpose of discussing race, assessment, teaching and learning in HE.
Student consultants also got to work with staff and students in informal settings, participating in joint events, such as debates, conferences and workshops. Some student consultants used the medium of film to record their journey where they talk about an aspect of race. These have been made available as part of the project’s legacy for future use in staff CPD sessions (see media videos).
Feedback from the student consultants was that having the opportunity to ‘talk about race’ was a real strength of the project, but they also reported how emotional it was for them, reporting holding anxiety about the potential backlash, and repercussions, while others reported a sense of being listened to and being valued.
Throughout the project, the resources linked to the issues that both framed and emerged from the qualitative investigation have been developed, (see QMUL Student Voices section). But many of the views and experiences of the student consultants have been captured and developed into an interactive resource ‘The Student Journey Game’ which the students produced in partnership with Building the Anti-Racist Classroom (BARC).
The game provides an opportunity for staff and students to address incidences of racial discrimination and inequalities in Higher Education. The game provides staff with a format to engage with the issues, centring the voices and knowledge of BAME students, acting as a primer to holding conversations with BAME students of colour and to inform the personal journey of staff toward understanding the dynamics of racism.