I first entered the University of York as an international student doing my postgraduate degree. I found it hard to feel a sense of belonging throughout my time here. Following my PhD, I moved to Birmingham to begin my academic career. I was struck by the difference present in the two universities. Accommodations - and not just superficial ones - were actively made to include all students.  I felt the need to instill change upon my return to York some years later. 

I am passionate about the role that education can make on students from not only lower classes but also from ethnic minority backgrounds - having come from both these backgrounds myself. I believe that unless we make education a more welcoming place then the students that do enter higher education will not pursue further postgraduate study, further solidifying the inequalities we see in the working world today.

Research and applying what we learn from those findings are the main avenues for creating such change and encouraging others to become allies and fellow change-makers. It is my hope that this project's results will lead to future similar projects as well as influential changes in our teaching practices within the University of York. 

As a PhD student, the underrepresentation of minority students within academia, especially those pursuing postgraduate degrees is really evident to me. I have two primary goals I wish to achieve here at the University of York; to increase the number of minoritised students pursuing postgraduate opportunities in higher education and to see increased diversity within academic staff. Students should feel safe and comfortable both within their univeristy spaces but also able to find social groups that represent them to increase their sense of belonging. 

I joined this project because I have a commitment to ensuring student's don't go through the same experiences and challenges I faced during my undergraduate degree, at a different institution. Furthermore, I want to start to build a foundation for universities to prioritise the voices of minoritised students and recognise the impact a non-diversified curriculum can have on students from different backgrounds (e.g., racial, sexual-orientation, region etc). I hope this project lays the groundwork.

As a second-year Psychology student who is originally from the Bahamas, I have often felt underrepresented within the British curriculum. As such, having the opportunity to work on a project which allowed students to express their own feelings and frustrations in regard to the curriculum at York has been a truly rewarding experience. I hope for our work on this project to bring about meaningful changes, whereby future students will feel more included within the curriculum at York. 

I am a third-year Psychology student and I joined this project because I wanted to contribute to the process of change. Working alongside other interns and a team of academics allowed us to transform ideas into practical solutions to support the experience of current and future students. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to conduct such meaningful research to foster greater inclusion within the curriculum.

I am a third-year Psychology student and I got involved in this project because I know how the curriculum makes me feel about my own academic future. This project allowed me and the other interns to hear the concerns and frustrations of our peers in the hopes of guiding meaningful change in the wider university. At the time, I was unaware of how impactful this could be, but I am immensely proud of what we’ve achieved so far and can’t wait to take this even further.

I am a lecturer in the Department of Economics and have been leading projects related to diversity and inclusion for our department since I joined York in 2022. I believe it is important for all of us in higher education to provide a university experience, where all students regardless of ethnicity, gender, class, and sexuality feel valued and included.

This project was essential in understanding if students from different backgrounds at York felt that they belong at university and if the level of the diversity of their curriculum had an impact on these feelings. It highlighted how diversifying and decolonising the curriculum can be an important step in motivating student engagement, as it can ensure each one of our students feels represented in the content and the ways they learn. I hope the results of our project will encourage colleagues and students across the university to reflect on their own practice and initiate change.

I am a third-year Politics, Philosophy and Economics student. I joined this project because I believe that it is so important for students to feel represented within the curriculum, and that all students are in a supportive learning environment which allows them to succeed. As a BAME student myself, it has been truly rewarding to be able to turn these issues into solutions that can be shared and implemented throughout the university.  I feel privileged to work with this group, and to be given the opportunity to do such meaningful work.

I am a third-year Politics, Philosophy, and Economics student. I decided to join the project because it was becoming increasingly noticeable how both non-diverse curricula and learning environments  were negatively impacting myself and my peers. Being able to help students express their frustration with their curricula or university spaces made me realise how impactful the work we're doing on the project is--I am incredibly grateful to be a part of a wonderful group, and hope our work will be impactful in diversifying the curriculum at York.