Glossary

This approach begins by recognising, valuing, and supporting the strengths, cultural heritage, Elders' knowledge, and lived experiences already present in communities. It treats these as real expertise and focuses on what is already there, rather than what is missing. It is important not to be extractive in an asset-based approach. Rather, by starting from a place of respect and appreciation, we can build on existing wisdom and resources.

This is when communities or minoritised groups are described mainly in terms of what they are assumed to lack, such as being called "disengaged" or "lacking scientific capital." This kind of framing shifts blame onto communities, instead of recognising and addressing the barriers that institutions create. By naming this, we can focus on changing systems rather than blaming people.

Introduced by W.E.B. Du Bois, it describes the daily reality for many people racialised as minorities. It captures the ongoing work of balancing your true self with the expectations and scrutiny of institutions, especially in spaces where whiteness is the norm. This means constantly adapting, managing how you are seen, and navigating tone policing. Double consciousness is not just about living in two worlds (and more) at once; it is about the emotional and mental effort required to be accepted, to anticipate the reactions of those in power, and to carry the burden of addressing racial injustice. It can make it hard to feel yourself fully at work or in public life.

When someone publicly shares private or identifying information, such as home addresses or phone numbers, to harass, intimidate, or threaten staff or partners. Sharing private documents (docs-ing) typically happens online and can be hard to prevent or remove once done. Doxing often targets people who are leading equity projects or challenging existing norms. Recognising this risk helps us better support and protect those doing important equity work.

These terms refer to the many different ways power shapes whose knowledge counts in a given situation. In public engagement, we see this when institutions treat traditional academic formats, such as quantitative data or peer-reviewed papers, as the only valid forms of knowledge, while dismissing lived experience as "anecdotal" or "subjective." When this happens, valuable perspectives and expertise are side-lined. Recognising different ways of knowing helps us create more inclusive and meaningful work.

A positive, collective term for people who are Black, Asian, Brown, dual-heritage, Indigenous to the Global South, or racialised as ethnic minorities in  Global  North countries. Together, these communities make up about 80% of the world’s population. Using 'Global Majority' shifts the focus away from seeing non-white groups as minorities and instead centres their global presence, resilience, and shared commitment to anti-racism. When using this term, explain it clearly and use it alongside the specific identity terms people prefer in their local context.

This is when senior staff or those with secure contracts use their position to take on administrative challenges, handle financial or legal barriers, and absorb public criticism to protect staff in less secure roles or partners. This kind of support can help create safer and more equitable spaces for everyone involved.

Introduced by legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw, intersectionality helps us understand and see how different parts of our identity, such as race, gender, class, disability, sexuality, neurodiversity, and job security, overlap and shape our experiences. Rather than treating inequalities as separate issues, intersectionality reminds us that systems of power and discrimination often work together. By recognising intersectionality, we can make sure our equity work supports people as whole individuals, not just through a single lens.

Terms like "microaggression" have often been used to describe daily racial put-downs, exclusions, and insults experienced by people who are racialised as minorities in the UK. It could include not recognising the needs of colleagues fasting during Ramadan or mocking someone’s accent, clothing or hair.  However, calling these acts "micro" can make them seem small or unimportant, when in fact, experiencing them day after day causes real mental, emotional, and physical harm. This steady build-up can lead to chronic stress, anxiety, and burnout. When we label this harm as "micro," it becomes too easy for institutions to treat these incidents as isolated misunderstandings instead of recognising them as part of a larger pattern. We use the terms everyday racial harm, subtle racial attacks, or everyday racism to describe these experiences at the individual, departmental, and systemic levels. This helps us name their impact clearly and hold institutions fully accountable for addressing them.

The ways institutions actively protect their own comfort, financial control, and risk aversion. This can include gatekeeping, administrative delays, and other practices that slow down meaningful racial equity work and real power-sharing. Naming these patterns helps us understand where change is needed and how we can move forward together. 

See also: White Fragility

This is when institutions use partners’ feedback, diversity language, or advisory boards mainly to boost their reputation or meet funder requirements, without actually sharing budget control, decision-making power, or making real changes. Recognising performative actions helps us push for genuine partnership and accountability.

The mix of social, political, and institutional factors that shape your identity, perspective, and influence. This includes aspects such as race, class, gender, neurodiversity, job security, and your role within an organisation. Being aware of your positionality can help you understand your own perspective and how it shapes your work with others.

When staff are on fixed-term, hourly-paid, or temporary contracts, they are more vulnerable to job loss or close monitoring if they speak up about institutional barriers or lead equity work that challenges existing norms. Recognising precarity helps us understand the risks some colleagues face and why support and fair employment practices matter.

A statutory legal duty under the UK Equality Act 2010 requiring public institutions to eliminate unlawful racial discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations.

People who are racialised as white or seen as the dominant group within higher education institutions. Institutional culture, standards, and norms often centre on their comfort and assumptions, which can go unexamined. Naming this helps us see whose perspectives are being centred and whose may be overlooked.

People and communities who face structural racism and exclusion within higher education institutions and in wider society. These people and communities are usually from global majority* backgrounds. This term highlights that these experiences are shaped by external systems, not by personal traits. Using this language helps us focus on changing structures rather than blaming individuals.

When university staff take on extra administrative, financial, or logistical tasks, such as setting up vendors, booking rooms, or handling paperwork, to shield partners from unpaid and time-consuming bureaucracy, especially when those partners have fewer resources. This kind of support can help make partnerships more equitable and respectful.

Shifting attention away from real structural issues by criticising how a minoritised practitioner expresses harm, such as focusing on their tone or delivery. This shifts focus back to white emotional comfort instead of holding institutions accountable. Recognising this helps us keep attention on the real issues and support those raising concerns.

Introduced by philosopher Charles W. Mills, white ignorance describes how societies can maintain a kind of collective 'not knowing' about structural racism, colonial history, and white privilege. This is not about individual intelligence or intent. Instead, it is about institutional patterns that allow people to see their own standards as neutral while missing ongoing racial harm. Naming white ignorance helps us move beyond denial and take shared responsibility for making real change.

White supremacy and white supremacy culture describe political, institutional, and cultural systems where whiteness is treated as the default or the standard to measure against. This is not just about extremist beliefs. It also shows up in everyday organisational habits, like valuing perfectionism, avoiding risk, prioritising bureaucracy over relationships, or dismissing lived experience. By naming and noticing these patterns, we can start to break down hidden power dynamics.

The system that higher education institutions use to assign working hours for teaching, research, and administration. Recognising and fairly compensating equity leadership means making sure these contributions are formally included in the system.