Your 2024/25 Project Workers

Headshot of Chinenye Okonkwo backlit with purple light

Chinenye Okonkwo

Anti-Racist SU Project Worker

My role focuses on leading key initiatives designed to foster a more inclusive and equitable campus from a racial perspective. My primary objectives include:

  • Chairing the Anti-Racism Working Group to address systemic racism.
  • Introducing a new Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) category at the Inspirational Student Awards to recognise outstanding contributions.
  • Driving EDI efforts across all University departments. This involves reviewing student induction training to incorporate important content on microaggressions and enhancing the rollout of Inclusive Curriculum Training.

The goal is to create an environment where diversity is not only recognised but actively celebrated, ensuring that every student feels empowered and supported to succeed.

To explore opportunities for collaboration or share insights, please reach out at chinenye.okonkwo@shu.ac.uk.

Headshot of Iye Orok backlit with purple light

Iye Orok

Degree Awarding Gap Project Worker

My role focuses on reducing the Ethical Degree Awarding Gap at Hallam to create an equitable and inclusive educational environment. My key projects include:

  • Introducing an anonymous grading system to reduce unconscious bias in the assessment process and make our academic environment more equitable.
  • Integrating Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) training into the University's induction process for staff and students to raise awareness of contemporary diversity issues and foster a more inclusive campus culture.
  • Leading the effort to provide mannequins with different skin tones for wound care, venepuncture, and cannulation training since different skin tones present unique challenges, such as contrast in wound presentation and varying levels of contrast between skin and veins. Training on mannequins that mimic these differences will help nursing and midwifery students get a more realistic simulation and comprehensive learning experience.

Please get in touch via i.orok@shu.ac.uk to discuss potential collaborations or exchange insights.

Past research

Dami and Aidah, BAME Ambassadors 2023/24, worked to raise awareness of the degree awarding gap amongst students and established an Anti-Racist SU policy.

View Anti-Racist SU policy

Degree awarding gap

Dami and Aidah explain what the degree awarding gap is, how it came about, and the work they were doing to help reduce the gap.

Udeme, BAME Student Research Ambassador 2022/23, conducted new research into two main areas, barriers to sports and societies and the degree awarding gap. Both of these issues have looked at BAME students' experiences at Hallam.

Disaggregating the BAME Degree Awarding Gap: Understanding the Experiences of 'Black' Students

View full report

View report summary

Perceived barriers & potential solutions to participation in sports & societies among home BAME students

View full report

A Black student waving off to the side of the camera

Resources

BAME Must Reads List

Black Ballad

BAME Businesses

Decolonisation for Beginners

Cultural Capital Worksheet

To BAME or not to BAME

Intersectionality 101

FAQs

How can I become a BAME Ambassador?

We welcome you to apply for the BAME Ambassador roles if you're a current student at SHU and you identify as Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic. Read the person specification and see if you're what we're looking for. Don't forget to read the job description to check the role is a good fit for you, then fill out the application form to apply! Applications open over every summer between academic years, we have this years officers now in place, please apply next year!

What is my SU?

We are your Students' Union (SU), run by students, for students. If you're enrolled on a course at SHU then you're a member of Sheffield Hallam Students' Union too! We want to support you through your university journey and make sure you have fun whilst you're here. Did you know that at your SU you can get involved in societies (or create one!), volunteering, activities, events, and even run for the position of an SU Officer!

Why do we want BAME Ambassadors?

We hope that the BAME Ambassadors will provide BAME students at SHU with an added layer of support. We also want to empower our BAME Ambassadors to create a supportive community for their peers. The Ambassadors will help us at the Students' Union to identify and address academic and wellbeing issues that could be sustaining the Degree Awarding Gap or detrimentally impacting the university experience of BAME students from the UK. Our Ambassadors will work to represent the Students' Union as well as to hold us accountable for any change and development we can make.

What is the BAME Degree Awarding Gap?

The Degree Awarding Gap is the difference in degree outcomes for Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic students, compared to White students. Our BAME Research Ambassadors will identify the factors that maintain the Awarding Gap, and our BAME Project Ambassadors will come up with creative solutions to address them.

Why is your SU getting involved?

We try to support our students as best as we can, whether that's with wellbeing queries, academic support, or providing opportunities for employment. We want all of our students to thrive whilst at university, no matter what their background is! Our research has found that ethnic minority wellbeing and mental health are very important contributors to individuals' experiences at university, and that they are linked to degree awarding outcomes. We understand the many pressures some of our students face and want to help break down the barriers BAME students from the UK face within higher education.