University of Salford Manchesher

The University of Salford’s student population is almost entirely state educated, with over half of its students coming from the most economically disadvantaged areas in England. It also has a higher proportion of BAME postgraduate students compared to the rest of the sector. The institution works with funders and donors to increase access to postgraduate courses, including facilitating BAME students’ entry into Media careers.

The University has already narrowed the BME awarding gap by 7% since 2020 and continues to strive towards closing it. There are several initiatives and programmes in place to do this, including, but not limited to, membership of the Race Equality Charter and use of the its framework to identify institutional barriers to the success of BME students and staff, a black history course, a mentoring programme, an industry advice scheme, and leadership programmes.

The institution also boasts a stand-alone multi-faith centre, with almost half its space designated for Muslim students and a Muslim Chaplain employed close to full-time. Access is also offered to the local Muslim population as there is no nearby mosque in the area. The University’s commitment to tackling Islamophobia is evident through its support of Islamophobia Awareness Month and in 2019 it hosted MEND’s Islamophobia Exhibition on campus.